Preschool

 

Gavin and Emery start preschool two days a week at the end of August.  I’ve been told by a friend with 4 boys (twins and 2 older boys) that “preschool will change your life”.  I think she means that it will break up the monotony of the week, be a great learning experience, and really help with social skills.  Mostly I think she means that it will give me a break.  :-)

So….one cold February morning earlier this year, I drove to the preschool at 6:00 am and stood (outside) in line with all the other parents who were also trying to get the coveted preschool spots.  Registration started at 9:30 am.  This was sort of like those guys who stand in line for an Xbox…..except when I wrote the check at the end, they handed me two stacks of paper instead of an Xbox.  No, I didn’t register the kids for an elite Montessori school.  This is the normal process for preschool registration, at least where we live (if I want to avoid a 20-30 minute drive each way).  And when you have twins, it’s even more important to get there early because you need TWO of those spots!  I thought it was insane, but now we’re signed up and those two stacks of paper must be filled out and turned in by next week.

Just before we left for vacation, I decided to get a jump on the paperwork.  Oh…My….Gosh.  There are so many forms to be filled out, things to be notarized, medical records to be signed by our pediatrician (Ok….I should have expected that one and started on it earlier), and lots of the same information asked over and over again.  I think some of this has to do with state regulation.  Texas needs it documented one way and the preschool prefers it another.  So, they make me fill it out twice, or three times.  All I keep thinking is…….I could not imagine having quadruplets and filling this stuff out 2 more times!  :-)

Then they ask about your child’s favorite things, how much tv they watch a day (I may not have been completely truthful with this answer), and what shows they like.  Oh….and then there is the question about things like biting and potty training.  “What could you tell us that would help us with your child?”  I felt like asking “Will my daughter get kicked out if she bites her brother, or just other children?  And is it a problem that my son randomly decides to play with his poop?”  Haha- joking.  We actually haven’t had any biting or poop incidents in several months!  So, maybe we’re rounding a corner…..knock on wood! 

And then there are the supplies.  Back pack, cloth nap mat, pillow, blanket, plastic nap mat to go under cloth nap mat, lunch sack, change of clothes, and diapers if needed.  We are “strongly encouraged” to have them potty trained, but it’s not required.  My kids are by far at the younger end of the class.  They’ll be 3 years old for less than a month when they enter the 3 year old class.  So, I’m sure (I hope) the school will cut us some slack if we are just “almost” potty trained. 

So, over the next few weeks, the school will be sending out some information.  We’ve got a new parent orientation to attend, as well as a meet the teacher event the weekend before school starts. I feel like we’re sending them off to college.

I think this will be great for both of them.  I can’t wait to see what they’re learning and how they interact with the other kids (fingers crossed).  I’m not looking forward to the germ factory, so I’ll also keep my fingers crossed that they don’t pick up every illness in the book their first year in a group setting. 

Now, let’s just hope that Pete’s doesn’t expect me to get a lot more done around the house while 2 out of 3 kids are in school. That will totally ruin my relaxation time.