As you know, we’re nearing the two year birthday mark, which can only mean two things: only a handful of my friends have RSVP’d yet (where ARE you guys?) and people are starting to talk about preschool. Admittedly, the preschool application process in Chicago isn’t as daunting as it is in New York as described by the very lucky mommy blogger Mom-101, but I’m finding it still has its own level of hyper-competitiveness. Midwest-style.
Because my son is just turning two, I can cling to the “I’m not going to start worrying about that now” phase of the preschool application process.  I can hold my ground that my son is fine (at least for the next year) to continue to follow me around on my errands and to sit on my lap at Mommy-and-me classes. I don’t really care right now if he can’t recite the ABC’s backwards or write his name in script. No one is really watching, yet. (See, the Midwest is laid back! People only start talking about your kid’s speech skills when they’re 3.)
But I feel a wave of the “what are you going to do for preschool?” thing coming on. From my friends with older kids who are kind enough to send me their elaborate evaluation questionnaires and pretty looking spreadsheets that look more professional than anything I ever did at any of my jobs. From my acquaintances who talk about their “connections” and “preferences.” I see the sidelong glances of pity when I tell people that both my husband and I hail from out of state (read: NO legacies) and that I’m currently not doing any volunteering (read: I just quit my job so don’t bug me about working yet). As my dear friend put it, “none of them have ‘secret information’ despite what they want you to think and they are all overwhelmed too.” BRILLIANT! (Ok, she’s a legacy so she has nothing to worry about and can say those things, but at least she’s being a good friend.)
I have friends who swear they won’t get bogged down by this process, who will seek out the public schools (we at least have this option in the Second City), and I’m happy that they’ve come to peace with how they are going to get by for the next few years before kindergarten.Â
I’ve come to some peace of mind as well. I’m going to just sit back and blog about how I’m totally not going to be the neurotic-basketcase-running-around-with-a-binder-crazy person. Yet.
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Oh lordy mama, I feel you. When T was 2 I also just put off thinking about it to the degree that when the time came to Make the Call (ie set the speed dial and be the first 10 callers on September 1 or risk not even getting a freaking application) I put it off. And hey, at least you have public schools to fall back on.
Don’t stress. It will work out, promise!
People started asking me about pre-school last year when peanut turned 1! We started looking at places in the fall so we could grab those apps if we wanted to. I was so put off by how much and how competitive – and the programs I liked were all doing what I do at home – letting the kids be kids. He can get that here for free. Maybe that makes me cheap. Whatever. We’ll revisit next year for when he’s three, but lawsy me, I can just see us waiting for that four year old pre-K program.
As my childhood educator aunt told me – preschool isn’t necessary for a kid who is interacted with and read to at home. And I’m amazed at how much he learns running errands – who needs preschool when there’s Target!
We put our girls into a preschool on a children’s farm (if you are in the SW suburbs, email me I’ll give you the details). It is fun, interesting, and not competitive. You cannot believe how crazy parents get even in preschool. Suzy can read the entire alphabet at 3! John is able to color in the lines at 3! The research says it’s doesn’t really matter. We wanted the girls to have fun and learn. They have done both, but lots of people question why we didn’t put them in a more “academic” environment.
Hee. I swore I wasn’t going to get worked up about it too.
But wow was I relieved when my son got into THE daycare, immediately transitioned to THE associated preschool and my daughter is an automatic in since she is a sibling. No more “not stressing about it”… until 1st grade and he goes to public school.
I agree with High Heeled Mama’s aunt, but there was a period when I panicked. My girls are only one year apart schoolwise, and because of yadayadayada, my older daughter went to a co-op preschool but only for a few months (and when I worked at the preschool, I had to put my younger daughter into daycare!) because I backed into my dotcom job. Two years later when that bubble had burst, it was time for Older to go to kindergarten, but I decided to keep Younger home with me and not send her to preschool because 1) I was tired of driving around all the time and 2) I felt she would benefit from having time alone with me.
All very well and good until Younger’s second day of kindergarten, when the teacher called me to say “She doesn’t want to be here!” Because she hadn’t been in formal preschool, she wasn’t used to being in a classroom setting (which is longer and different than circle time at the library.)
So I immediately freaked out and assumed I had made the wrong decision to not preschool her, due to the socialization thing. But two weeks went by, she adapted, and we lived happily ever after. Mostly. She’s nine now.
I think it’s all personal- only you can make the best decision for your family!