Preschool sheltering our kids?

We do everything we can do to protect our children.  We shelter them from outside influences that will lead them astray.  We try to educate our children, so they will have the life that we wished we had or are striving towards.  Then, we put our children in preschool and get excited when they do well, get along with others, play nicely, follow directions, and all the other stuff that is required of children in grade school.

I have come to the realization that preschool shelters our kids a little too much.  Mayhem has started preschool this year, and he goes two days a week for two and a half hours each day.  Next year, he will only go three days a week for half day.  Then, they have the option of going to kindergarten on time, or they can be held back and go to a kindergarten prep class that is five days a week for half days.  Now, I understand there are other preschool programs out there, and I love the program and the teachers at our preschool.  However, we checked into the other programs when we sent Mischief to preschool a few years ago.  Many of the other programs are almost or more than twice the price of our preschool, for not a whole lot more time.  

My problem with preschool is that it does not fully prepare our kids for kindergarten.  That is why we send them to preschool, is it not?  Mischief went from three days a week, going half days to five days a week going for seven and a half hours.  She was more than adequately academically prepared, but that is kind of a ridiculous, shocking change.  There are not very many preschools, who are preschool only that offer full day programs, unless you hold the kids back a year.  There are preschool programs who are mixed with daycare programs who will take your kids all day, but the price is astronomical and not necessary when I am a stay at home mom! 

Mayhem's first day of school!

Anyway, moral to my rant, make sure the preschools you choose will flow nicely into the type of kindergarten your kids have to go into.  We are sending Mayhem back to the same preschool because of the program and the price, but we are going to change some things at home, so he will not be so shocked a couple of years from now, when he goes to kindergarten!