When Ashley wakes up each morning I hear the same line "Mommy, do I have school today?" She asks this in a paranoid tone. If I tell her she has school she whines that she doesn't want to go and is worried about it ALL morning. It breaks my heart.
It hasn't always been this way. She's been going to preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays since September. She started saying she didn't want to go about a month ago. I just can't figure out why she has the preschool blues.
I talk to her about it. We discuss all the fun things she does at school, all the great songs she sings, the things she's learned, the projects she brings home, and the friends she's made, but it doesn't help. I ask her what it is that she doesn't like about school and I get different answers every time. Here's what I've gathered:
- She doesn't want to go because she'll miss me.
- She doesn't like the "big boys." (To clarify, she goes to a preschool program that is offered to teachers' children. The program is at the high school, and high school students come to the preschool for their Child Development class)
- Another child wouldn't play with her or yelled at her.
- She doesn't like school.
I've talked to her about each of these scenarios that she has given me and tried to comfort her, but she wants no parts. The crazy thing in all of this is that she resists going to school all morning, cries about it, and tries to make excuses on why she shouldn't go the whole car ride there. Then we get inside the door of her classroom and she RUNS over to the other kids and wants to get involved in whatever activity is going on, all without looking back at me. Same with when I pick her up, she is happily involved in something and greets me with a big smile. She smiles when she shows me all the projects she created. But as soon as we are out the preschool door, she's telling me she doesn't like school again. I just DON'T GET IT!
Now, I think this may just be the universe's way of paying me back. I remember crying every time I had to go to school. My mom worked in a Catholic School that I also went to, and she used to drive me in every morning since it wasn't in our town. I specifically remember occasions that I threatened to jump out of the car on the highway as we were headed to school. I even went as far as opening the car door on the highway as she was driving. OH, PAYBACKS! My reason for this: some years it was because of the strict, mean nun that was my teacher (who gave me a twitch, but that's another story), some years it was because I missed my mom, other years it was because I was just painfully shy. Ashley is very shy too, so maybe that's just it. I can relate to how she is feeling, which is probably why it breaks my heart so much. I eventually started to love school. I think I finally changed my opinion of it in about third grade, so hopefully Ashley will get there.
But in the meantime, does anyone out there have any suggestions on how to deal with the preschool blues? Or is it just my karma, and I now have to endure the pain that my own mother did when I was little?
Ashley happily showing off two preschool projects
BTW, this winter craft is adorable! It's a snow ruler, used for measuring how many inches of snow fell. I can't wait to use it on a snow day! Looks simple: craft stick with inches marked, finger paint for white snow look, ribbon, and foam circle for snowman head, also has words LET IT SNOW on back. CUTE!
