Baker Starts Preschool!

Cory and I hit the jackpot in the childcare department. After a few unsuccessful in-home sitters, Cory’s grandparents started watching Baker when she was about six months old. We will never be able to repay them for the sacrifices they make daily to take our girl and love her unconditionally while Cory and I work. I’m not sure that I ever mentioned it on here but I suffered with severe post-partum anxiety, especially related to Baker’s childcare, and it wasn’t until after Baker started staying with her Nanny and Papa (and I started medication) that I had relief from this. So on top of financially and emotionally, they literally saved my mental health. So why did we decide to send Baker to preschool?

Well, first off, she’s only going two half-days a week. Since starting at the school district, I’ve seen firsthand how kids who have no school experience are behind, socially and academically, when they start kindergarten. If you’ve met Baker, you know how advanced her vocabulary is and we are hoping that school will help her stay ahead. Opal works a ton with Baker on shapes, animal sounds, colors, and letters but there are some things you can only learn in a school setting. She also gets very little interaction with other kids in her daily life outside of school. She does go to the nursery at church on Sunday but other than a few playdates or time with her cousins, she is never around other kids. She’s a tad bit spoiled so we knew it would be necessary for her to learn social skills and the routine of “school.” Also, it gives her Nanny and Papa a small break two mornings a week. It really is a win-win for everyone involved.

On top of all the benefits of preschool, we were able to get Baker enrolled in one of the top preschools in our area. After we found that out, there was really no turning back because the spots are limited. A few days before Baker started school, we had her “meet the teacher” night. Even though we had already met her sweet teacher (whose future in-laws went to Rwanda with us this past year!), we were excited (Baker) and nervous (Mama) to see how she would do that night.

On back to school night, we had to drop her off in her classroom and go to an orientation meeting–Baker walked right in like she had been going there for weeks.

As soon as she saw the puzzles and the baby doll, she was good to go!

Baker did so wonderfully while we were gone to the meeting and it made us all more excited for her to start school!

On her first day of school, Cory and I both went in to work late so we could drop her off together. Even though we’ve had two years of fabulous childcare, dropping her off at school the first couple mornings brought back all the anxiety I had when I first returned to work. I’m not sure that it ever gets easier to drop your baby off in a new environment, and it’s especially harder now that she is old enough to know it’s a new environment. I was thankful to have Cory there, at least for the first day.

We had been talking to Baker about school for a few weeks and the morning of, she seemed really excited despite the look on her face.

She was really proud to wear her backpack, even though it was a little heavy for her with her diapers and change of clothes to keep at school. She wouldn’t let us carry it, though.

When we dropped Baker off, we got out and walked her inside like most parents do on their child’s first first day of school (or maybe every first day?). She walked in just fine and her teacher scooped her up immediately. There were a few other kids already sitting there and Baker definitely becomes more shy when she feels like she is the center of attention. She turned and looked at Cory and me and kinda bit her lip like she was trying to fight back tears. We quickly said goodbye and left, hoping to avoid any tears. Luckily, she had a great first day!

However, the 2nd day when I dropped her off by myself, it didn’t go as well. She started walking towards her classroom but I had to take her to the early care room. When I tried to start leaving she started crying, then Mama started crying, and it was just a mess for a few minutes. When I left she was still crying (as was I) but I got a text from her teacher just a short while later that she was fine–I knew she would be, but when your baby is crying for you, it’s hard to walk away. Baker is a total daddy’s girl and never cries for her mama! After a week or so of learning the routine and rules of the classroom, Baker has adjusted really nicely to going to school. Every morning when we pull in to the parking lot, she exclaims “that’s my school!”, she tells me that her teachers are her friends. Not only that, but she’s learning SO much and her vocabulary is really soaring. Every day, she says something or sings something that we had no idea she knew and we adore making these discoveries. We are so, so thankful that she has the opportunity to be in such a wonderful, Christian-based preschool with the best teachers around!