Perspectives in Parenting :: Choosing Preschool

The Perspectives Series, y’all.  I’m excited.  I’m excited mainly, because if there is one thing I’ve learned in this mothering game, it’s that there isn’t just one way to master it…..there is a different “best” way for every single mother I’ve met.  It’s so easy for us to jump into defense mode when we cross the path of someone who may have made a decision different from the one we did regarding our kids.  Or on the opposite end, it’s just as instinctive for us to preach to the world what we have discovered is THE BEST!

We’re hoping that by sharing multiple perspectives on issues big and small, we’ll remind our readers that it’s okay if you and even your very best friend don’t see eye-to-eye on the ins and outs of parenting.  Work or stay at home, breastfeeding or bottle feeding, crying it out or co-sleeping, daycare or nanny, paci or no paci…the series will hopefully go on for a long time, and today I’m talking about the decision I made to send my kids to preschool before they turned 2.

I have to tell y’all, it wasn’t something I thought much about.  When my girls were almost 20 months, it occurred to me that they might  like engaging with other kids and being exposed to new activities beyond our playgroup.  And seriously…that was that.  I toured a few places in our area and both girls were soon signed up for 2 mornings a week, from 9-12 at “school.”  Sooooo, when Jenn reached out to our team asking if anyone wanted to write the post opposite of her “defense for keeping her kids home until 3,” I thought oooooooooh – ME!  Not really for me to tell you why we did it, but to share with you a bit of a love letter to our preschool.  Our experience has been entirely positive, and as my girls just turned 5 YEARS OLD and are now a couple of months away from wrapping up their preschool careers, I’m filled with gratitude.  And I want their principals, teachers, and everyone else who works so hard there, to know it.

Perspectives in Parenting - Choosing Preschool

Dear Administrators, Teachers, Parents, and Friends of our Preschool,

Thankkkkkk youuuuuu!  Thank you for giving my kids a safe and loving place to go everyday for the past 4 years.  Thanks for teaching them how to share and be a good friend and to use their words instead of their hands.  Thanks for being the kind of place where the principal knows every child by name and gives them a hug at the front door on the way into school each morning.  Thank you for teaching them there are limits.  Thank you for holding my hand when one of my girls chose to bite someone.  Thank you for providing music and teaching them to sing so many songs I haven’t heard since my childhood.  Thank you for inviting me in as a volunteer, so I could feel like I was also contributing to their “pre” education.  Thanks for being intune to the differences between twins and matching mine with perfect teachers when it was time to split them up.  Thanks for standing by your play based curriculum and helping parents to understand that “playing” actually is a channel for immeasurable learning.  Thanks for introducing me to a group of moms who will be friends I carry with me for many years to come.  Thank you for curating a school that feels like family, feels like home, and feels like a place where the doors will always be open should we need them to be in the future.

Ohhhh mannn…..That was a lot of thank yous! I’m so glad Owen is just in the baby class and has three more years to be a part of all this.

Love, love, love,

Jessica

So you see, preschool at a young age was right for me and my family.  I think the goal for all of us as parents shouldn’t necessarily be to make the BEST choices, but to make the choices that are best for US.  Jenn is sharing her thoughts on the subject tomorrow, and I totally relate to where she is coming from too.  I relate and I respect her choice for no reason other than it’s the one she has made and feels good about. Different than mine, but the BEST for her!

So tell us, which perspective is best for you?  Did we leave an important choice out all together? Looking forward to your comments.

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Jessica and Sarah
Jessica and Sarah are tandem bloggers and self-dubbed ‘sister-cousins’ because sometimes the lines get blurred, and they wouldn’t have it any other way. Both New Orleans natives, these cousins transplanted to Houston after Hurricane Katrina and have never looked back. Jessica is the mother of twin girls, Laine and Olivia {March 2010}, and a sweet and curious one year old boy, Owen {Jan 2013}. Sarah is mom to Maggie {Aug 2011}, who keeps her on her toes, and the most adorable little brother, Jack {Nov 2013}! By day, Jessica is a stay at home mom, and Sarah works on the financial and managerial end of the healthcare industry. By naps, lunch breaks, and nights, they run an adorable children’s clothing company called The Little Crane Smocked Shoppe. Follow these two, their families, and their adventures in small business ownership on their blog…and don’t forget to show them some love at their shop too!

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