Oh Miss Molly. How you are changing and growing my love. As many of you know, Molly started school last month. I know I know, it seems crazy to talk about school when discussing my two-year-old, but we thought it was important to get her into school early. Mostly because we wanted her to socialize with other kids more. I mean, we try to take her on play dates and sign her up for classes, but both Kevin and I work a lot and now that our 4-month-old Riley is in the picture, we just don’t have as much time to do those kinds of things anymore. So preschool was important to us to do for her. And I’m not gonna lie, those 3 hours a day twice a week that she’s at school are pretty nice for mama too!
Anyway, I wanted to share a few things that we did to help ease her transition into her new school that I think were really helpful for her! I’m proud to say that she absolutely loves school. So these are my tips if you are planning on sending your little one off to preschool anytime soon! And kids start preschool all throughout the year, so this is not necessarily only relevant at the beginning of the school year (aka September). Plus I also want to give you an update on how she is doing at school!
1. GREY COAT/CAPE | 2. COWBOY BOOTS
1. Classes at the School
When we were looking for a preschool to send Molly to, I noticed that the majority of the schools offered a toddler and me program to go to before actually sending your little one off to school. Definitely reach out to your local school to see if they have one! What’s great about signing up for one of those classes is not only do you as a parent get to spend time at the school seeing how things are done, but so does your child! I really feel like Molly’s transition to school was so easy because she had already spent so much time there. Every time we went to the toddler and me class I would say “Are you excited for class today? Let’s go to school!” And then when the day came for her to really go to school, she was already used to it. Also, at Molly’s school the toddler and me teacher is also her preschool teacher. So she got to know her while mommy was around for the class and then when real preschool started, she felt comfortable with me leaving because she already knew her teacher. And I felt more comfortable leaving her because I knew the teacher! I saw how she was with all the kids during the toddler and me class and she is absolutely wonderful! Sometimes dropping your kid off for preschool for the first time can be just as hard on the parent as it is on the child. Lucky for me and Molly, we really prepared ourselves and it wasn’t hard at all!
1. A CUTE WHITE TOP | 2. MOLLY’S ROMPER | 3. MY SWEATER | 4. MY LEGGINGS | 5. MY BOOTS | 6. BANDANA
2. Family Picture
Send your kiddo to school with a picture of your family. Molly’s teacher required that we send her to school with one, and I think it’s such a great idea! Every time we walk into class and Molly sees it on her cubby she gets excited. For instance, the other day when I dropped her off she got upset for the first time since starting school. But I was able to distract her by showing her the picture of our family and she immediately got excited to see her little brother’s face in her classroom! And when you leave and you’re little one has a hard time with you not being there, the teacher will be able to show them the picture and help give them some comfort.
1. GREY COAT/CAPE | 2. COWBOY BOOTS
3. Confidence in the Form of Clothing – Give her (0r him!) a Cape!
Hear me out on this one. At Molly’s school, she’s not allowed to bring any toys. So when I drop her off in the morning sometime she can get upset that she has to leave her favorite book or stuffed animal in the car. So the other day I had an idea to put her in this super cute poncho/cape she wears. She has a book about a little boy named Danny that believes he has superpowers and wears a cape. So I told her that this poncho was her supercape! And that it gives her superpowers! So if she’s ever feeling nervous or alone at school she can just put it on and use all her superpowers to feel better! And I honestly think it helped her! Now when we’re getting out of the car in the morning to walk into school, I get really excited about her poncho/cape and tell her how lucky she is to have her superpowers at school! I honestly think it will come in handy to help her be brave for a lot of new experiences in her life while she’s little. Plus the poncho is just so stinking cute! Don’t you think?! It starts at 2T and goes up to size 8 for big girls! It’s from Nordstrom where I not only buy all of my clothes, but most of hers as well! They honestly have super cute kids clothes so if you haven’t checked out their kids section you totally should! Her poncho and cowboy boots are both from there. And when she wears these cowboy boots to school I always get at least one or two parents asking me where they’re from. They’re just the cutest!
