This week marks the official end to the back-to-school cycle here in the Craft Addict house as the littlest one returns to preschool. It’s one of those mixed-feelings milestones for me. On the one hand, it’s yet another reminder that she’s growing up. On the other, it’s a significant chunk of alone time for me.
What’s making it a little tough is that I’ve increased her attendance from the planned three days a week to four.
The sweet Miss L has an October birthday, which means she’ll be almost six years old when she starts kindergarten. Since she’ll be facing a good 16 years of schooling, I decided to phase in the whole preschool thing and add one day a week until she was going five days at kindergarten. Last year, she went two days and this year, she was scheduled to go three.
I mentioned this plan to her teacher from last year during gymnastics this summer. She pointed out that Liesl would really want to be at school all five days next year, given how much happens in the 4-year-old classroom. And thus the seed of doubt was planted in my head.
After our meet-the-teacher visit last week, all doubt was removed from my mind. This girl of mine is desperate to be at school. She has been looking forward to it all summer and the only thing I could do was march down to the director’s office and ask if we could add another day a week. She is so happy that she’ll be at school with her friends “all the times” and I know it will be good for her to spend more time with people her age and size.
In fact, I told Honey on the phone this morning that I thought she’d be over the moon if she could go five days a week — but I’m not ready for that yet. She’ll just have to stay my little girl for just a wee bit longer.
25 August, 12:40 pm
Oh, I’m having the same feelings right now. Isaiah is going to start school for the first time this fall. He’s going three days a week and I was feeling like that was too much for me. Of course, he’s ready to go. He’s asking me everyday when school starts and if he can pack his backpack (even though he’s not going to need one). I am looking forward to those extra sewing days though!
Katies last blog post..Hello again.
25 August, 12:49 pm
The quiet and safe sewing time is definitely a plus, Katie. And I think Honey hopes there will be a little more housework done, too. Yeah, right. LOL!
25 August, 4:20 pm
Jacob has an October birthday, too, and was almost 6 when he went to Kindergarten. He was going 4 days a week until he graduated preschool. Bridget is entering her second “semester” (she started in January). I’ve enrolled her for just 2 days a week, but I kinda wish I had enrolled her for 3! She loves preschool, too. Now I’ll have to wait until January.
Oh . . . alone time!!
September 11th is the first day I will have ALL of them out of the house at the same time. The kids go back September 3rd, but Bridget doesn’t start until the 9th. Of course, I’m scheduled to be parent helper at the preschool on Bridget’s first day back (figures).
Lis Garretts last blog post..To Clean, or Not to Clean
25 August, 6:43 pm
My January baby was ready for 5 days a week JK long before he was old ehough to go – he just couldn’t wait!! My June lad, on the other hand, was NOT ready for school until he was 5 – we were fortunate that the town we live in, didn’t offer JK that one particular year. He did MUCH better waiting to start SK at 5. Each kid is so different – if they’re ready and can handle it, it opens up a whole new world for them
But if they’re not ready, having some more time at home with mom or dad can’t hurt 
(Both of them are now finished highschool and working full-time – where on earth did the time go?!)
25 August, 7:09 pm
That is exactly what we did with Owen last year — we were on the fence about kindergarten (he has an early September birthday, so it’s iffy) — we decided in favor of waiting, so his last year of preschool I put him in 4 days a week, which he absolutely loved.
Next week he starts kindergarten, and he’ll turn six one week later. It’s a whole, brave new world that awaits. And he is SO excited.
25 August, 7:13 pm
Lis, you are a great mom for volunteering on the first day of school. It takes me a good six weeks to work up to being in the classroom with a bunch of 3 year olds. LOL!
25 August, 7:18 pm
I kind of figure this is my last baby, so let it go on as long as she’ll let me. Sandra, I wish I’d really understood that when the boys were younger. Now they are giant teenagers and soon bound for college.(Although some days I want them to leave for college NOW.)
25 August, 7:20 pm
Jen, I bet it’s so fun to see him that excited about school! I was a little concerned about L having to wait so long for kindy but since she’s so tiny, I figured it will give her the chance to catch up a little bit physically with her peers. As it is, she’s still among the smallest in her class but I think it’s less dramatic than if she were in the next age level.
25 August, 7:40 pm
My oldest started out three days in preschool and demanded to go to school more – so I upped her to four after winter vacation. Good for her for liking it and good for you for letting her go (and sewing more
).
Beths last blog post..Mailed!
25 August, 7:44 pm
I’d actually thought about waiting a month or two to increase her attendance but the class is at capacity so if I was going to do it, I had to do it ASAP. And I know I will enjoy the increased me time.
Of course, now I think I need to make Mondays something special, like Mama-n-Me Mondays, and have a fun activity that we do together every week.
26 August, 12:52 am
Liesl is such a beautiful name! I’ve only ever known of one other woman to have it.
Yay for more alone time for you! And that Liesl loves school as much as she does
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26 August, 7:15 am
It’s bittersweet to see them don there back packs and head off to school. You keep thinking “they are too young”. My three year old is the size of a 1 year old and he looks so tiny compared to everyone else at school. But he’s almost 4. I don’t want my kids to grow up. I like them just the way they are!
26 August, 1:23 pm
I’m happy to have Max growing up. I don’t experience those feelings of wanting to hold him back or stop time. The hardest thing for me about parenting is the number of hours that parenting requires (most of them) and so school is a relief for me. But Max hates school so I feel bad about that.
You’ll be enjoying her enjoyment and that will make it easier.