To Preschool or Not to Preschool?

I am so indecisive! For the last 2 years I've said Rory was definitely going to need preschool. The child is good-natured, beautiful, engaging, social to a fault, extremely imaginative, etc. But she cannot be bothered with things like coloring, glue, learning her ABC's, counting, etc. I mean she seriously cannot be bothered. She turns 5 in September, but we've decided to wait to send her to kindergarten and have always planned to put her in preschool this year. I thought we'd missed out since I did no research and did not find her a place this summer. In my defense, I've had just a few other things going on.

This week, however, I found just what I was looking for. There's only one ahead of her on the waiting list for a church preschool about 15 minutes away. It is 3 days a week; I feel good about the program; and it is reasonably priced. So why can't I just press "submit" on the application? To be honest, it's mostly selfish reasons. I kind of hate the idea of sending her off to be under someone else's influence this early, but that's not the selfish part. The selfish part is not really wanting to spend the money, not wanting the scheduling issues (the timing doesn't quite coincide with Camden's schooling so there's going to be about 30 minutes of wait time in the morning and afternoon), and let's be honest - this means I'd have to actually be dressed with make-up on and presentable 3 mornings a week.

I could teach her preschool things myself you say? Ummm, yeah. We've tried that. Did I mention she's social? All she wants to do is talk. She is DYING to go to school. I think she probably needs a year of preschool if only for the reason that she needs to learn that school isn't just a whole new audience for her. And she probably needs a little introduction into structure.

And this is what Rory thinks of preschool.
080511

So someone tell me to just do it.

Comments

Joanna B said…
Oh that IS a hard choice! Little M's therapists keep telling us that she needs to go to preschool, but we have been putting it off.
Joy said…
DO IT!!!! : ) Ellis has to be at school at 8:00; Sumner at 8:30 and the schools are 5 minutes apart. I pick her up at 11:30 (little time for shopping - LOL) and Ellis at 3:00. So my day is pretty chopped up everyday. But seeing the looks on their faces and listening to them talk about their day and hearing what they learn *pop* out once in a while.....it makes it ALL worth it! And don't worry about being presentable for pickup/dropoff....wear sunglasses and "nice" sweats and you are good to go!! ; )
Becky said…
I am pretty sure that is what our phone conversation this morning consisted of me telling you! :) And seriously, who says you have to be dressed with makeup on?
KirstyB said…
Just do it!! She'll love it!! My Emma is a social butterfly too...and I think she needed that year of preschool just so that she could learn before kindergarten that there are times you can chat and there are times you can't. Go for it, mama!! :)
Rebecca H. said…
ITA with Becky. No one says you have to be fancied up to take/pick up kids to/from school. not at all. i think it would be a great thing for her - and a nice little breather moment for you 3 days a week, which we all know you deserve! just do it!
Tiki said…
Just do it :) I'm sending my little guy off to preschool this year and I have all the same thoughts you do but imagine that YOU time that you get after you're presentable 3 times a week. Think of the scrapping, shopping by yourself, doctors appointments by yourself, etc.
Anonymous said…
All these wonderful friends have made the correct choice. One of yours, you hate to admit the little Miss is growing up. But, she does need to see what the other side looks like and sharing the stage with others. You can do it. Hey, look at some of the other mothers, you take pride to a fine point. Be yourself!
I think you should do it. My social butterfly, Isaac, THRIVES so much in preschool. But even more I would imagine that kindergarten would be a huge shock to her system if she had never been in any classroom environment before.
Anonymous said…
Just do it!!!!!!! She will love it, and I think you might just enjoy it, too. :O) Briar has blossomed and thrived in preschool in so many ways that I know would not have happened if she was not going. It's been wonderful!
I absolutely do not put on makeup or do my hair to take Briar to preschool. Dressed and out of pj's, yes? But, that's as far as I go!!!
Nancy said…
Since your family is planning on moving to TX next year, it's good that you waited on her starting Kindergarten. The birthday cut off to enter Kinder in TX, is the student must be 5 years old by September 1st, to apply. Most Texas schools would make her repeat Kinder, even if she did well the first time around. As for her going to preschool, use your Mommy instinct... You know her best!
DO IT!!! :)
Jessie said…
It's only three days a week, so just do it! She will love it!
I am going with DO IT!
Mayme said…
Look, makeup is so overrated! I know exactly how you feel about sending her. You may recall that I was a total mess last year when Emma went to school, but it was the best thing for her. So I say go for it and forget about makeup!
Elizabeth Frick said…
I'm the wrong person to talk to about this; I'm equally indecisive. We've been back and forth about sending O to preschool for a loooooong time. I definitely feel you on the whole them being too young to under someone else's influence. It's scary to just let so much be left up to someone you don't know very well...
But it sounds like you recognize the benefits of sending her and that she will, in fact, benefit. We're in a similar boat and realized that O needs both the speech help and the social help, as she is painfully shy (funny how our girls are opposites in that respect!) :)
So, it's a decision you have to make that's best for your family. 3 days a week might just be the right balance of you getting some free time as well as Rory time, and Rory getting some social interaction she likely craves and needs, with a balance of sweet mama time.
M said…
I think you should definitely sign her up. Speaking from a teachers standpoint at her age I think it is the right thing to do. Also you deserve some time alone while she thrives at school. This is coming from a Mom who didn't want to send her boy at 4 and who had no intentions of sending her girlie at 3. The boy desperately needed the interaction with other kids and the girl..well..she wore me down with the constant "I want to go to school like brudder". They both thrived at preschool. Oh and I'm one of those dressed with makeup on every day people..it's doable. LOL. You'll make the right decision, Melissa.
Anonymous said…
You really need to do it. Delaying her kindergarten is going to have her a year older than all of her classmates as she gets older, which is going to bother her at times. What happens next year when she turns 6 and you're still not ready to send her to kindergarten. She needs it. Send her. She probably could start kindergarten this fall and it would only take her a couple weeks to fall in line with the normal expected tasks of a kindergartener. Children are quick sponges and resilient and the things she doesn't do for you, she will often do under the guise of a different type of authority (the beloved teacher) it just happens that way.
ok didn't read all the replies... just hit submit. I really don't think you will regret it. It isn't all day right?? even if it is for those 3 days, she will LOVE it and will learn soo much! and I 100% agree w/ Becky, dressed YES, make up NO.... you will be fine! =)
Late to the party here... but I'd say do it too! It's been SO good for Spencer the past six months (let's not talk about the four before that though) and it's amazing what he learns during his day... And let's be honest, I really enjoy being "off duty" too.

It's also nice to have an authority figure that isn't me. Weeks of "no hitting" attempts were made here, and then his teacher's had it resolved in a day once I brought it up. (No kidding.) It's also nice that I can do more fun things since I'm not stressing out over the fact that my kid needs to learn stuff like letters and numbers. That's what school is for, right?! So I devote our "education" time to science projects like soda geysers. (Seriously)
Joan B said…
Sort of think you should do it. However, you are the mom so you know best. However, there is one thing I know for sure -- you do not need makeup to have her go to preschool. So skip the makeup and sleep 5 extra minutes!! (LOL)

Popular posts from this blog

Blogging, Not Blogging

7/52: Pastel

Cousins, part 3 (the adult version)