Our church opened a day school a few weeks ago. I debated for a long time about whether or not to send Isaac. We registered him while I was still pregnant, but of course, after his birth, I wanted to change my mind. I went back and forth weighing the pros and cons. I kept Jonah home with me until he was 21 months at which point he started a PMO (Parents' Morning Out) class. It was the best decision I ever made. He went for just 2 days a week for 2 1/2 hours. As much as I delighted in caring for him and being able to stay home with him, I confess that every now and then, I needed a break. I don't believe that is something to feel guilty about, either. As stay-at-home-moms (or working moms, for that matter), we pour ourselves into our children and our homes and our husbands and at the end of the day, often times there is very little time left over for us. Granted, I think most of us are happy to do it - some probably even see it as a "calling" in life. Yet, as it is with any job, everyone needs a respite - a vacation. It was a nice time to make appointments, go to the store all by myself, clean my house with no interruption...or just sit and have a cup of coffee and catch my breath. I unashamedly enjoyed it...AND...Jonah enjoyed it, too. As a result of having spent 4 years in the same preschool program, going to Kindergarten this year was a piece-of-cake...for him, at least. Of course I could've taught him everything he needed to know at home, but there is something very valuable (in my humble opinion as a former educator) about giving a child the experience of a school setting before they actually start "real" school. Learning to get along with peers, learning to follow classroom rules and obey the teacher, learning all about group time and recess and eating lunch at school and performing in those oh-so-cute holiday programs...well, you just can't do all of that at home. Fortunately I was able to find a church preschool program that integrated Biblical teachings (stories, memory verses, etc.) into their curriculum. That's one huge thing I miss now that he is in public school.
Anyway, I digress. The point is that we did decide to go forth with putting Isaac in the Mother's Morning Out program at the day school. He loves it! He loves interacting with the other babies and I love my few short hours of me-time. It's a win-win situation. Plus - in my opinion, this is a huge step to reducing separation anxiety. Maybe I'm just lucky, but we never had to deal with any type of separation anxiety with Jonah. He has loved school from day one - and I truly believe it's because he started at such an early age and it just became the norm for him. Plus - we still had plenty of "mommy & me" time during his preschool years. We gradually increased the time he spent at school each year....2 days...then 3...and 4 by the time he was in 4K. He thought it was neat how it matched his age. I am hoping to be able to do the same with Isaac. Plus - now with Isaac being at the day school two mornings a week, I will be able to do some volunteering at Jonah's school, as well as have lunch with him on occasion. I'm really looking forward to being able to do this.
Anyway, I digress. The point is that we did decide to go forth with putting Isaac in the Mother's Morning Out program at the day school. He loves it! He loves interacting with the other babies and I love my few short hours of me-time. It's a win-win situation. Plus - in my opinion, this is a huge step to reducing separation anxiety. Maybe I'm just lucky, but we never had to deal with any type of separation anxiety with Jonah. He has loved school from day one - and I truly believe it's because he started at such an early age and it just became the norm for him. Plus - we still had plenty of "mommy & me" time during his preschool years. We gradually increased the time he spent at school each year....2 days...then 3...and 4 by the time he was in 4K. He thought it was neat how it matched his age. I am hoping to be able to do the same with Isaac. Plus - now with Isaac being at the day school two mornings a week, I will be able to do some volunteering at Jonah's school, as well as have lunch with him on occasion. I'm really looking forward to being able to do this.
1 comment:
Enjoy your mommy time!
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