Getting Schooled

Today we had the first of our upcoming series of preschool visits. Tomorrow we have Domingo's "interview" with the French school across the street, and then in a few weeks we have another visit, with one more a week later. Hopefully that will be it, and he will "get in" somewhere. All I want is a place that will aid in socializing my dear little anti-sharer. Perhaps with some finger paints, water table, glue, you know all the things I don't want to do inside at home. It's incredibly stressful, and I have to sit back a second and figure out why? I mean it's preschool, it's supposed to be fun right? Not the END OF THE WORLD, or of his ivy league dreams if he doesn't get into the "right" one. (What, your two year old doesn't currently dream of being an Eli?)
The place we saw today was really terrific. But of course, it was so terrific that admission is by lottery, so there is very little pressure because we have zero control over whether he gets a spot. The thing I loved most about the place was what the director said it was not. It is not school. She said it was a place to play. A place to learn how to become a social being, and that is no easy feet, but it's what Domingo craves, he just doesn't know how. I see him stand on the edge of play with his cousins or other kids at the park, and he wants to play with them so much, but it's usually in the form of tackling, or taking all the toys in his field of vision and then being confused when they leave. We're trying hard to show him, but it's better if he has a regular setting and some other kids his age to give it some context.
Another challenge with this is his blasted late birthday. There really are very very few programs that are open to him because of the annoying birthday cut off. I know that there are many differing opinions about this, but I watch Domingo and I know that he would really benefit, and love to be able to go to preschool. I know he's a boy, he is immature, won't be ready for school until he's six etc. etc. But I know my son, he is ready for this next step in growing up. He's ready to share, and play and paint and get dirty, sing songs, meet new kids, and pick up their germs. He's ready for nursery school.
The director said it's not a place where they're learning letters and numbers. That is the easy part. In fact yesterday Domingo was playing with Amalia's stool that has her name in blocks and completely on his own he spelled her name out saying "A-M-A-L-I-A, that's Amalia!" I know, half of the letters in her name are A, but he's not even two and a half yet.
So I'm not worried about the "academic" part of Domingo being ready for school. The social part, yes I am a little concerned. He is perfectly age-appropriate in his behaviors, but becoming a good, social, and conscientious person is a learned skill and I just want him to have as many opportunities to practice as possible. And hopefully try to model that behavior for him at home.