Reader Question: Should I Feel Guilty About Leaving A Preschool-6th School After Preschool?

Question: My child attends a Preschool-6th school. I want to tour other elementary schools, with the possibility that we will enroll our child at another school for kindergarten. But, I feel guilty about leaving such a wonderful preschool and I’m concerned about how the school will react when we tell then we may leave. What should we do?


Answer: Great question! You shouldn’t feel guilty at all about looking at other elementary schools. Nor should you feel guilty about leaving the school. Every year, parents leave schools for various reasons. When you selected a preschool, your child was probably 2 or 3 years old. Now that he/she is getting older, you’re learning more about the type of elementary school that will be best for him/her. This is completely understandable. Of course, your school would like families to stay for elementary school, but they know there will be a few families that leave every year.


The most important thing you should do is emphasize that this decision is about the best fit for your child as he/she approaches elementary school. It’s also important for you to avoid criticizing your current school in any way. Even if you dislike the elementary school, don’t voice that opinion. Keep it positive and about your child’s needs. The school will be very unhappy if you bad mouth the school to other parents and they also start applying to other elementary schools. You should keep your opinions to yourself and stay positive. That way, you can preserve the option to stay for elementary school if you decide that’s the best option. At this point, you’re simply exploring all your school options.

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Christina Simon: Los Angeles, California, United States I'm the mom of two kids who attended The Willows School in Culver City and Viewpoint School in Calabasas. My daughter is a graduate of Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism ('23) and my son is a sophomore at UPenn/Wharton ('26). I live in Coldwater Canyon with my husband, Barry, and our dogs. Contact me at csimon2007@gmail.com

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