Nooooo!! I'm not ready!!

[Called2Grace]

So I enrolled my little baby girl (who is 4!) into preschool today. She starts big school (kindergarten) in January next year...I now have to go and speak to the school about organising her enrollment and working out when they start their orientation program, it involves going to the school one day a week for a few hours (not sure how many weeks). Then I will need to organise her uniform, school bag, lunch box, school shoes etc...

I know that January seems a long way away, but I have to start with the enrolment procedure now....

I'm just not ready for my baby to be going off to school! Although I don't think the school board will see that as an acceptable reason for me keeping her at home!

I will have an almost 6 month old by the time she starts, so I will have my hands full, but still....

Anyone else feel this way??

 

[Neenie1]

Some here would suggest you homeschool, but I know that's not as popular in Australia as it is in the States, not that it's a bad idea at all.

My dd was 6 months old when my ds started preschool. I was a bit upset about sending him to preschool, but now looking back that year was the best year I have had so far as a parent (my kids are nearly 3, and 6 1/2) I really loved having those 2 days/week where I could focus on my daughter and enjoy the time with her and my ds loved preschool.

 

[coffeegal]

i do hope that your daughter has a wonderful time.

i have no suggestions as i do homeschool. but i can understand watching your kids grow up and be like no, they are not that old yet.

 

[Andry]

Been there, done that, and I survived. The cruel part? They don't miss you.

 

[AJ29]

I started my little man in 3 year old kindy at the beginning of this year. Its hard. He cries and/or clings even now when I drop him off for just a half day.

We are currently going through enrolements for next year too. I can't decide which school to choose!!

 

[RedTulipMom]

I'll tell you what i learned. It's alot harder on YOU than it is on your child.

I am a homeschooling mom. I homeschooled my oldest son his last 8 yrs of school. I had every intention of homeschooling my two youngest and no intention of sending them to pre-school. Then i found out my son is autistic. From age 19 mos to 3 yrs he was in early intervention and had 4 hours per week of therapies at our HOME. When he turned 3 his therapies weren't available at home any longer and for further help i had to enroll him in the school special ed program. My only option was either not sending him or putting him in the pre-school special ed 5 days per week for 2.5 hours per day. I KNEW he needed the early intervention so i knew entering him into the program at school was my best choice. It was sooo hard. Sending my 3 yr old off to school 5 days a week is NOT something i ever imagined doing. Not only that but he has to take a school bus to school. (30 min drive each way). At first i refused the bus and drove him, which had me driving 2 hrs per day with a 3 mos old baby. It became too much so i started him on the bus one way after a couple months, and then another couple months later i put him on the bus both ways.

What i learned is that my son LOVES school. He also LOVES the bus ride. Sometimes he even cries when its time to LEAVE school. He has adjusted so quickly and easily and his school yr ends on May 30 and then on June 8 he turns 4 yrs old.

it will be hard for you mom, but your child will probably love it.

 

[heatherwayno]

i totally understand. I have 4 kids- ages 11, 8, 5 and almost 4. It is so hard to see them grow up. I feel like things are changing so fast- my youngest is going to pre k (my class) and my oldest is going to leave the school I work at and go to the middle school. If I had one wish it would be to freeze time and keep things the way they are. I wish I oculd go back and start over again. There are sooooo many things I would do different. They are my reason for everything and it breaks my heart that they are growing up :-(

 

[Called2Grace]

Yeah, I figured it would be alot harder on me than her. She will sing out "Bye Mummy" and skip of down the path without looking back and I will be the sobbing mad woman at the gate....

Hopefully there will be other sobbing crazy mothers there too

I know in my heart that she will be fine, and is more than ready to start school, and will have no problems adjusting. It's more how I am going to cope!

The joys of mother hood. You teach them to walk, then have to sit back and watch as they walk away from you into their own lives.

Thanks for all of your replies!

 

[Stan53]

The cruel part? They don't miss you.

You are so correct. Last year Michele did 3 year old preschool. We were prepared to take her out of it if we found she wasn't ready. She was the only child at that time. We didn't need to worry. We walked in the door of preschool and that was the last we saw of her until it was time to pick her up. I turned around to give her a hug and a kiss and she was gone. Of course when we returned to pick her up she was ready and waiting. That was the pattern for the whole year. And this year is no different. She loves it and so do we.
We considered home schooling but so far have opted out of that scene. We do some academics at home with her, but only what she wants.
Just be prepared to remove the child if it isn't working. It is better to hold back a year until the child is ready.

 

[Called2Grace]

Over here unless we are homeschooling, they have to be enrolled in school by a certain age. And becuase she will be 5 at the beginning of next year, that is when I have to send her.

SO she will get 6 months of pre school. But she has coped well with daycare, which originated out of necessity, but now becuase she loves it

 

[Neenie1]

My 34 month old said to me yesterday I want to go to school (LOL)

I said no we took Daniel to school already and then she says "no I want to go to Emily's school" ROFL. We don't want her to go to playschool until next year, but if finances permit (and we can get her out of nappies, she isn't toilet trained yet, not that we are pushing it because we are not!) I think she would be really really really keen to go to playschool. I think she would thrive in it. In fact she would probably benefit from the structure. (I wouldn't send her more than one day/week until the year before she starts school)

She loves coming with me when I do any volunteer work at the school, she loves sitting in the classroom when I help with their reading and she always wants to sit with the children (not with me) when we go and watch their assemblies and things.

They grow up tooooo fast.