Sending your kid to preschool during the best of times is nerve wrecking, so you can imagine how much we pondered the decision of sending him to school in the middle of a pandemic! It wasn’t an easy decision and there were a lot of valid points for both sides of the argument (mostly, from the grandmas!). But it was always our plan to send him to preschool this year and given the prolonged work from home environment, it just made the most sense for everyone, myself included. I hated being the mom to have to “shhsshh” him all day long because I was on work calls. I couldn’t be the mom (or employee) I prided myself in being under “normal” circumstances. Not to mention, he was starting to get restless with his lack of activities. It even got to the point where the iPad wasn’t cutting it anymore!
Despite always being at home, he’s a naturally social person and it was clear to us that needed to be around other kids his age in order for him to flourish. It was time for him to socialize, learn to follow along in a group setting and be exposed to other adults and children outside of his family for extended periods of time.
It’s been a few weeks since he started, and it has definitely been a blessing for our family. The changes were almost instantaneous! My stress levels plummeted, while his knowledge, vocabulary and cognitive thinking skills skyrocketed! We are so thankful for our school and the wonderful teachers that have been so kind and patient with him. I feel nothing but gratitude for the amazing work they do each and every day. It really does take a village!
