My baby is going to preschool this year!

[annettemarie]

Anything special I should know or do or not do?

Background: We're homeschoolers but I'm having twins this year, so in order to keep some semblance of sanity, we're putting our three-year-old in the church preschool. We tend to be Waldorf-inspired and the preschool definitely isn't, but it's fairly play-based and they don't do a lot of drills and worksheets as far as I can tell. They're definitely more mainstream in their approach to pretty much everything--discipline, food, etc-- than we are, but I really like his teacher and it's just for a year. And luckily I'm too sick and tired to interfere too much in the first half of the year, and I'll be too busy with the babies to interfere in the second half.

But any tips would be welcome.

[LuckyMommaToo]

How is your DS with separating, generally? Does he already have a relationship with the teacher? I think that the best plan is to go in with a positive attitude, because that will transmit to him.

Also, it's helpful to know how the school handles drop-off on the first day. Do they encourage parents to stay, or not? That way you can prepare your DS ("Momma will walk you in, we'll find your cubby, then you guys are all going to find a play table that looks interesting. I'll say goodbye then and see you after snack time!").

My kids have both gone to a play-based preschool that I love and trust, so I have warm fuzzies about preschool! Hope you guys get a similar experience.
-e

[annettemarie]

He loves, loves, loves his teacher. The hardest part will be getting him to call her "Mrs. W." instead of Ms. Nikki, LOL! He's also lucky because, being the pastor's kid, he's been in the classroom before and loves the toys. I was snuggling him the other day and said "I'm going to miss you when you go to preschool" and he said "Well, I not miss you. I be busy playing in my classroom with all my toys."

My husband will actually be handling pick up and drop off. Which is actually one other thing I"m worried about-- since Daddy is the pastor, he'll be in the classroom once in a while doing "pastor things" like chapel and Bible stories, but will also sometimes just be there as Daniel's daddy. I wonder if this will be hard for Daniel to process? Plus he's just used to having the run of the church, so I wonder how he'll adjust to limits.

The good thing is I tend to hover and DH tends to be all "Hey, here you are. Go play!" So it's probably good Daddy is handling pick up and drop off.

I'm kind of excited. Sometimes, as homeschoolers, I feel like we miss out on some of the quintessential childhood moments, like the first day of preschool. I feel kind of blessed to get to experience the best of both worlds, and really blessed to have a choice.

[Qbear'smama]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

I was snuggling him the other day and said "I'm going to miss you when you go to preschool" and he said "Well, I not miss you. I be busy playing in my classroom with all my toys."

Too cute!! Sounds like he'll be just fine! It may take time for him to understand that he doesn't have the run of the place while at preschool but I doubt it will take him long to accept the new limits. DD went to preschool and that first day...so emotional (for me!). I would say preparation and knowing what to expect and who to go to if he has a problem (ie. toilet, if something upsets him, conflict with peers, etc.) are the main things and you've got it covered. Good luck!

[Mama Shifra]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

He loves, loves, loves his teacher. The hardest part will be getting him to call her "Mrs. W." instead of Ms. Nikki, LOL! He's also lucky because, being the pastor's kid, he's been in the classroom before and loves the toys. I was snuggling him the other day and said "I'm going to miss you when you go to preschool" and he said "Well, I not miss you. I be busy playing in my classroom with all my toys."

My husband will actually be handling pick up and drop off. Which is actually one other thing I"m worried about-- since Daddy is the pastor, he'll be in the classroom once in a while doing "pastor things" like chapel and Bible stories, but will also sometimes just be there as Daniel's daddy. I wonder if this will be hard for Daniel to process? Plus he's just used to having the run of the church, so I wonder how he'll adjust to limits.

My husband is the principal (and the school rabbi) of the school that my children have been in, so I know about this well ! My children have had the schizophrenic Rabbi Silver/"Abba" (father) thing, and while they do occasionally mix it up at the younger ages, they do eventually get that Daddy does role at school and one role at home. It will probably invoke into a secret family joke for the rest of your lives ! Seriously, though, your son will probably act towards your husband in school as the rest of his classmates do.

One thing my family holds to quite seriously is that our children get no special privileges because their father is the school principal/rabbi. We expect no special treatment for them, and we do not allow them to demand special treatment either. They also do not have the inside scoop either. This is to avoid them getting spoiled with the "P.K." syndrome (a "preacher's kid" is either just like his parents, very good, or very, very bad!).