1. GREY COAT/CAPE | 2. COWBOY BOOTS
And while I’m on the topic of the clothes, her romper in some of these other pictures is also a favorite of hers! She loves the little hens/roosters on it. She loves to point at them and yell “cock-a-doodle-doo!” Adorable! And if any of you were wondering about my outfit, it’s all from Nordstrom too! I love my sweater because it has a pretty bell sleeve and it’s long! Really I love any top that covers my booty and hips! Plus it’s super cozy and soft! And affordable! I wear it a lot when I drop Molly off at school in the morning. It’s cooler in the mornings, so it’s easy for me to throw on with a pair of leggings. My leggings are only $29! They will be one of the best leggings you ever buy! I mean it! And they’re such a good price that you really can’t beat it. And I linked the bandanna that I’m wearing in one of these photos, I wear it all the time in Instagram stories and a lot of you have been asking me where I got it.
OK OK, back to why I started writing this blog! Ha! I get sidetracked because I get so excited about clothes – can you tell?! Ha! Anyway, if any other parents out there are transferring their kids into preschool anytime soon, or even in the next year, these are all things to consider! And I’ll end this by saying that Molly is doing so great at school! She honestly loves it and only once in the last month did she shed a few tears when I dropped her off in the morning. Otherwise, she can’t wait to go to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays! When she gets home she’ll say “I can go back on Thursday right?” It’s so cute! And really for the first time since she was born, she’s starting to learn things from people other than me and Kevin. Which is so important for her development! I get so excited when she sings a new song that I’ve never heard. I’m just always so proud of her! In fact, I’m going to go give her a big squeeze right now! I encourage you all to do the same with your kiddos! Or your furry kiddos! And if you don’t have either of those things, give yourself a little squeeze because self-love is just as important! Love you guys!
Leave me comments below about how you help you little one with transitions! I’m always looking for tips for other types of transitions (aka – leaving school or the park!)
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Thank you Nordstrom for partnering with me for this post today!!!!! I looooooooove you! No really.
My girl just recently turned one, and we just signed her up for a 2s program next year (the preschools in our area fill up fast!) so this post really resonates with me today. It’s also in a school where we’ve attended classes together (and will continue to) so she is very familiar with the location.
I agree that it’s really important to her development to socialize with other kids, and learn things from other people besides parents – but I’m already having anxiety about leaving her for those 3 hours a day (a whole year from now!!!) because she’s so attached to me right now. I know the small separation will be good for us, especially when she’s a bit older, but I’m definitely nervous about it. I will have to revisit this post next year when she starts.
You will be shocked how much you LOVE the free time!!! It’s been so nice for me. I was super nervous at first too. But mostly nervous for her and me missing her. I didn’t realize how much I would ENJOY the alone time. Well I have Riley, but you get it.
The cape is so cute on Molly! Love the photos, you and her are both so beautiful! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
SO cute right?!?!
I think is a great blog! Thank you for sharing! We live in a really small town, so finding a preschool that will take our son at the age of 2 is impossible. We do have him in daycare and she is set up like a school with a schedule and playtime. Our Layne has been socializing since he was 10 months old. I do wish we can afford for him to be home more, but I do really feel that the socializing is so important.
Oh really? Bummer. But daycare is GREAT for socialization. SO wonderful that your babe gets that 🙂
These are great tips! My almost 4 and 2 year old have gone to daycare since they were 12 weeks old. But my almost 4 year old will be starting pre k next year. It will be all new to her since she’s done pre school right at her daycare. So I will definitely have to remember these for then.
Whenever we are starting new or the kids are going through I phase, I tend to always go for a book to help. Both of my kids love books so reading to them and finding books about whatever it is they (we) are going through has always been my way of explaining things to them.
Molly loves books too. We do the same thing 🙂
We use books to help with transition too! Llama Llama Misses Mama was a favorite for the school transition!
Great tips! My son just started the 2s program and since it’s only two days a week I wanted to do something special on those days when he wakes up so he’s prepared. I made a little social story book for him called Jack goes to school. It has pictures of his school, teachers and friends and goes through his schedule T preschool. I made it on PowerPoint and then bonded it together at Staples! He loves his school book and he always feels prepared!
