How Can This Be??

Today is turning into a very emotional day!  First, my 17 year old cousin is graduating from high school in about 25 minutes.  I remember the day she was born.  I remember making a welcome sign for her and being devastated when I realized that they gave her a different middle name than I had been told, thus the sign was wrong.  Thinking of her graduating made me realize that before I know it, my own daughter will be graduating.  I know I still have about 15 years before that happens, but as quickly as the past three have gone, it’s not long at all!

Then, I received an email from Nana.  She has a few “school outfits” for my little bug to wear.  On June 2nd, she will be starting a preschool program in town.  It’s time, I know that, but for the first time, it hit me that my little baby is no longer a baby.  I actually welled up as I read that email.  It may not be kindergarten, but two years from right now, we’ll be getting ready for that.  How did we go from helpless newborn to starting preschool?

I now realize why I was 12 years old and my dad was trying to put me in Mary Janes, wouldn’t let me cut my hair, and threw a fit when I got my ears pierced.  It’s hard to deal with any sign of your kid growing up!

Time to Take the Next Step

I really want to send K to Montessori.  I think she’d do very well in the setting and she’d thrive with the Montessori teaching philosophy.  At this time, I don’t think we’ll be able to make that work.  My work hours don’t guarantee that I will be done in time to pick her up and my husband’s hours are even more difficult.

As time goes on, I realize it’s time to move K from her in-home sitter to a more structured environment.  She is eager to learn and I think she needs someone with an educational background to help her grow.  Couple that with some recent issues, and it’s very obviously time to look for a preschool/center to put her in.

It’s a scary time.  Her sitter is the only one she’s ever had.  She’s been there since she was four weeks old with the exception of last summer and fall when I worked from home.  Part of me feels like I’m slapping the sitter in the face by moving her, but I have to push that to the back of my mind for the sake of my little girl.

This afternoon, we’ll be checking out two local facilities.  I was happy when talking with both of them.  The first one is walking distance from our apartment, they have decent hours, and the schedule they have the kids on matches K’s current schedule.  The second one has better hours and it’s a bit more structured.

I’ve talked to other parents who made this switch and they all said it was rough at first.  At the same time, none of them have regretted it.  One had a daughter who was very similar to K as far as her development at this age.  They wound up fighting their local school district to have her admitted to kindergarten at the age of four because the she was so far ahead of the rest of her class.  Her dad said he wouldn’t change a thing and that he made the change because he worried that his daughter was getting bored at her sitter.  Hopefully we’ll feel the same way after we move her.