Crazy Mama: NO SCHOOL FOR YOU

At this moment the rare both of my children are asleep. I would join them but some how I am not tired and I thought I would catch up on my blogging.

About month ago Lydia started preschool. She enjoyed waking up and going to school. She liked dancing during Chapel time and learning about colors and shapes. We had chosen a United Methodist preschool that is near Berkeley which means that now that I am maternity leave it's about a thirty minute drive to drop her off. My entourage (grandparents and Vivian) would go with me. I would be have a couple of hours before returning to pick her up.

About one week ago Vivian woke up stuffy and it happen to be her one month appointment. She had gained one pound and half in just two weeks, grew a full inch and expanded her head circumference all putting her in the 50th percentitle. She was also dripping with boogers and fussy. My pediatrican said she had a cold and it was likely going to turn into RSV. This is often manifested as the common cold for most adults and older children but the virus in infants can pretty bad. It may require hospitalization, oxygen treatments or more. She told me to watch her breath to make sure she wasn't struggling. This is somewhat where the sense of panic begun.

Rewind a few months ago, one of the other pediatricans in the practiced at advised not to start Lydia in preschool until she was 5. This particular doctor is old school and to be honest it is a little unrealistic considering the pressures for academic success in our society but suddenly, we are hit with a whole house of sick people and the wheels in my head started turning...Lydia technically is still one. She still has time before needing to be in preschool.

So those wheels created a pro/con list...

The Pros

• Lydia loves to learn.
• She loves to be with other kids.
• It was only a few hours a day.
• It would relieve some pressure from the abuelos who now would have 2 kids to take care of.
• The sooner one is engaged in learning formally perhaps the more one learns.

The Cons

• Lydia's birthday is after the school cut off thus she will have 4 years of preschool rather than just three. Why start the pressure now? Why buy into the hype already?
• Kids get sick at preschool a lot as they build ammuities, why expose Vivian to being sick that in her infancy when she doesn't have to be exposed to it.
• Time alone with grandparents is precious and priceless and we have the luxury of them being able and willing to care for both girls.

And so we pulled Lydia out of school. It was something I really wrestled with because I didn't want to seem like a crazy mom putting her kid in school and then turning around and taking her out two seconds later. But at the end of the day, I think it will be for the best for both girls. Vivian seemed to skid away from actually developing RSV but that was a rough few nights of her sleeping and me watching her like a mama hawk. Just think Lydia will have another very first day of preschool next year.