A few times when Sam was younger I took him to a drop-in childcare center up the street. He liked the teacher and the toys but cried whenever other children came near him. A few months ago he became really curious about other children and would stare obsessively at them in public and say, "Baby. Baby."
Now he's at an age where he wants all of the "babies" (ranging from 0 to approximately 7) to play with him. He lets me know this by pointing at a swing or slide or sandbox and saying "Baby. That. Baby. That." Meaning that I should grab that baby and put him/her on that swing so they can play together. Sam doesn't understand why I can't just move the other babies around for his convenience. And it's kind of sad when he gets frustrated about it and starts to whimper, "Baaby. Baaby."
So it had to be done. I signed us up for an ECFE class this fall. My rotating schedule didn't allow for it last year, and part of me was glad for that because, while the increased socialization would be great for Sam, the prospect of it for me felt daunting. Basically, the idea of sitting in a circle of parents talking about parenting makes me uneasy. I'm not totally sure why, but I do worry that I might start to feel inadequate or, worse, smug about my parenting choices.
Probably what will happen is that I'll learn a ton and make some friends in the process. And Sam will too.
But if things should go the other way, I'll blog about my parenting inadequacies and home runs right here.
4 comments:
Both you and Sam will do great!
I *loved* ECFE. I did it for several years at different locations and found all the parent educators to be very warm and helpful, not judgmental. Have fun!
Thanks, Jill! That's a relief. Other moms I know have loved it too. It will be a good social challenge for all.
I am catching up on reading your posts (while I should be working, of course) and I read your later post about loving the experience. I'm so glad it turned out to be a great experience. I am looking for something similar where I live.
Post a Comment