Preschool Days

After much deliberation, Hubby and I have decided to send Kieran to preschool. We had initially given up after the school of our choice informed us there were no vacancies. We had toyed with the idea of putting him with a caregiver for a few hours each week but also gave that up due to concerns about safety and language issues. The one caregiver that we found near our place spoke English in a foreign and thick accent that we didn't think Kieran could understand or communicate with her.

In the end, we went with Stanford Madera Grove Children's Center, literally opposite our house. The fees are not cheap but Hubby decided that I could do with some space and quiet time during the day to pursue my own activities and that it would benefit Kieran to go to school and improve his English. In Singapore, Kieran was more fluent in Mandarin because my mother in law was the main caregiver when I was at work and this was the language she spoke. I had also deliberately spoken to him mainly in Mandarin so that he would be comfortable with his mother tongue and would not find it a chore or struggle when he eventually goes to primary school.

There are 17 kids including Kieran in his class and they come from all parts of the world. Kieran has been placed in preschool option, which is meant for kids born late in the year. So his classmates range from two and a half to around three years old. The US system is different from the one in Singapore where children -- irregardless of their birth dates -- are placed together based on the year they are born. In the US, they segregate the kids due to the belief that children born late in the year would not have had the headstart that kids born early in the year have. In a sense, this is probably fairer because I do notice that the kids of my friends born early in the year have developed verbal skills faster than Kieran has.

This week at Madera Grove was transition week, whereby I accompanied Kieran to school for a few hours each day. As you can see, our boy seems to enjoy going to school! Next week would be the real test when I drop him off in the morning. I am keeping my fingers crossed!