I am right in the middle of choosing a pre-school for LeLe. Most of the schools around here are about to open registration for the fall, which means I am comparing my options as I type. It is crazy to think that I will have an almost three year old in the fall and that she will be in pre-school! There are a million options in my town, but I think I’ve narrowed it down to three.

The Nature School: This is an interesting option. The school is run by a local environmental center and is located really close to my house. They have a hands on curriculum and you can choose between 2 to 5 days per week. I researched this option because I see the group of kids on my way home at lunch most days, and they are always outside on nature walks or playing in the area just outside the building. LeLe loves being outside, so I thought this would be a great option for her. They do not emphasize reading, writing, or any other typical curriculum, but instead focus on art, nature, and food. It sounds really amazing and fun, and I like that it would be less structured than a traditional pre-school, which is fine with me for her age group. I do worry about how this would help her later on, but she is so young and I don’t want to push her into school too fast. The only other con for this one is that it is kind of expensive and that could be a burden for us.

The High School: The high school I attended has a pre-school program that is run by licensed teachers, but it has the high school students interact with the kids. There are a lot of pros for this one, starting with the fact that I know and trust the head teacher 100%. She is great and I would love to have LeLe be able to spend time with her. I like the interaction with the high school students as I took these classes when I was in high school and it was the highlight of my school day. The school is three days a week and there would be a lot of kids in LeLe’s class whose parents I know, so that would be nice too. The curriculum is pretty standard. They learn how to read a little and how to write their names. They have art time and food time. The location is pretty good and the price is crazy inexpensive. The cons for this one are that she can’t start until she is actually 3, which means waiting until January of next year and hoping that a spot opens up, the hours are a little weird because it is operated within the high school, and she has to be fully potty trained to attend.

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The Traditional School: This is actually the pre-school I attended as a child. I have great memories and the owner is the same owner from back then. The classes are split by age group so LeLe would be with 10 kids that are roughly her same age. They do a pretty traditional curriculum with some reading skills, writing skills, and they also have music and art. They work with kids who are potty training and they guarantee at least one teacher and one assistant for each ten children. They also have a field trip each month and that sounds pretty fun. The cost is very reasonable and we have the option of three days a week or five days a week. They do not run the school during the summer, which is fine with me because it means LeLe will get a break and we can spend some more time together. I honestly can’t think of any cons for this one.

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The choice is pretty clear for us — we will be going with the traditional school that I attended. I trust that her experience there will be positive and I really like the fact that I’ve known the owner my whole life. I trust her to make sure that LeLe is ok and that is huge in my mind. I’m honestly kind of worried about sending her to pre-school because she is still my little baby. I know she will love being in school with a bunch of kids her age and she loves learning, but in my mind, she just so little. It’s a big step, going to pre-school, and it kind of feels like the end of her babyhood, if that makes sense. I just can’t believe that I will have a child in school in the fall.