Oh my gosh that is the cutest thing ever!!!! I want to make molly a book like that too now! Thank you for the idea!
These are great recommendations! I can definitely relate- though my 18 month old has been in day care since 4 months old, we just started her at a new school this week. We visited a few times together (similar to your toddler and me class- wish they had that option!), which I think really helped both of us get comfortable with the environment and the teacher. I absolutely LOVE the idea of leaving a family picture in her cubby- I am definitely going to do that tomorrow! Thank you!!
Love your blog, and have loved watching your journey since the beginning. Your family is beautiful and I wish you all the continued best!!
Yay! So glad this helped you and you are goign to give her a picture to bring tomorrow! And thank you for the nice comment!!! xoxo
Hi Ali,
It is so great you have tried to ease Molly’s transition, as it can be tough. However, I found your comment regarding other kids being less happy than Molly when you dropped her off a little ignorant. Some kids just need more time to adjust and it really has nothing to do with how your prepare them or what you do. I would try to be a little more mindful of your comments! Thanks!
I agree with this…. it is great Molly transitioned so well, but I’m sure doing the exact things with another child may result in a less than happy drop off.. also those kids that don’t look so happy will likely be happy 5 mins later.. it is not nice to say it is something the parents could have done without knowing what they did do to prepare! Just be mindful when making declarations of “what to do”…. appreciate your tips tho!
Totally agree. Kids starting school for the very first time is something that causes a lot of anxiety for parents, and most are nervous that their kid will be the only one losing their minds at drop off. Touting how wonderfully your child does from day one and how she has shed merely a single tear since the start is fantastic, but comparing her to the “other kids” who did not do as wonderfully as yours is a little unkind and very unnecessary. And it’s wildly unrealistic to think that the reason she did so well is because of a family picture and a cape. It is far more likely that it is just personality driven and simply not something that any parent has much control over, other than simply assuring your baby that they will be ok and you love them and will be there for them, and hoping for the best. But the reality is that it is not all ice cream and puppy dogs for most kids and parents no matter what you do, because being away from mommy and/or daddy for the first time is hard. And while it is natural to want to brag about your children, you maybe want to draw the line at comparing them to other kids, which can make those “other parents” feel like failures or wonder if there is something wrong with their babies.
(I have a two-year-old who will be starting school next year, and there is a decent chance he will be one of those “other kids.” I am fairly certain that a cape and picture will not change that. Though I would dress him up like Batman every day if I thought it would help. But I am going to try to prepare him as much as I can and give him all the love I have and hope for the best. It would be great if he skipped through the door singing “the hills are alive” like Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music, but he will more likely try to run for the hills. I will do whatever I can for my sweet little guy. And hopefully wine will get me through it. Kidding. Kind of.)
Thank you for this response! My 2 year old just started school and had a really tough transition and still cries daily at drop-off. We pulled out all the stops—mommy and me at the school before officially starting, making a book with pictures of his classroom ahead of time, photos of us in the classroom and transitional objects that he could keep with him. Ultimately it just took time for our sensitive little boy to adjust. He is often the only one screaming at drop off, but it is so important as a parent to not compare your child, as hard as it may be. He is who he is—every child has their own temperament and needs. It’s hard enough separating from your child at the start of school and is essential for parents not to compare one another’s kiddos, and especially not to assume a child’s temperament is a reflection of something a parent did or did not do. All we can do is respect them and support them just as they are while helping them gain confidence and new coping skills along the way.
Yep! If you haven’t noticed this chick LOVES to tout her own horn AND act like her life is fucking perfect. I honestly can’t stand it anymore. It had become a really huge turn off for me.
Sorry! I didn’t mean to come off that way at all! I know every child is different! I am going to remove that part because I agree with you. I write these very fast sometimes (because I am busy these day with these kiddos) and I definitely didn’t think that comment through. Removed! Thank you for bringing that to my attention so nicely! We all make mistakes. I’m not perfect.
