I was so reluctant to put him into any school program because I work from home, he still felt so little to me at 3 years old, and of course, I just wanted to keep him all to myself.
We toured all the school programs and absolutely fell in love with our choice. We went for the 3-day program for 3-year-olds. He attended school from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Let me tell you this, it was the very best decision we could have made for him.
The registration process was pretty competitive. Registration day for new families was Valentine’s Day. I remember leaving my house at 4:30 a.m. so I could sit outside in a line in order to have priority registration as a newcomer – and it’s a good thing that I did because I was NOT the first one there. After waiting all morning – the registration process began & we secured a spot.
This was February, just after Roux’s third birthday – and again, I was SO NOT READY to put him in any kind of program away from me at this time. But, wow do things change in a 3 year old from February to August. He grew and progressed so much & I was so thankful that we secured his spot earlier in the year. He was DEFINITELY ready for school + friends + a different environment for learning by that point.
As a first-time-mama I was worried about ALL the things:
Would he have a freak accident fall on the playground?
Would someone hurt his feelings?
Would his teachers wearing masks understand his words?
Would I have to let go of his cherished nap time?
.. and there were more.
Looking back, I can see how SILLY this was. But it wasn’t at the time. Up until then, it was just him and I and our super special nanny helping us through the week.
Roux absolutely THRIVED.
He LOVED his teachers.
He LOVED his new friends.
He LOVED his routine.
He truly loved every single part: from music to playground, class jobs to chapel, snack time to craft time. The only part he didn’t like was if he was one of the first kids to go home for the day – he wanted to stay and play with friends for as long as possible.
It was such a sweet experience to see him really light up as he spent time with his friends.
Because of his school experience he improved in every assessment area:
- Language/Communication
- Play/Social Skills
- Self-Care Skills
- Gross Motor Skills
- Fine Motor Skills
- Reading Readiness
- Math Readiness
I love how his first year of school experience really brought us together even more as a family. Even through the pandemic conditions [and very few school events] we really loved watching Roux grow through this year. It was so special to hear him recap his school day activities & share what he learned. We loved getting a weekly email from his teachers letting us know what they read, what craft they did, and what job he had for the class.
Watching my little beau grow from 3 to 4 was quite the transformation, and I’m so grateful to have had the support of his two amazing teachers + the company of 15 amazing school friends to grow with.
Given this experience, I know that 3 days a week for my 3 -year-old was the perfect setup. We are headed into official PRESCHOOL this summer where he will attend 5 days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
I’ve learned that Roux will be happy as can be – it’s mama that will have to adjust to him being gone every day!
- Roux’s favorite part of school: playing with my friends
- What do you want to tell your teachers, Roux? “I LOVE YOU”
- My favorite food is: tacos + pizza
- My favorite color is: red + blue
- I’m special because: “I’m cool, I love Halloween, and I’m silly.”
- My favorite job at school was: door holder + line leader
- My favorite thing about my teachers: “they are kind + silly”
- The friends I talk about playing with the most: Connor, Parker, June, Avy, Finnick.
We celebrated this 3 Day 3’s graduation with an afternoon at the SPLASH PAD with his class + a giant cookie cake!
My encouragement to anyone who is hesitant to put their child in a program like this simply due to their age or because they’ve always been at home with you – know that you will make the best decision for your child – but in our experience, a lot can change in a short period of time.
While Roux didn’t feel READY for school in February, that quickly changed in just a couple of months. If your schedule allows a half-day program, I feel like this was a perfect stepping stone start for our family!
