Dear Parent,
It’s been four years since you gave birth to your little one. Four years of changing diapers, feeding, teaching, and nurturing, all leading to the energetic, curious preschooler you see today. Now, the world is telling you it’s time to send them off to school. “Para mahiwalay sa nanay” or “Para masanay sa tao,” they say. And you might wonder, Is my child ready? Perhaps, the more pressing question is, Am I ready?
As you prepare for this new chapter, researching schools and submitting applications, you might be feeling a whirlwind of emotions–excitement mixed with anxiety. You pack their bag for their first school interview, sharpen their pencils, and hope for the best. But then the school administrator suggests that your child should already know their ABCs and numbers, despite this being their first year of formal education.
At that moment, self-doubt creeps in. You wonder, Did I prepare them enough? Should I have read more books together? Limited screen time more strictly? Taught them their letters earlier? You did your best, yet it can feel like you’ve fallen short of expectations set by the school.
But here’s the thing, you are not alone. Many parents face the same concerns. As one early childhood educator puts it, some traditional schools expect preschoolers to have academic skills that seem advanced for their age. And this pressure on children, and indirectly on parents, is overwhelming.
Sure, it’s natural for parents to want the best for their children and feel the urge to help them “keep up” with their peers. But what happens when this push for early academic achievement begins to overshadow the joy of early childhood? What happens if we get so blinded by academic achievement that we fail to appreciate our children for what they can do?
In these moments, don’t lose sight of your child. They may need help with letters and numbers, but focus on what they already do well. Recognize their ability to converse and follow simple directions—skills shaped by your guidance at home. Appreciate how they play well with others, a sign that you’ve raised a kind-hearted preschooler.
And as you will soon discover, your child will learn their letters and numbers soon enough. And schools will always accept them. And whether your child learned to write on his own at 5 or 6 years old would not matter in the long run.
As you embark on this journey as a parent of a school child, always remember that your child’s early years are precious. Remember that every child develops and learns at their own pace. They don’t need to be hurried through these moments of learning and discovery. Let them play, explore, and learn at their own speed. In the long run, the greatest gift you can give them is not early academic success but a childhood filled with wonder, joy, and the love of learning.
Read here for an educator's advice to parents on academic pressure.
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