10 Things I am looking forward to as my child enters preschool… Or possibly dreading By Jessica Klein

I am looking forward to my little one going to preschool this fall. Maybe not as much as some parents (moms) are excited for their kids to start back to school, but excited nonetheless.

I actually hadn’t given any thoughts to dreading it until, (leave it to my mother) mentioned it. And in thinking about it, I guess I probably do have a few things I am dreading too.

1. I am excited for her to come out of her shell and meet people. I didn’t go to preschool and often thought that maybe it would have helped me be less of an introvert. However, now that I am older, I realize it probably wouldn’t have changed things much, but may have helped me adjust and cope sooner. She is a carbon copy of me and struggles with meeting people and socializing, to the chagrin of her very social father. So preschool will be good for her and I look forward to seeing her social growth over the next year.
2. Spending some one-on-one time with my youngest daughter. I am excited to have five hours a week with just my “baby,” which is something I have never had.
3. Having five hours with only one child to deal with! While my girls are pretty easy compared to some of the stories I have heard, it is nice to have half the work, if only for a few hours.
4. I am dreading the increased sickness that will likely be plaguing my home now that one is at school. Preschool is a step above daycare in the sickness department and I have loved not having to deal with sick kids all the time. But it is coming, I am sure. Again, leave it to my mother, the former teacher and clean freak, to remind me of the sickness that is sure to descend upon me. Remind me to stock up on Lysol products!
5. Remember point two? You know the one about spending time with my little one. Well, I am also dreading it/looking forward to it because we are starting to potty train. That is my big one-on-one project with her. My first one was super easy to teach and while they say the second is always easier, I have my doubts that I can have two easy ones to train. I’ll get back to you on this one. But I will LOVE no diapers anymore!
6. I am looking forward to the parties and activities at school that my daughter can participate in. She is excited about Halloween and getting to wear a costume to school. I am not so happy about new rules that will keep me from probably baking treats. I get the risks of having foods prepared at home, but I love to make things and come up with creative dishes/snacks, perfect for school parties.
7. My introvert personality is not looking forward to the mom cliques and navigating the politics. Heck, I got out of corporate politics and now I will probably have to deal with them at school. From stories I have heard and read about, it is only the beginning and lasts until they enter junior high. Great! What a long road I have ahead of me.
8. I am a bit afraid my littlest will miss her older sister terribly and it will take a few weeks to adjust, which I do not want to deal with, since I have lots of things I want to accomplish with my extra five hours.
9. I can’t wait to have more time in my weekends. “Time in the weekend you might be saying to yourself. What is she talking about?” Those five hours I keep referring to are already jammed pack for weeks to come. I have already made notes on my calendar of things I want to do during that time that are easier to juggle with one tagging along. Now I won’t have to wait until the weekend when my husband is home to get some of these things done. (Shopping and clean up are just a few of the things I have planned.)
10. I am excited, on September 5, her school career began. I hope that it is a long, fun, and challenging journey that will ultimately lead to her doing great things!

What things did you get to accomplish when you children started school? Comment below with the good and the bad. I would love to hear your experiences!