Our preschool quest has ended. Last month we got a phone call and assuming I pass a TB test, my son will be enrolled this fall in a very special local cooperative nursery school.
My husband says “its just preschool,” but it isn’t. By the time both of our children go, it will be a four year commitment for our family.
I haven’t always made the best decisions in my life. I’ve taken the road of least resistance instead of thinking about what would really make me happy. For example, I went into business after school because that’s what everyone I knew did. But I often think I might have been happier getting a PHD in English or going to journalism school. So the preschool search has been emotionally loaded for me – more than just whether the program would be a good fit for Miles, I wanted it to be a good fit for me too.
We had all of the usual questions? Is the curriculum play-based? How were the hours? Do they have a summer program? Was there room in the morning program? Was it a “school” environment and not home-based. I also wanted to find a program that would enable me to be more involved – sharing the experiences of his days.
In the “first round” we got into three schools. First, a nice little program that was located on a very busy street and only had space for Miles in the afternoon. Second, a pricier school in our neighborhood where music and gymnastics are included. Third, a co-op in the canyon where you have to hike your kid in (and out) for almost half a mile.
The first option was a no go because Miles is a napper. Also it was problematic for me because they didn’t allow “drop in” parent visits, and I’d like to be able to take part in his day. The easy option would be the school in our neighborhood. But I felt like it catered more to working parents. Since I don’t work, I would feel weird about outsourcing music and gymnastics. I visited the co-op in the canyon one sunny morning when the red-tailed hawks circled overhead. I thought “I need to do this for Miles.” The very next morning I woke up and it was pouring rain. I knew there was no way I could do it.
And then the call. Now I can relax because I found something that is good for Miles (and Mia) but also good for me.
Posted on July 22nd, 2005 by Laura Norman
Filed under: The Urban Parent
I agree completely. I could have sent my daughter to a preschool that was good for her, but where I couldn’t relate to any of the parents. So we went for one that was good for both of us. Come September, we’ll know whether we made the right decision.