The driving motivation for me to send my son to preschool was that I was pregnant with my daughter due in October. At the time, the thought of having 2 under 2 at home all day terrified me. Now I have 3 under 4 and well, that’s a brand new ballgame. Oh, how times have changed.
I found the perfect little preschool program attached to a Methodist Church that came highly recommended by friends. I absolutely loved the environment and the teachers. You truly know how you feel when you walk in the door; the smell of crayons, books and seeing the warm smiles on the teacher’s face.
On the first day, he walked right into the classroom unaware of what was happening. When I picked him up a few hours later he was full of tears; some joy and some desperation to see me. The next drop-off was not so easy. This time he knew what was going on and just started crying and clinging to me. The teachers were trained to handle this and I trusted that he would be fine once I handed his squirmy little body over to them. The worst thing you can do is linger! I remember standing outside of the door listening and then peeking back in a few minutes later to find him interested in a toy and enjoying himself. Phew… Okay, this was going to be a good thing. For about the first month, the drop-off’s slowly started to get better and then one day, he was actually excited to walk in the door. I was so relieved and felt more confident that I had made the right decision to send him to school so early. His verbal and social skills showed a vast improvement. And I was getting to spend a few quiet hours with my new daughter and run errands that always seemed so hard to do with a toddler.
Now for the first time, my 4 AND 2-year-old will both be attending the same preschool in the fall and all of those feelings of anxiety and excitement will be back again. It’s such a wonderful experience for them, but I still believe the best part of the day is picking them up and seeing the smiles on their faces as they tell me about their day.
So to all the moms and dads doing the drop-off for the first time, keep a smile on your face and assure your little one that you will be back to get them in just a few short hours. And sit back and enjoy a latte knowing that you made the right decision for your child.
Are you sending a child to preschool this year? What are your concerns and how are you addressing them?
