reality check
It's only March, but in the area I live in, it's already time to sign kids up for pre-school in the fall. There are so many children here that things fill up quickly and people get very competitive.
My three year-old is not in school right now because we got here so late last year that the pickings were slim and the one I put him in ended up being a bad experience for him. So I pulled him out and have been agonizing for the last few months about where to put him this year. There's one pre-school right up the road that everyone wants to get their kids in. I stood in a line just to get a chance to register and they required everything but my blood-type on the application. Then I had to wait six weeks while they sorted through all the apps with their special little priority list to decide who got in. We actually got picked and they sent yet another packet to be filled out.
I have been putting it off all week and finally sat down to do it today. I almost got a migraine. It felt like doing taxes! There were forms for auto-debit for the tuition, waiver forms for if the media wants to take pictures of him in his class...you name it. And all of a sudden, as I sat there filled with anxiety, hoping I was giving the right answers and signing in all the right places, I realized: this is PRE-SCHOOL. PRE. SCHOOL. What the heck am I doing? Trying to keep up with the Joneses?
I made a couple calls and found a different pre-school, also close to home, that has an opening still. I drove over, picked up the one-page application, came home and called the high-demand pre-school to say, thanks, but no thanks.
I was soooo relieved. It's so easy to worry about giving him the best start possible, and easy to lose track of what's really important. He already has every advantage: he lives in the most prosperous country in the world, in one of the most beautiful states in the country, he has a mother, father and brothers who love him, he's smart, healthy, and so cute. He's got it made.
I'm still resisting the urge to sign him up for all the sports activities everyone else is doing around here. My husband reminds me that we never did organized sports until we were at least eight. I am no soccer mom. When they get old enough to ask to sign up, we'll consider it then, but for now, we'll be the "under-achievers" of the neighborhood, and proud of it.
My three year-old is not in school right now because we got here so late last year that the pickings were slim and the one I put him in ended up being a bad experience for him. So I pulled him out and have been agonizing for the last few months about where to put him this year. There's one pre-school right up the road that everyone wants to get their kids in. I stood in a line just to get a chance to register and they required everything but my blood-type on the application. Then I had to wait six weeks while they sorted through all the apps with their special little priority list to decide who got in. We actually got picked and they sent yet another packet to be filled out.
I have been putting it off all week and finally sat down to do it today. I almost got a migraine. It felt like doing taxes! There were forms for auto-debit for the tuition, waiver forms for if the media wants to take pictures of him in his class...you name it. And all of a sudden, as I sat there filled with anxiety, hoping I was giving the right answers and signing in all the right places, I realized: this is PRE-SCHOOL. PRE. SCHOOL. What the heck am I doing? Trying to keep up with the Joneses?
I made a couple calls and found a different pre-school, also close to home, that has an opening still. I drove over, picked up the one-page application, came home and called the high-demand pre-school to say, thanks, but no thanks.
I was soooo relieved. It's so easy to worry about giving him the best start possible, and easy to lose track of what's really important. He already has every advantage: he lives in the most prosperous country in the world, in one of the most beautiful states in the country, he has a mother, father and brothers who love him, he's smart, healthy, and so cute. He's got it made.
I'm still resisting the urge to sign him up for all the sports activities everyone else is doing around here. My husband reminds me that we never did organized sports until we were at least eight. I am no soccer mom. When they get old enough to ask to sign up, we'll consider it then, but for now, we'll be the "under-achievers" of the neighborhood, and proud of it.
posted by Nicole | 8:51 PM
2 Comments:
Good for you! I can't tell you how I relate to this. My husband and I were just chatting about how different we feel from most everyone in our neighborhood. It's very popular here to keep up with those Joneses and then some.
I get so sick of it really. I told him sometimes I wish i could just move to some tiny little brick house in a NORMAL neighborhood with people who just like to get to know you for YOU and not just to see what you have. UGH.
I'M not a soccer mom, either, and I also HATE the competitveness of some preschools! Yikes!
My oldest son is deaf with a cochlear implant, is only seven but has been in six school already. I'm not kidding. We all stick out in our new area like sore thumbs. I've just given up trying to be like the "Joneses". Hubby and I turned out okay, so with the boys. ;)
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