Why preschool?

As you might realize by now, I am an early childhood educator.  Meaning?  I taught preschool and I now coach teachers who teach preschool and kindergarten.  I have my Masters in early childhood special education.  I am a HUGE supporter of preschool for all children.  I have heard people say to me that preschool is just babysitting, or playing all day.  This is for them.

I received this infographic through a professional group I am involved in and it is used with permission by EducationNews.org


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1st Day of the Last Year of Preschool

This is a belated post but I just uploaded my pictures.  I hate misplacing my camera wire!

Honestly, I know that every parent says this, but how on EARTH did my baby get to already be in her last year of preschool????  If I think about how fast it is going I might just throw up.  No...really.  I have loved every age so far, but I keenly feel the loss of each previous stage as well.  I remember sobbing as I had to put away the first clothes she grew out of those first couple months.  And now my baby girl wears a size 6!  Due to my background, I am acutely aware of what it means when your child is not moving forward in his or her development.  I appreciate every thing, even the chattiness and precociousness of my Lilly.  I know that she is a very special little girl, in more ways than one.  I am blessed and honored to be given the gift of raising her.  Have a great year in preschool Lilly Bernadette!

Raising children with manners

Children without manners make me cringe.  As a preschool teacher I insisted on manners being used in the classroom.  We all sat together at 2 tables in the classroom and please and thank you were part of my curriculum, even if it was not part of the formal one.  I remember walking into another classroom during lunch and hearing the students speak to their teacher in an appalling way.  When I commented on this and told the teacher that she should insist on good manners, her answer was that was the least of her problems.  fyi I was the head teacher and it was part of my job to help the newer teachers.  I wasn't just being a control freak.  About that, anyway.  My belief is that if we teach children manners first, the other stuff will follow.  Sometimes it won't, but I don't think that the opposite is true.  Children can learn to say please before the learn that hitting is inappropriate.

I was at the Castle playground today with Lilly in Chatham.  We had tons of fun and met a very nice little girl and her mom there.  But there were some issues with the slides, as is apt to happen at playgrounds.  There is one slide there in particular that was very popular and there was a long line of kids in line.  This one boy, about 4, was repeatedly pushing past kids to the front of the line.  After the 3rd or 4th time I (very sweetly) pointed out the line.  He smiled at me and went down the slide.  And the next time, he stuck his tongue out at me as he went down.  At that point I decided that it was time for Lilly and I to eat our lunch at the picnic tables.  

I was really aggravated at that kid, but even more so that NO OTHER PARENT/GRANDPARENT SAID ANYTHING!!!!  There were about 6 other parents/grandparents standing around the slide waiting for their kid and this kid cut in front, pushing his way through at least 6 times while I was standing there.  I was the only person to say something.  What does that teaches a child when the parent stands by in this situation?  I think it could teach them that it is okay to act like that themselves or that they don't have to defend themselves to bullies.  Maybe I am reading too much into the situation, but I don't think so. 

From a very young age I have taught Lilly manners.  When she speaks to us in an inappropriate voice I model the correct way and ask her to repeat it.  She is getting to the point now where I can just ask her to say it again in a different way.  She is not perfect by any means.  She is 3, after all!  I am proud of how polite she is and how considerate she is of others when we are on the playground.  A small reminder to look out for the little ones was all she needed today to be aware of the younger and smaller children playing alongside her.   

What do you think?  Did I over think this?  Are manners going by the wayside?

Sometimes I don't feel like a bad mom

I can learn a lot by watching other moms with their children.  Sometimes I learn good hints and techniques.  Sometimes I learn what not to do.  Sometimes I learn about the children, sometimes about the mom.  Sometimes I learn about my daughter and sometimes about myself.  Today was one of those days that I learned a difference between being a preschool teacher mom and not being one.  And I realized that for all the times that I feel like the bad mom, today I was not.

Today Lilly and I went to the preschool story time at out local library.  There were many children and their caregivers: moms, dads and grandparents.  The librarian, though kind, is also a bit stern which is okay in my book.  She is fun when it counts - when she is reading stories and dramatic story telling with puppets!  The stories today were about elephants in one way or another.  So the craft, naturally, was to make an elephant out of paper plates, construction paper cut outs of ears, trunks, legs, etc and decorations.  The librarian showed all of the children the finished product and then taped it to the wall so that we could all see it.  It was right behind me.  Lilly and I did not so much as glance at it after the initial look see.

What was shocking to me was how every single parent looked at that elephant and then guided their 3 and 4 year old children in making the proper elephant.  They all had the ears, eyes ( 3 part eyes!), trunks, tails, and legs in the proper position.  I did help Lilly glue the paper plates and ears together because, frankly, it was not sticking.  But Lilly added everything else, wherever she wanted.  She knew what it was going to be and had a vision of what it was going to look like.  I saw a couple looks from other moms and then from the librarian.  All responses?  Oh, very nice - said in a very bland sort of way.  Between the lines?  That is not what an elephant looks like!  One remarked that it was colorful.  What 3 year old wants a plain gray elephant when they can create a sequined, colorful elephant?!

I think it is a beautiful elephant!

Lilly's elephant.  She wrote her name on the left ear

p.s.  I did say at one point that I was a preschool teacher and so I believe in letting children create in an open way and express themselves.  But I did not want to come across as snooty.  Maybe just seeing Lilly's will be the push they need to let their children create.