preschool

I read an article in Parents magazine about a mom sending her son to preschool for the first time. She detailed the first few tear-filled weeks and then the day that he finally walked into his school by himself and tear-free. She admitted that the day he didn't need her to walk him into the school was the day she cried the most. Of course, I was bawling throughout the article. Flora is almost 2 1/2-years-old!! Where did the time go? I know, I know . . . she's only 2-years-old and I'm blubbering like she's leaving for college. I'll pull myself together.

Preschool. School that you attend BEFORE you start school. I have an issue with the idea of preschool. Maybe it's just the name to which I object, but I have a hard time seeing the benefit of sending kids to EXTRA school. They are already bound to at least 13 years of hard school time. Why prolong that sentence with extra school that's not even going to look good on a resume?

On the flip side, I know that preschool is great for social development and prepares kids for the structure of kindergarten. However, those first few weeks are going to be difficult whether they are the first few weeks of preschool or the first few weeks of kindergarten. I cried my way through the first month of kindergarten and the first day of school every year until 5th grade. I don't think preschool would have resolved my issues. I think I turned out okay though. I even made my first friend when she coaxed me out from behind the trashcan.

So, that's what's on my mind today: preschool. I doubt we'll do the preschool thing, but I will try to find a good "Mommy's Day Out" program to send the kids to a couple days a week when they are older. The social interaction and time away from me will be good for them and I won't feel guilty for tacking on extra schooling to their fleeting childhood years (because the word "school" is not included in "Mommy's Day Out").

I'm not saying that parents who send their kids to preschool should feel guilty . . . but I'm not NOT saying it either! Haha! You know the rules: my blog = my way is best. *smile* Actually, if I were to dig deeper I would probably discover the real issue is I'm just not ready for them to leave me . . . but I don't think I'll dig that deep.