There isn’t a day that my daughter goes to preschool where she doesn’t come home with several layers of grossness covering most of her body – food rubbed into her clothing, marker on her hands and face, paint in her hair, crayons in her teeth, and as I pulled my daughter off the bus on Friday, sand some how stuck to her forehead.
Four years ago when my oldest daughter went to (a different) preschool she would come home just as pristine as when I dropped her off.
My youngest daughter has now gone an entire 2 weeks without an incident report that indicated the need for Band-Aids, ice pack or anti-bacterial ointment, caused by scaling walls, body surfing the blacktop or taste testing sparkly glue off the top of safety scissors.
[just to name a few]
My oldest got one note from her preschool teacher which indicated that she didn’t like to share colored pencils.
What Makes a Great School?
One where the kid comes home with irrefutable proof that they DID Something that day.
By my description you’re probably thinking that my youngest may need a ‘special’ preschool, possibly one where they stick close by the ’special’ kids – well, She Is!
And the thing I like best about the special preschool is that the play ground is not encased in bubble wrap. Kids are allowed to climb on things and hang off stuff, it’s safe, but not boring.
Several weeks ago, my oldest daughter (now in 2nd grade) fell on the playground at her school and required several band-aids. I received a call from the school nurse telling me that my little angle had slipped on loose dirt and that it would be removed.
At my youngest daughters preschool you get a note, unless they can’t stop the bleeding.
I know if I were more hysterical about falls my youngest daughter’s preschool would call me more often and don’t get me wrong I LOVE both the schools my children attend. But with all the high fences, security, 1 to 1 staff and ‘special needs’ status of my youngest daughters preschool, they have figured out something that other schools are not allowed to acknowledge – Kids fall down, get dirty and eat bugs.
No one wants their child to get hurt, but the world is made of loose dirt.
An important side note:
I want to mention that I absolutely adore the teachers in my youngest daughters classroom. I have complete confidence in her teachers. As much as I know that accidents happen, I also know my daughter will be hugged and snuggled just as if I were there. I know that every decision the teachers make for my daughter throughout the day is in my daughters best interest. And I don’t tell them nearly enough how much I truly love and appreciate them.