Paxton's first day of preschool was today!
I have been contemplating putting him in a preschool program for a while now, but nothing felt right for us. I am an overprotective mommy who keeps my little guy by my side all day. I know his unique personality, and I worry that his tendency toward emotional breakdowns will be frowned on by an adult who doesn't already know and love him. He's also so used to constant interaction that I worried he would feel ignored if he asked a question that wasn't given a response. I know, I know--cut the apron strings, Shannon. Likely, having him away from me would be a bigger transition for me than for him, but still, nothing felt quite right.
Then I learned that another mom I know was opening a preschool. She is a certified teacher with a specialty in preschool education. Her son is exactly one month older than Paxton. The school is located at a church that Paxton is familiar with, because we frequent their playground and attend Stroller Strides classes there. To top it all off, a few other friends expressed an interest in enrolling their children, too. That meant that Paxton would already know a few of his classmates! It all seemed to be falling into place perfectly.
Unfortunately, since the school is brand new in the community, enrollment wasn't what Abbey hoped for. With her son, there would only be four children, total. On the plus side, though, none of these children had ever been in a preschool setting before, and Paxton knows every one of them. I have no doubt that the school will grow with time, and this small group will be a great starter set!
Paxton was beside himself with excitement. He was so eager to put on his Elmo backpack this morning and carry his lunch box. He ran out the door shouting, "Let's go to school!". Needless to say, he didn't exhibit any separation anxiety when I eventually went to say my goodbyes. He was more than happy to dive into the new experience!
The school is just two-days-a-week, from 8-2:30. For the first week, the kids go home at 12:30, just so the parents and kiddos can adjust to the experience. I picked him up and he was excited to see me, but in no rush to head home. When I asked him what he did today, he said "We washed our hands". Apparently there was a lot of hand-washing. The teachers filled me in on some more of the day, telling me that they played outside, painted, and showed the kids' their names on the board. Add into that potty breaks, snack breaks and lunch, and you've got a pretty fun four hours! Although we ended the day on a low note (Paxton screaming "Let's go home!" because I wouldn't let him have a second one of Abbey's birthday cupcakes), he was barely outside the building before he asked to go to school again. I know he'll be ready and eager on Thursday morning! We both will!
It turns out that this separation wasn't nearly as hard for me as I might have expected. I felt completely comfortable with Paxton's care and attention with his teachers and friends. I was excited for him to have a morning filled with fun, new activities geared specifically to him and his age-group. I was eager to have some alone time at the house to focus my attention on my constant to-do list. And although everyone asked me if it was hard to see my baby grow-up, that didn't come into my mind. He is still just a little guy. I know that this school is a choice we are making for the good of both of us. Kindergarten will probably throw me for a loop, but I console myself by remembering that that's still far away, even if I know the time will fly!
