We did it! We signed up our little boy for preschool last week.
In just a couple days, we will wake up, get ready, and take our first baby to first-ever first day of school.
He will be dropped off, and have a great time, and I will try not to cry as we’ve reached this big milestone with our first “baby.”
We went one day to take a tour and complete registration. Kudos to me for ALWAYS having an Immunization Record and Birth Certificate/Notice to Provider with us. Thanks, foster care. Haha
We were invited a few days later for their Meet The Teacher Open House.
He keeps telling us, “Me go to school me-self!” and with those gentle, let-down eyes says, “You stay home.” as if he’s trying to prepare me for how it will be.
I just chuckle. Yes, bud. Soon enough.
Parenting is quite a journey, and as our kids grow, our plans change from time to time.
For so long we have planned on homeschooling. And, we put off signing him up for preschool until the very last minute.
In fact, if they didn’t have an open spot, this was still going to be our backup.
Nonetheless, we knew this would be the best thing for him.
As foster-adoptive parents, we have learned to roll with the punches and adjust along the way. In many ways, how we thought we saw our parenting journey going isn’t at all how it’s been.
We love differently than we thought we would. We have disciplined differently. We sometimes teach differently. Our daily schedules have been different than we ever thought they would be. Our family time out of the house involves a little more planning and a lot more extra patience than we ever thought it would. We have fun differently. We see meltdowns a little differently. We work through things differently. We have added new activities to our children’s lives that we never knew about prior to fostering. And we have learned to cherish all the things we do differently that have created our family.
Though we may come back to homeschooling with him again in another year or two, right now we know this is best for him. And if I’m being honest, best for me right now too!
When you have a child who has extreme behavior meltdowns, and they increase in frequency, you sometimes need a break.
We BOTH need a break from each other from time to time. This will give us a little break, a couple mornings a week.
This will allow him time to make friends (who aren’t cousins) and learn to interact with children who have different personalities.
This will allow him lots of sensory opportunities has they paint, and build, and explore, and dance to music, and funnel rice, and play with play dough and so much more – all those things we did early on and but have gotten into a rut and stopped doing so much of.
This will teach him how a classroom functions.
This will get more energy out.
This will stimulate his brain in so many wonderful ways.
Although I’m nervous, I know he’s not. He’s as excited as can be! He’s our outgoing, socially fearless one. He makes friends everywhere he goes.
And I just know he’s going to love school!
The Toy Story backpack and batman water bottle was icing on the cake for him.
I can’t wait to see all the ways he will grow through this experience.
I’m proud of the little boy he’s becoming, and I’m thankful we were able to find an awesome preschool to take him to, where he can continue to flourish and have his needs met.
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