Shaes 1st Day of Preschool

Well the day has come, today my baby had her very first day of preschool! I really wasn’t that big of a hot mess as I thought I would be…in fact, I think what made me tear up more than Shae’s new milestone was seeing Siena begin to cry and reach for her sister as she entered the classroom. The bond between these two is stronger than I realize sometimes.

So everyone always has their two cents when it comes to Shae finally starting preschool at age three. But when I think of it, she is just that…AGE THREE! A lot of my family members started my nieces and nephews in a half day preschool program a little after they turned two. I’ve also heard countless other mothers talk about how important it is and why a child should start early. It’s become the new ‘norm.’

But looking back on it, Freddy said he didn’t start preschool until he was four and to be completely honest I never attended preschool…..at ALL! Shocking to some, but that was the norm where I grew up. And I did just fine without it.

So what is the right age to start your child in preschool or school and general? I believe that answer is up to each and every parent’s own perceptions.

Shae took 8 months of speech/developmental therapy before she even started because she just took her time in talking. Also, she had some issues with socialization and staying interested in a task, but come to find out through therapy, she just wasn’t into all the baby toys/games and was far more advanced in her own little mind than we were giving her credit for because she couldn’t talk to us!

Few Tips for Those Starting their Little’s in Preschool:

1. Don’t feel pressured to start your child when everyone “tells you” it’s time. Your the parent, not them, and you know what’s best for your child. If that means your child starts at 2, 3, or FOUR, that’s OK. (Same thing with the whole potty training thing…insert eye-roll here).
2. Prepare them for a couple of weeks leading up to the big day by reminding them, “hey your going to start school soon! Are you ready to go to school?” I probably asked Shae that five times a day, lol.
3. This is an exciting time for them, the more positive you are the better able they will be to accept this as a positive and (non-scary) experience.
4. Have them meet the teacher before they start, show them their classroom and show them how excited you are for them to be there.

Mom and Dad are so Proud of you Shae Shae 🙂 <3