I majored in Elementary Education. I didn't do it because it's easy or because it makes for a good job should I need to work. I did it because I always wanted to be a teacher. If I look back on my saved school assignments, when asked what I wanted to be, I always wrote "Teacher."
I love teaching people of all ages. I torture my children with Mommy summer school every summer. They love me for it! But, before this year, I NEVER considered teaching preschool to my own children. Not once. I very happily paid someone else to take my child for several hours each week and educate them. I never really worried about my kids learning the alphabet. I just wanted them to have a good time and learn how to behave and socialize properly. I also usually wanted a break from them. This might sound horrible, but before you judge me too harshly, remember I have 6 kids and for the first 13 years of our marriage I can count on my digits how many dates my husband and I went on after Reuben was born. We just couldn't afford the babysitter, let alone any activities for dates that cost money. Remember that I had most of my kids about 2 years apart, so I had 3 little ones not in school when it came time to enroll a 4 year old in preschool. A girl has to find a way to go to the grocery store without wanting to beat her children! I needed a break.
Reuben, Tim, Amy, and Clara all loved the different preschools they attended. When it came time to enroll Audrey I decided I was done with the preschool run at the local elementary - where the teacher couldn't remember my kid's name or which parents belonged to her. I signed Audrey up for a great preschool that our neighbor's daughter was going to attend. Her older kids had gone there and she said they loved it. It was a little pricey for our budget, but all of the other kids had gone to preschool, so I felt like we had to find a way to afford it for Audrey. I paid the registration fee and then we enjoyed our summer. But as the time drew near to start preschool, I started to have second thoughts. The truth is that I started to acknowledge the feelings I had felt all along- the prompting that I had made the wrong choice for my child. I knew I needed to consider other options. Some of my friends with 4 year olds hadn't yet enrolled their children in a preschool and one friend was definitely wanting to do a co-op preschool. I had NEVER wanted to do that-Ever. But, all of a sudden, I decided to consider it, try the idea on for size and see how I felt.
It felt right.
But, only one other person felt that way too. All of our other friends ended up finding preschools that were right for their kids. I had to make a final decision one way or the other- to let the preschool know that I was pulling Audrey out before the final day to get a refund of my $75 registration fee. So, I made the decision in my heart. I called and withdrew her. Then I
knew it was right. When I decided initially to look into other options, the feelings of anxiety and discord that I had been feeling all summer went away. And when I committed to doing a co-op preschool the feeling of peace intensified and I just KNEW that I was making a decision that mattered very much in my daughter's life and that was in line with my Heavenly Father's plans for her.
I don't know why she wasn't supposed to go to a traditional preschool. I don't know what happened to change my heart, to make me not even desire the time away from her, time with only one child, time to go shopping with ease. I don't feel any resentment or frustration. My friend Autumn and I have been teaching preschool to our daughter's Summer and Audrey since the beginning of September. We switch off teaching every other week. It's a lot of work. And I am stunned at how much I love it! I knew I would like it, but I didn't know that I would cherish practically every moment. These little girls are sponges for the attention we are able to give to them. Summer tells me almost every time I teach, "I love you teacher! You are the best teacher ever!" I just love every single moment. It is worth all of the time that I put into it. It's worth more.
I'm so grateful that I listened to the whispers of the Holy Ghost guiding me in my life. They continue to come and guide me in my teaching. I sat with Autumn earlier this week and we talked about how things are going and discussed whether we needed to change anything. And I was blown away again by the amazing gift of the Holy Ghost when Autumn made one suggestion that had come into my own mind just that morning. It was very specific and not something that we had ever talked about or that would be part of a typical preschool.
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| Summer finger painting her salt dough Utah ornament |
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| Audrey finger painting her Utah |
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| Emmeline always has to be part of the action |
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| Family Tree |
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| Painting is serious business when you are 4 |
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| For Fairy Day we made Fairy headbands. Here Summer is making F's out of ribbon. |
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| These girls love to color. |
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| On Sand day we made the letter S in the sand using shell shaped noodles. The girls also made their own sandwiches, played with Aqua sand, and played in our new sand box. |
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| This is milk toast. Really. You dye the milk, paint it on, and toast it. We were learning about colors. |
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| Audrey painted a C for colors |
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| They even ate it! |
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| Yummy! |
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| This is a C, sidweways. |
I may not know definitively why this was the right path for Audrey and me this year, but the joy that it brings is reason enough. Having an 18 month old who is starting to learn to count to 20 is kind of fun too! Our Happy Home Preschool time is definitely going to be the thing I remember with the fondest memories from this school year.
