This Fall, my daughter started a new preschool, and she 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, every morning
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/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!” – Me, every morning
We’re often all awake during the 5 o’clock hour, but my girls never want to leave the house. Maria shared her morning routine here, and we’ve had a little luck with this “Morning Routine” printable 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 and/or grapes), Earth’s Best snack bars, pretzels, and Annie’s snack packs.
The Germs
When pre-school started last year, my baby was just one month old, and our pediatrician suggested getting in the habit of washing hands and changing clothes as soon as my older daughter came home. Well, this year I’ve been a little lot more lax, and my daughter came home with croup, just in time for my husband and I to leave for vacation… Lesson learned!
SO.MUCH.PAPER.
Germs aren’t the only thing coming home… There are so many papers, paintings, and crafts! Some moms have told me that they keep it all year, and Julie shared some creative ways to display your child’s art, but instead 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.
