My daughter started attending playschool as soon as she learned how to walk. I was with her the whole time she was in, guiding and introducing her to an environment apart from what we have at home. And I remember what it felt like when I brought her to school on her first day.
Her first day of school meant so much more to me that it was to her. For the first time I saw how she interacted with other people, her first reaction when she saw a cute toy from the tiny hands of another kid, the moment she sat on a table to eat a meal with kids her age and so much more.
Her first-day high was actually my first-day high too
I bet my daughter won’t even remember her first day of school, but for me, it was clear as day. It was an hour and a half long play school session, but I was with her the whole time. For the first time I saw how she was with other people, and for first-time parents like myself, it was a milestone. It was my proudest mom moment.
Our time apart was my time to reflect as a parent
We took the class that was scheduled right after lunch time. At that time, the schedule matched my work routine, so, I had that I was free to wait in the school’s small lounge area beside the shoe cubby. I would sit there until she was done with her class, and during those times, I was able to assess situations at home.
Early school enhanced her social skills
Keeping her inside the home, her whole toddler years might compromise her chance to develop her social skills. So, when she turned one and able to walk on her own, instead of spending most of her time at home, we enrolled her to a play school. Today, she would start conversations with anyone. Check out this video how she spoke with a tourist from our trip to Rome.
Learning became fun and entertaining
Like most toddlers her age, it’s the time where they love exploring things and touching everything they could get their hands on. And as her mom, my priority was to ensure she gets the most from her daily routine. Instead of zombifying her with apps and videos, I made sure to give her a learning experience through play. In her playschool, they had circle time, free play and recess time as part of their learning routine.
Our daily school routine got into major trial and error
I thought playschool would be a breeze but not until I had to prepare her school snacks, school outfit and other stuff daily while cramming to get things done at home and work. I have to admit that there were a lot of times when we were late for school.
They say introducing your toddler to early schooling might overwhelm them later on. It would be like how burnout is for adults. But looking back to our milestones, I always knew I made the right decision to introduce her to a world apart from our own.
How about you? What was your experience bringing your kid to play school at an early age? Was it all worth it?