a preschool update

Kapria started preschool in October. From the beginning she had a hard time saying goodbye and would cry and cling a bit. But within about five or ten minutes, she would calm down and be okay. She loved going to preschool. But in November, things started getting worse. She would cry and yell. Then she was throwing full-on tantrums after I left for about fifteen to twenty minutes. She also started waking up in the middle of the night crying that she didn't want to go to preschool. We talked to her teacher, who is absolutely wonderful and has taught for years, and she paid special attention to Kapria to see if something was going on that she hadn't caught.

I don't feel that anything bad happened at preschool - I believe it was more to do with her separation anxiety, which has been prevalent at church every Sunday since she went into the Sunbeam class at the beginning of 2011. Then, I started working more hours in August (up from 10 to 20 per week, which was a company mandate to keep my job), and in November I was working a lot during the day and hiring sitters because of some big projects that were due. That, coupled with Trav being gone three to four days of the week from 9am-11pm, I think made for some tough months for Kapria.

So Trav and I talked and decided to let her take December off, since she would only miss a few days due to the Christmas break. Then we told her she could decide in January if she wanted to start back again.

Throughout December, Kapria would say that she missed her friends at preschool, and she missed her teacher. Then she would also add, "But I'm not going back."
"Let's see how you feel after Christmas, okay?" I'd say.

When January came, we asked Kapria how she felt. And she was adamant: "I do not want to go to preschool!"

We explained that she couldn't change her mind. If she didn't go to preschool, she wouldn't get to go again to that class. She said, "That's ok."

Trav and I talked and prayed again, and we felt it was good not to push her. Since she has a September birthday, she could either start Kindergarten this fall as the youngest in her class or we could wait another year and have her start as the oldest in her class. We had already decided to wait and have her start in 2013. So that means she'll have a whole year of preschool time still open to her.

So we told Kapria that she was done with preschool. Immediately we all felt relief. I know it was the right decision for her right now. A few weeks later, we attended a birthday party for one of her preschool friends. Afterwards she told me that she missed preschool and wanted to go back. I explained to her that she chose not to go to preschool and that we weren't going back to that class. She said, "Okay."

Every so often she'll tell me she misses her friends, and then she'll say, "I'm glad I'm not in preschool though, Mom."

I'm so grateful for guidance from Heavenly Father in helping us make this decision. And I'm grateful for my sweet Kapria who revels in our time together. I'm loving every minute of it too.