Hi! Those are such great ideas! Where I live it’s typical to wait to send your children to preschool between 3-4 years old. With my first son I was working full time so he was used to being without me during the day so school was easy for him. Now I’m a stay at home mom and I am anxious for my 3 year and how he’ll transition since I’m home with him all the time. He is very social though so I’m hoping that will get him through it. I love the idea of wearing a cape. That’s totally up my sons alley! Thanks for the advice!
He will do great Kristen! Keep me posted on how it goes!!! xoxo
Having an infant, I feel like school is almost a breath of fresh air for my 2.5 year old! She did 1/week program in the spring, 2/week at camp, and now we are up to 3/week! It’s only half a day but it has been a blessing for all of us!
I think Molly likes a break from her little brother too 😉
My oldest son started preschool this August and loves it! He is 3.5 years old and it’s really his first time away from us. We toured last December, so he got to see the classrooms and playground, etc which really helped him. I bought him a couple of books that talked about starting school and I would point it out in TV shows he likes. For example, he loves Daniel Tiger, and I would say, look Daniel Tiger goes to preschool too and he loved that. His school also did a meet the teacher morning, where we went for 30 minutes and he got to see his desk and all of the kids in his class. Before his first day he just kept asking me if I was going to come pick him up at the end of the day (he’s there from 9-11:30) and I reassured him that I would and that made him feel better. I’m so glad I put him in preschool. Their 3 year old class focuses on socialization, which he really needs. I got to go with him on his first field trip on Tuesday to the pumpkin patch and it was really fun! I am enjoying having two mornings a week home to spend one on one time with my 15 month old too!
My 21 month old started 3 data a week in August and we watched Daniel Tiger a lot beforehand too. And once he started we watched the grownups come back episode every day for a week. Beforehand was very similar, we first visited in January when I put him on the wait list and then we visited a few days before he started. He was always fine when I was there but it was very different when he started for real. He cried for about 3 weeks at drop off but hasn’t cried since September started! They have an app where they upload pics/videos for us and I enjoy getting to see parts of his day. The fall picnic was last week and it was great to see him with everybody for more than a few minutes at pickup-dropoff.
Our school just had a pumpkin patch trip too! I missed it cause I had to work which I’m bummed about. But I’m goign to a parent mixer tomorrow night to hang with the parents and I’m excited about it!
Molly loves Daniel Tiger too!
We did the picture thing too, but they don’t put them up in the classroom. I thought it would help her to have it and she is required to bring a folder. Shutterfly was having a sale on their folders so I ordered one with our family picture on one side and she got to pick her favorite picture for the other side. She loves it and we have had so many teachers stop her to see it, she loves it makes her folder a little extra special
The folder is SUCH a great idea! Thank you for sharing! I might have to do that too when she’s older and uses a folder!
Such good advice. Our daycare in LA wanted us to bring a picture of the family too and even thought she was so little, they would show her “mama and dada.” It was part of their recognition program (including shapes, colors). Again, at only 4 months old, it made me feel better that even though she wasn’t with me all day, she still had my picture close by.
Allison
http://clementschronicles.com
Awwww I totally get that.
I don’t have any children of my own, but my boyfriend of 3 years has a 5 year old daughter so I’ve been around helping with her the majority of her life. I was so glad both her parents agreed on daycare at 3 and preschool at 4. It made this year of kindergarten so much easier! The only complaint we get is that she’s tired cause they don’t do naps in kindergarten, so if I had a back to school suggestion it would be that. As much as she loved naps and we loved them too, we probably all should’ve stopped her naps before she started kindergarten so she wouldn’t be so exhausted the time after lunch! I know this was a daycare/preschool blog, but in case there’s any moms/dad’s reading this and have a kid starting kindergarten next year- that’s my helpful advice! The more tips the better right?
That is soooo great that she was still napping at 5 years old! I totally get that you wanted to keep that nap! Ha!
And thanks for sharing that advice for kindergarten parents!
Can I ask what method you guys used for sleep training? Please and thank you in advance 🙂
My sleep trainer calls it “Figure it out” method. I will blog about it soon. Sorry I haven’t yet!!!!
