Preschool Talk: Take Me Back to 2012!
Once a week, my son and I participate in a Mommy and Me class. My girlfriend got me involved at the beginning of the school year, and I’m so glad she did. For Evan, the socializing with kids his age is so healthy, and the exposure to the older kids’ language is key in his development. I went to school for speech pathology and have an appreciation for language development. For me, it’s been a wonderful opportunity to be around other mamas and ask questions and also give and receive advice. So when the preschool talk came up, my list of questions began.
First off, when did it stop being 2012? I spent eight months of that year pregnant, and it all seems like a distant memory. I don’t remember the feeling of someone moving around in my belly, but I certainly can still hear his infant cries. During this time, touring preschool was on the distant horizon. Now, as I try to accept that instead of a nursing schedule I’m entering a world of drop-off and pick-up times, I feel sad.
It’s a big world out there! Credit: shannatheshedevil, Flickr
This entire concept — drop-off, leave, pick up — scares me and every part of my being. The idea of leaving Evan in the care of someone else, someone who isn’t family, absolutely terrifies me. It took me 16 months … 16 MONTHS … to leave Evan for his first sleepover at my in-laws. A place I know he’s safe and cared for just as well as he is in his own home. So now I have to cozy up with the idea of leaving him in the care of … well, a stranger. Of course, during the tour I’ll meet the teachers beyond their names on the door and be able to see how their classrooms are structured. These are all thriving educators in our community, and the school has a phenomenal reputation. In fact, it’s one of the top sought-out preschools in our city, yet that drop-off-and-leave concept still is not sitting well.
How do I know he’s ready? When preschool enrollment starts, Evan will be two. Is that too young? He will be among familiar peers, that should make it easier, right? I understand that this will be good for ME. I have no problem admitting that I am very attached to my mister. Every day is a new day full of new adventures, and it scares me to not have him in my sight where I can see he’s okay. I’m learning this is normal of first-time mamas and by kid No. 2, I’ll be waving in the rear view mirror rather than standing outside the door with my nose pressed up to it, too scared to leave. So be it, that may be true. Although for now, I’m going to let myself go through the notion of the separation anxiety. In a healthy way, of course. Stay tuned for my tour; you’ll be the first to know!
Did you have a tough time sending your little one of to school for the first time? How did you know he/she was ready? —Jennifer