Preschool

I just took Mazin to his first day of preschool. Once again, he's the youngest one, but he is used to playing with older kids. I just hope he doesn't poop his pants, because he really is potty trained like the policy manual requires--honest! (It's just that sometimes he gets a little distracted or intimidated by foreign toilets, or caught off guard by the urge...) I thought about saying all this to the teacher, but I figured some things should just go unspoken on the first day. It seems like a lovely program--they do most everything outside. This morning the first activity was listening for birds and then playing a hawks-and-mice tag game. When I said goodbye, Mazin was foraging for his snack in the garden. (Yeah, good luck getting him to eat those cherry tomatoes, teacher!) I feel lucky that I am able to take him to a program like this... It's only one day a week, but I think it will be such a positive experience for him. The other two days of week of day care are nice, but they are more traditional, with the playground and toys and other typical trappings. At our new Monday school, the only "toys" they had out were some natural objects like feathers and bones, and some piles of playdough with shells and rocks. It was quite refreshing. Maybe I should redo my playroom to be more like that.

I wonder what he's doing now. It's sunny outside and the wind is blowing. Maybe they are looking at leaves. Maybe they're identifying animal tracks. What would I do if I wanted to give my child a nature-based education? It would be a fun challenge. Maybe I should get rid of all those pesky, lawn-littering toys that distract him from the sticks, rocks, and other natural objects all around us.

Post-preschool update: Mazin did not poop his pants! (And he had a great time.) It seems like a really wonderful program. They went on a hike and built their own little nests! I am told he held his own quite well. That's my boy!