This fall, my daughter started a new preschool and now attends five days a week. For the most part, this school year is off to a good start; we love her teachers, and even though she doesn’t always want to go, she always has fun!
But, we also have some preschool problems…
“School makes me so ‘zausted!”
My daughter says this every morning, and so far, this is our biggest problem. As a stay-at-home mom, we’ve had a flexible schedule for the past (almost) four years, and it’s been a big transition for us to get into the routine (and activity) of school five days a week. To ease the transition, I try to leave most of our afternoons open for free play at home, and we moved bedtime a little earlier. Now, if only I could get her to sleep in a little later!
“We’re gonna be late!”
I say this every morning. We’re often all awake at 5 a.m., but my girls never want to leave the house. We’ve had a little luck getting started on a morning routine, keeping my daughter on track with her to-dos. But, some days getting us to school on time makes me so ‘zausted!
Snack Time
I pack snacks for my daughter five days a week, and lunch two days a week, and there’s definitely been a learning curve. One day, I included a clementine, and she spent so long peeling it that she ran out of time to eat anything else. Another day, I topped graham crackers with Greek yogurt and blueberries for an all-in-one snack; after school, she greeted me with “But, mommy, why didn’t you pack me more snacks!?” So far, our favorites are any combination of: Trader Joe’s yogurt Squishers, Mott’s applesauce cups, cheese bars, fruit (especially berries or grapes), Earth’s Best snack bars, pretzels, and Annie’s snack packs.
The Germs
When preschool started last year, my baby was just one month old, and our pediatrician suggested getting into the habit of washing my hands and changing my baby’s clothes as soon as my older daughter came home. Well, this year I’ve been a lot more lax, and my daughter came home with croup just in time for my husband and me to leave for vacation… lesson learned!
All the Paper
Germs aren’t the only thing coming home. There are so many papers, paintings, and crafts! I’ve been coming up with creative ways to keep it out of the house. I like to save the “books” she’s made, and a couple of paintings have briefly lived on our walls, but workbook pages and most drawings rarely make it inside our front door.