This poncho is too adorable! My 2 month old girl was just gifted one in red and I’m pumped.
So amazing that Molly transitioned easily to school. My 2 year old son just started going 3 days a week last month after exclusively being with his grandparents. A TOTAL grandma’s boy, there were some tears for a few weeks (from this postpartum mama as well! Oy!) but now he wakes up excited to go and to put on his backpack – sometimes 30 mins before I’m even ready to leave the house, ha.
We really tip-toed into full days- in fact right this minute he’s in the middle of his very first school nap and we were just dreaaaaading it for the teachers. Just as my stomach was turning thinking of how it was going, I got an email from the kind, hands-on director saying he’s fast asleep, along with a cute picture of it. My husband and I are floored! We could have chosen a “prettier” school with a few more modernities, but when we met the director we couldn’t stop talking to her for an hour so knew it was the right place (it’s also right around the block).
Our trick with naptime was to tell him he’s going to have an awesome sleepover with his friends and kept hyping it up all week like we were so jealous.
What I also loved about this school and didn’t really think of before I met this director is that (like you with the mama and me class to warm up), she wanted us to come by as often as we were able to over the summer together to get him aquatinted. If I didn’t give birth in the middle of summer we would have done it tons more than the handful of days we were able to squeeze in but I’m thankful she offered that.
Also someone recently gave me a nugget that I’ve been using – that he has to show his baby sister how to do certain things like go to school, eat at the table with the family, etc. And then I praise the hell out of him like he just won the World Series over any little things I’m really pleased about. Ha!
Sorry this was so longwinded! Thanks for sharing this, as always. All the best to you guys – and great interview on Jade, Carly + Liz’s podcast!
Oh wow! They do full days at preschool for 2 year olds where you live? That’s awesome! We can only do 3 hours at Molly’s school! I would be soooo anxious about the nap too! I know when Molly starts goign longer I will go through exactly what you did!
And don’t apologize for your comment being long silly! I looooooved it! I can’t tell you how much a appreciate that you took the time to write me! xoxo
First off, I really enjoy reading your blogs! You keep things so real, and the love for your family truly shows! We have a boy (8years old), girl (5years old) and a baby girl (almost 5 months old). I have found that if I show them that I am excited for their new journey whether that be school, a sleep over or even a few hours of having a babysitter then they will also be excited about it. I also like to give them all the details of what they are going to do for fun while away from mommy. My daughter’s first day of kindergarten was a tough one on me and her so for the second day, I gave her one of my special bracelets that cinches up really small so it fit around her wrist. Whenever she got sad, she was able to look at it, and she said it helped her feel better. After a few days, she didn’t need to wear it anymore. They also read a book called The Kissing Hand on the first day of school which seemed to make her feel better also. It is a super cute book! You should definitely read it with Molly sometime!
A couple of you have mentioned that book! I will have to check it out for sure! Thanks for the rec!
Great tips! My 2.5 also started preschool this fall. She was feeling anxious too. So I got us matching heart ❤️ temporary tattoos. We each have them on our wrist. I told her if she’s ever feeling sad or missing mommy she should put her hand on the heart and I would feel her squeeze. (Sharpie pen works fine too.)
I got the idea from reading her a book her school suggested “A Kissing Hand for Chester Raccoon”.
To be honest while I’m at work.. it’s a nice reminder that she’s always with me too.
Oh my gosh!!!!! This is the cutest thing EVER!!!!!! I am sooooo doing this with Molly. Thank you for sharing!
Love this! My 2 yo started preschool in August & it was a huge adjustment. She still gets a little anxious some days so I’m hoping I can learn from your tips!! Also, we have just started potty training….have you started with Molly? I’ll be looking forward to some helpful tips there as well.
