Doing a quick search for "Mother's Day Out vs. Preschool" proves just how much confusion everyone has on the subject. There are multiple posts on many different forums where moms have posted this question and gotten every different answer possible. Even those of us on the professional side of early childhood education often differ in our definition of the two. Let's see if we can sort this out, shall we?
Early childhood education can be traced as far back as the 1800's when a mother in Europe began educating other families' children in her home. During the Industrial Revolution in America, "nursery schools" began popping up as a place for families to leave their children while they were at work. Once the idea of young children coming together to socialize and learn became more popular, more and more researchers began to discover how the mind of young children form and develop. This research set into motion the formation of many schools of thought into how to best shape these young minds in a group-care setting.
As these programs started becoming more popular, they were often given the title "Mother's Day Out". The name says it all. The programs were geared toward the knowledge that moms work hard and need a break! The children were cared for and given activities to keep them busy and safe until their moms came back to get them. For the most part, these programs are not as prevalent as they used to be, as they are more along the lines of "babysitting" rather than creating a learning environment for young children.
The Encyclopedia of Children's Health defines preschool as "an early childhood program in which children combine learning with play in a program run by professionally trained adults." The majority of current early childhood education programs define themselves in this way. While they often disagree on how best to prepare young children for their future education (play-based vs. academics focused), they all agree that early childhood education is an important part of creating life-long learners! Planning purposeful activities, watching individual children's development and helping them to develop is the backbone of preschool today.
So, which program is the correct choice for your family? It all depends on what you are wanting to get out of it! Does the parent staying home simply need a few hours to get things done? Or are you looking for a program that uses a curriculum and creates specific goals for each child's development? The choice ultimately comes down to exactly what you, as the parent, have in mind for your child. It is important to note, however, that there are many programs that can offer both. They give you the comfort and security of knowing your children are safe while you have time to yourself as well as research based curriculum to help your child progress in all areas of development.
At Children's Discovery Center, we truly advocate parents taking time for themselves as we engage their children in play-based learning. For more information and a video tour of Children's Discovery Center in Plano, please click HERE for our website.
