Hellobee

Last winter, I saw someone post on Instagram that they were enrolling their two year old in preschool. My first thought was already?! it’s only January! And my second thought was should we be sending Chloe to preschool?

We weren’t sure if we wanted to put Chloe in preschool, so we decided to research the available programs to see what this preschool was all about! Mrs Bee wrote a really great post on starting Pre-K, and I’d like to share with you our experience with sending our 2 year old to preschool.

F I N D I N G  A  S C H O O L

After a quick Google search, I learned that there are very limited preschool options in our area.  Only one school offered a 2 year old program, and I wasn’t sure if Chloe would even qualify since her birthday isn’t until October and school starts in September. Chloe was also only 16 months at the time, and it seemed weird to be looking at preschools already, but registration began in February for the fall. We met with the school director, toured the school and we fell in love. We sat in on one class and they encouraged Chloe to participate.  She was by far the youngest child in the room, but she fit right in and had a blast.  When it was time to leave, she literally screamed and cried.  She wanted to stay!  Seeing her interact with the teachers and other kids really helped us reach our decision. We knew Chloe needed to be around kids her age and we loved the philosophy of this school.  The director said it would be okay for Chloe to enroll in the class, so we signed her up!

We chose the two-day class, which meets twice a week for 2 hours and 15 minutes.  There are two teachers and a maximum of 10 children in the class.

We had an hour long orientation in a large room with toys the week before school started  All the kids in her class got to meet each other and play while the parents talked to the school director and two teachers.  The main purpose of our orientation day was to familiarize our kids with their classroom and classmates.  We turned in our immunization records and information packet, and got a school handbook that explained the schedule, rules and what we could expect our child to learn this year. All the kids played really well together and it was nice to meet the other parents! The kids were asked to bring a backpack and a cup to school. After the orientation meeting, we were taken to the classroom and each child was shown their cubby (which has their name on it) and where to keep their cups.

P R E P A R I N G  F O R  S C H O O L

We talked all summer to Chloe about how she’d be going to school in the fall like a big girl and how much fun she’d have.  She was really excited and helped me go back to school shopping, which was really my excuse to get her some cute new fall clothes!  Chloe loves to be a part of things and to help, so going shopping with us for “school supplies” (aka clothes and room essentials) made her so happy. She already had a backpack and didn’t want a new one, and she wore it everywhere we went all summer because, “I big girl!”

Chloe was all neon, all the time, all summer long.

T H E  F I R S T  D A Y

Chloe’s first day of preschool was nothing like I expected!  All the parents and kids in her class waited upstairs in the lobby before we went down to the classroom together to drop off the kids.  Her two classroom teachers greeted us at the door. Chloe helped me hang up her backpack and put her cup where it belonged, and when I turned around she was on the floor playing.  I didn’t even bother to say goodbye or make a big deal out of it.  I figured if she wasn’t crying and was happy to be playing, I’d leave her be!  I picked her back up a few hours later, and she was very excited to show me the sticker she got that day for being so great!  All the kids get stickers when class is over.

This was the best photo I could get of Chloe the morning she started preschool.  And, don’t worry, the coffee mug is empty!  

T H E  S E C O N D  D A Y

I was worried that the first day going so well was a fluke, and that having a day off in between would work against us.  I was proven wrong though.  We told Chloe it was important for her to go to bed on time the night before so she’d be up and ready for school the next morning.  When she woke up she couldn’t wait to get changed and go to school, and cried because I told her it wasn’t time to leave yet.  Drop off this day was just as easy as the first.  She remembered her new friends and teachers, and wasn’t bothered when I left the room even when other kids were crying.

She’s about a month into preschool and I’m so, so glad that we decided to put her in this two-day program.  She’s the youngest in her class, but it’s working to our advantage.  She’s talking more and more every day, and is learning so much.  She is always so excited to show me her art projects and the sticker that she got that day.  Some of the other moms and I have gotten to know one another well, and went out for coffee one morning.  We’ve decided to do some play dates so the kids can see each other more often.

Walking into preschool on her second day!

R E Q U I R ED  S U P P L I E S

All families are asked to bring in diapers if their children are not potty trained, and everyone is asked to bring in wipes, a change of clothing for their child, hand sanitizer and snacks on your designated day.  Each child takes a turn having a snack day, and the parent provides snacks for the whole classroom (10 kids).  The teachers let the kids pass out the snacks, which is so much fun for them!  We are allowed to bring in a special treat for birthdays too. 

S C H E D U L E

The two year old program has three classes: one class meets three times a week, Chloe’s meets twice a week, and a third only meets once a week.  At this age, all classes are 2 hours 15 minutes long.  Initially, we were considering putting Chloe in class one day a week but decided against it and enrolled her for twice a week. 

Before school care is offered on a daily basis from 8:30 until class start time. It has a daily fee and is in addition to tuition.

School is closed on all national holidays, and they have a two weeks winter break around Christmas and a spring break in mid-April.

A C T I V I T I E S

Each morning starts with free play.  The teachers purposefully schedule this individual interest time, and it encourages the kids to explore their own play interests and to interact with their classmates.  This is a great way for the kids to learn social skills and sharing!

So far, we can tell that they really make learning fun!  Chloe is learning about the weather, her ABCs and counting, and so many social skills.  There is a private playground for the children to use and two indoor gyms.  During the winter months, the kids get to play inside in one of the gyms.  Chloe loves basketball! 

There are also in-class parties for two major holidays — Halloween and Christmas.  Each family signs up to bring paper goods or snacks to the party, and we get to participate with the kids!  We just signed up to take fresh veggies for the Halloween party.  There are also field trips throughout the year.  Participation is optional and there are fees for each trip.  We are going to the pumpkin patch in a few weeks!  A parent or a guardian is required to accompany their child on a field trip.

C L O T H E S

There aren’t any clothing restrictions at this school, but the school is kept warm so we were asked to dress the kids in layers.  I make sure Chloe takes a sweater in case she gets cold.

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Having Chloe go to preschool twice a week is such a great break in our day, and also helps change up our normal routine.  I was worried that we would be running late in the morning, but she is so excited to get to school that she’s eager to eat breakfast and get dressed right away.  I don’t wake up any earlier than usual, but I do make sure I’m on top of laundry.  I work while she is in class, but if the other moms and I’ve made plans to meet up I make sure I’m caught up with everything the day before so I can enjoy some free time, too.  As an added bonus, Chloe is so worn out by the time school is over! On the negative side, we don’t get to hang out and play as much on those two days!

We were worried about enrolling her at such a young age (she won’t be two until October), but we are so happy with our decision.  She’s really thriving in school!

Did you send your LO to preschool?  How old were they when they started?