Preschool

Julia will be 4 in June.  We've always planned on her going to preschool at 4 because...well, because we think she'd love it.  Plus I'm an advocate of preschool (um, I have taught it for goodness sakes) and know the benefits of being apart of a preschool class to a little one.  If we were still in Colorado, she could have even started this year (at age 3), but I probably would have kept her home until she was 4.

 But, here in Texas, at the school district Elisabeth attends, preschool is not offered until age 4 and it is an all day program.  Yep, all day, as in, 7:45AM-3:00PM.  That is the same schedule my 3rd grade Elisabeth has.

Evan and I discussed it and we just can't justify sending Julia there for an all day preschool program. It's a long day for someone so little (and four years old is quite little, which I think people forget).  I looked at the schedule on the school's website, and there are a lot of things that she would love, but eating lunch and napping at school at age 4 feels more like I'm sending her to day care instead of preschool.  It would be different if I needed her in day care, then that full day preschool would be a godsend because it's free through the school district, but I don't.  However, I am going to call the school and see if just taking her for half the day is an option, because if it is, then we'll definitely sign her up.  I do think she'd love preschool, just not a full day's worth.

 The thing is, I feel all this guilt about her not experiencing preschool, but I never went. I started the whole school experience when I walked into my first day of Kindergarten.  And, it's not like I'm worried about Julia's development or learning abilities--she's pretty smart and inquisitive with no red flags that would suggest she needs any early intervention.  I used to be concerned about her timidness in situations where she had to leave me behind (because the girl might love my company to no end), but enrolling her in dance class has really shown us that she is fully capable of being in an environment without me when it's something she loves to do (and she does lovelovelove to dance!).

Plus, um, I have my bachelor's (and some master's classes!) in EDUCATION.  I am fully aware what she needs to know to be ready for Kindergarten and am pretty sure that I could, you know, teach her things needed to know before she steps into her first day of Kindergarten.

It just seems so odd keeping her at home with me another year when Elisabeth started day care at the age of 2.5 and loved every single minute of it.  Ebeth was begging us to go to school so she could meet friends!!  Granted, I worked in the same day care (in the room right next door!) and was able to see her all day, every day.  She also flourished in that kind of environment because the girl thrives off of interacting with other people.  Plus, we had no choice--Evan was in law school and I had to work to make ends meet.  It's just different with Julia.  I'm home all day and don't have to work.  She has never been in a day care experience at all (and I don't think she would have taken to it the same way as Elisabeth did).

So, overall, I feel much better with our decision that, if half day preschool is not an option (because paying tons of moola for a private one is not something we're willing to do...mainly because everything here is a million miles away and also because private preschool is EXPENSIVE!), then Julia gets to stay home with me and the new baby next year.  She can start Kindergarten (which is also full day) when she is five.