Morrison Family: Liliana Starts Preschool

The search for a preschool for Liliana started about a year ago when we moved to Capo Beach. My Stroller Strides friends joke that when I started coming to classes I had 2 questions for everyone I met: 1:"where do you shop for organic produce around here?" 2:"where do your kids go to preschool?" Over the past year I have talked to many moms and friends, scoured the internet and websites, and visited 10+ schools in the area. We are 99.9% decided on a great Montessori school nearby, but it doesn't start until September and we thought that Liliana was developing some bad behaviors that could be helped by starting preschool.

Initially Liliana was begging to go to school. "I want to go to school with the big boys. I know how to go potty! I am a big girl! I can go to school!" So--to bridge the gap from now until September--we found a wonderful in-home preschool taught by a sweet, gentle, Waldorf-trained teacher named Ms. Linnie. It is walking distance from the house, has a student to teacher ratio of 6:1, and has a garden and animals that the students help care for. It is perfect. We just have to help Liliana realize that.

Liliana started getting really nervous once I explained to her that I didn't get to go to school with her--it was something she had to do on her own. She cried and even had nightmares about it. We went to the library and got books about starting school to help ease her tension. One of the books we checked out was favorite of mine: The Kissing Hand. When I told her that I wanted to kiss her hand so that she could save my love and use it when I was gone and she missed me she shook her head and say, "no, I don't want to hold your kisses. You can just always stay with me and kiss me right on the lips."

When her first day finally came she was very apprehensive. There were no tears on the way to school, but when I said goodbye she lost it. "No Mommy! Please don't leave me here! Please take me with you!" When Ms. Linnie tried to help her and comfort her as I was walking out of the gate I heard her GROWL, "NO Ms. Linnie! Don't touch me! I want my mommy to hold me!" I didn't cry--I knew I wouldn't. I felt bad that she was scared and upset but I understood that it was part of growing up and that she was ready for this next stage, whether she knew it or not.

When I came to pick her up she was sitting at the picnic table with Ms. Linnie and some friends and she looked SO SAD. She was shaking her head and putting it in her hands and her little face was swollen from crying. She burst into tears when I saw her and Ms. Linnie said that while she had a rough day, she had moments where she talked excitedly about different things like Lolita the pig from Costa Rica. Ms. Linnie said that she did the best and was the most happy during structured parts of the day, like sharing, circle time, and art (where she made me a wooden art person with rhinestones and paint). On the walk home, after being smothered with wonderful hugs and kisses, she showed me just how much she missed us when she said out of the blue, "Mom, I love you. Your breath smells like flowers--like roses. Benjoo's feet smell like watermelon. Daddy's feet smell like berries!"

Lila missed her 2nd day of school because she was sick and had to go to the doctor. So, when the morning of her 3rd day of school rolled around she started faking *cough* *cough*, "Mom, I'm sick. I can't go to school. I need to go see Dr. Bob with you." HA! She is funny. She cried less when I left her and when I picked her up she was happily participating at circle time and her teachers said that she did significantly better.

When I snuck in the kids were sharing and EVERYthing that someone showed or talked about, Liliana would say, "Oh yeah!! I have that at home!!" It was fun to watch her interact a little. She left the circle (I tried to make her focus but Ms. Linnie said to let her go because she was happy that she was starting to feel comfortable) to dress up with at least 5 long silk scarves and returned to circle and stood with her arms out regally so that people would comment. When Ms. Linnie said that she looked pretty she shrugged and said, "thanks, yellow is my dad's favorite color. Can I use your phone to call my Grandma and Grandpa?"

After sharing was over we said goodbye to all of her friends. Liliana hugged her teachers and told them that she loved them which prompted a big hug fest amongst her friends. One little girl asked, "can I give you a kiss?" to which Lila replied, "If you give me a kiss I will just wipe it off,"...and she did.

Hopefully school will take a little of the snottiness out of Ms. Lila Rose!

When Liliana and I came for a tour of the school Ms. Linnie suggested that I dress Liliana a little more casual than she was dressed that day. As much as we both wanted to throw her in a tutu for the first day of school, we resisted...