tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844882603177776227.post2580229072123053690..comments2023-11-05T04:08:37.990-06:00Comments on Frogs, Snails, and Fairytales: Preschool StressNicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00744262236517284277noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844882603177776227.post-24296316180756351432011-04-06T08:41:21.232-05:002011-04-06T08:41:21.232-05:00I know how stressful the school thing can be! My ...I know how stressful the school thing can be! My mom is a Montessori teacher, and I was a Montessori kid up through first grade, so there was never really a choice of where to send Alex, lol. And if it hadn't been for my mom constantly harassing me about how the search for the perfect school was going, I probably would have never gotten around to it.<br /><br />But, I'm incredibly glad she did. I feel the same way you do about the religious/church schools. We're not a religious family, and I didn't really want to send him somewhere that religion would be a focus (joke's on me, lol, the school we finally picked is run by some really religious people, so they do have a few religion influenced ideas - nothing major, but they say grace before meals, learned about Jesus at Christmas, don't celebrate Halloween, etc.)<br /><br />It's made SUCH a difference in him. His speech took off within weeks of starting school. He respects his teachers and the school's rules, so when he does something at home, we ask if he is allowed to do that at school, and if not, why does he think he can do it at home?<br /><br />He's also gotten better with separation anxiety. The first few weeks were rough, but it gradually got better and better. He goes 5 full days, because that's all the school offers. I was really nervous about it at first, but I'm really glad that it was the only option now. It keeps things consistent for him, and I'm able to be a better parent because I get that nice break and am less stressed from dealing with a wild and crazy 4 year old all day.<br /><br />I never really spent a lot of time working on academics with him. We'd do stuff like colors, shapes, etc, while reading stories, but not flash cards or some of the more serious stuff a lot of moms do. I don't have the patience, lol. He's learned so much at school. I think a lot of it is the curriculum though - Montessori is a very learning based program. I guess I feel like a lot of the church programs are glorified day care, which is another reason I didn't really want to send him to something like that. He actually LEARNS stuff at his school. <br /><br />I'm pretty sure that he's going to have ADHD - it runs on both sides of the family and he's already showing some tendencies (although, I don't know how much of that is 4 year old boy, and how much of it is actual ADHD), so anything that can help teach him good learning habits and get him excited about school and learning is worth it in my book. I want to do everything I possibly can to help him succeed when he transitions to "real" school. <br /><br />But anyway, sorry for the long dissertation :) I hope you and Tim are able to come to an agreement on what to do with their educations! Good luck!!Pamelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04219126799091520596noreply@blogger.com