Meet Teacher Debbie. She has been the director of WPNS for almost 20 years. She loves her job, she understands kids and she is patient with parents. Last week we stopped by Henry's Alma Mater to say hello and, of course, Teacher Debbie invited us back to school the next morning to have a playday.Even though most of Henry's friends have moved on to Kindergarten, he was thrilled at the chance to go back to school for a day. It was so nice to be reminded of the type of parent I want to be. Laid back, ready to explore, okay with messiness, eager to watch a child figure things out on his own, and not counting the days until this age passes. It was great to see Henry so happy and to see that Calvin is actually a lot more ready for pre-school that I had imagined. He sat so well at the snack table, asked Teacher Debbie, and not me, for help, and made it through most of circle time.
I know that some people don't "get" co-ops. Pre-school is their time for a break from parenting. I agree. I loved the days that I could just drop Henry off. However, I also loved the days when I could go to school, get dirty, play with the other kids, and see Henry in a new environment. I also appreciated the camaraderie that existed among most of the parents. We were friends, we understood each other and each other's kids. We had someone to talk to about the challenges of parenting and we had common goals for our children.
Some parents also desire a highly academic pre-school experience for their children to get the "ready" for kindergarten. It works for some kids. After my experience with Henry this year, I am grateful that he was "ready" to be a friend, a negotiator, a peacemaker and a learner. He wasn't the first to read in his class, but he is starting to get it! He loves numbers and excels at math (I still don't get that! It must come from his father) He is "ready" to be in school.
I am grateful for Teacher Debbie. I trusted her instincts with Henry and she was right!
After visiting back at the pre-school last week, I was reminded that I need to step it up. Maybe it was the really rainy winter, maybe it was getting through the first trimester, mayeb it was the move, maybe it was laziness. It easily could have been all of the above. However, I have been re-inspired to be the mom that I used to be. More messy art, more impromptu outings, more giving up busy schedules and actually spending time with my kids.
So after a good reminder from WPNS, I'm back.
7 comments:
You are a wonderful mother!
We can't be "wonderful moms" 100% of the time - so it is good to be reminded -which I think is the main plus of a co-op - it keeps "reminding" you of how you want to be.
And "readiness" is highly subjective.
And you are a great mom!
I agree with you on how important the social skills, learning and exploring are vs. academics when they are that age. We belonged to a co-op preschool in Hollister and I loved it. The days that I worked were really fun and it was a laid back place to be. It is hard now when I work in Lexi's Kindergarten with things being so structured and it's all about getting the work done! I'd rather just play!
i think it's important to take a break now and then. for kids and moms.
Me too! I think all moms need a regular break. That is why I believe in pre-school.
The problem with a co-op is that it gets harder to do with each additional child. And it can be difficult to find a co-op that meets your needs. Or any pre-school for that matter.
We seem to be struggling to find the right one for Calvin at the moment. Hopefully something will open up.
For all the US's emphasis on kids learning to read by/before kindergarten, as a country we don't tend to score as well on tests when compared to other countries that place less emphasis on early academics (such as Denmark), and who instead value the "childhood" experience where kids can just play and be kids and learn to be good, solid people.
In the long run, I think good people skills get your farther in life that good math skills. Unless, of course, you want to be a math teacher...
I love that Peter would come home from your house dirty - I have tried to be less concerned about dirt and anything else that only causes a mess because of you. thanks!
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