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As I'm meeting new people here in Texas, when they hear that D is 3 (his birthday is December 15), they ask what preschool he attends. I was caught off guard at first. When I was a kid, preschool started at 4. Plus, D will not be starting kindergarden until he is 5 and just a few months shy of turning 6. In my mind, he wouldn't be starting preschool until he was 4, about to turn 5. The more and more moms I meet, though, the more and more I hear that preschool can start in the 2-3 year old range now. In fact, it's quite common.
This has me alarmed on a number of levels, but mostly, I am concerned that D will now be "behind" his peers in school. And right now, we just simply cannot afford preschool. The state of our finances is a whole other post for sure, but the short and sweet of it is this: we are still adjusting to only having one income. I do work very part time for my company back in Spokane (about 10 hours a week), and that has been what we have been using for an "extras" during the month. And there is not an "extra" money left over for preschool, unfortunately.
So, I've begun scouring the internet for preschool activities that I can do with D, and adjust so that P is able to do them too. And I think I have THE site. The author of the site is a former first grade teacher that creates lesson plans to do with her son. The site is called Oopsey Daisy, and really it is just phenomenal! The lesson plans she creates come in a printable PDF packet and are easy to use. I did a half hour session with D this morning and he loved it. I decided we would start off with the St. Patrick's Day materials and use those for this week, and then move on to the Easter packet for the next few weeks. After that, cars and trucks and then insects (I have to work up to that one - hate bugs, but I know that any 3 year old BOY would love it!).
I'm really excited to be teaching D something new. I mentioned in a previous post that I really feel like I'm in survival mode, and I would really like to break out of that rut. I am, after all, staying home for a reason! I now have the time to provide this education to him - I would really like to seize the opportunity and help show him the world!
ugh, don't get me started on the preschool pressure. I'm not sending Joel next year. I will wait until he is 4. And with Hannah being at preschool this year, I feel like its a giant waste of money. And she goes to one of the best in town. Everything she knows is because we work on it at home. It is preparing her by getting used to following a teachers instructions and used to being away from home. Kindergarten here is full day so it is easing her into that. But still, if you work with D at home, he will be ahead!! :) Thanks for sharing your resource too, I will check it out!
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