We haven’t really started. We talk about it all the time and tell her to let us know when she wants to use it. But she shows NOOOO interest. We don’t want to push it until she is ready. Once she’s 2.5 or a little older, we will try more actively
I sent your little the new children’s book I wrote. I hope Molly loves it. It currently is only on presale with release Oct 23 so she has the first printed copy. I sent it to her for 2 reasons. First, I know you will read to her and as she gets older use it to discuss topics that present in it (types of families, traveling, supporting local, and kindness). Secondly, because I know you too have been the subject of cyber bullying. Even though you are the only one that has this book so far, a group of women have contacted, with words of hatred,podcasts, newspapers, and small shops who have posted in support of my book. They have contacted them with hate messages claiming my publisher and I are exploiting children (the children in the back of book in the real traveling dress have all signed releases as you probably could assume bc no publisher nor I would risk that). Anyways the attacks have almost stopped my presales because a group of 7 friends are finding every post anywhere in support of me and messaging the poster and commenting on it with words of hate, slander, and threats. You said it last night “I don’t respond to jerks”, so the best I can do is share my beautiful children’s book with people I believe in like you and continue rising above the cyber bullying. Again, I hope you and Molly love it. The illustrations are all watercolors and the story is of a traveling dress that teaches a little girl the lesson of love/kindness. Enjoy!
Who did you send it to? My address isn’t public (At least I hope it’s not! Ha!). I didn’t receive anything so I’m just wondering!
Haha an address that my husband found…I’ll pm you the address I sent it too. And if you want me to send another, you can pm me your address or a P.O. Box or I can PayPal you money so you can buy from amazon 🤷♀️. Well, I hope someone who gets it enjoys it!
Hi Ali! My 2 year old daughter started preschool three days a week this year and she LOVES it too! I feel like she says new words everyday, and it’s great to see how excited she gets in the mornings when it’s a school day. So happy for Molly too!
Yay! That’s awesome! I love hearing about new things she learns at school too! Molly will randomly start singing songs she learns in school and it melts my heart!
Hi Ali!
I just have to say I absolutely loved reading this blog. I don’t have kids so i don’t know the struggle of finding a good daycare or have the fear in leaving a child with another adult. I do however have the experience on the other end as I’m a toddler/preschool teacher.
These tips on transitioning a little one into being ready for school are wonderful and the cape idea brilliant. I sometimes like to pretend I have a cape on too.
Your doing an amazing job as a mother and I hope one day when I have little ones I’m able to raise confident little ones just the way you are ❤️
Thank you for commenting! I love hearing the thoughts of an actual preschool teacher!!!!
This all such wonderful advice! I had to put my daughter in day care at 10 weeks old. It was hard, but I honestly believe it was the best thing in the world for all of us. Having a school that is so awesome also made a huge difference. I think socializing and being around kids is so important at a young age. Since she has been there since 2 months old, we never have an issue with drop off. In fact as soon as we drop her off she doesn’t even notice we’re still there and immediately starts to play and goes right to her teachers. I LOVE the picture idea you shared here. I will definitely start doing that as she gets older and drop off changes a bit. It’s not easy letting your little one be away but you are so right, it’s awesome watching them learn new things from others around them. Your posts are so relatable, especially this one 😊
Thanks for sharing Katie. Sounds like your little girl loves playing with other kiddos! That’s great! And thank you for reading my blog!!!!! xoxo
I sent my daughter to preschool when she had JUST turned 3. We were excited about it, she was excited about it, I thought it was going to be great and give me a few hours a week to spend quality time with her 6 month old brother. We realized pretty quickly that she wasn’t liking it and not only did she have separation anxiety for the first time in her life, she started sleeping poorly and not wanting me to leave the room she was in at home either. Anyway, all this to say, my advice is a little different but I also want to empower parents that if you aren’t not feeling the best about the school or childcare situation your child is in, PULL THEM OUT! We tried for 5 weeks but I could just tell she wasn’t comfortable and so I pulled her out and we tried again another year. I didn’t have a good feeling about dropping her off every day and her school turned out to be not what I was expecting. Gladly she started sleeping better and her anxiety subsided when we took her out of school and I’m so glad we didn’t just try to force or coerce something that wasn’t working. I wanted to make sure her first experience with school was a good one to set the stage for the rest of her life. She’s in 1st grade now and absolutely LOVES school and I’m so glad I didn’t push her to stay in preschoool when she wasn’t comfortable. So we were the opposite side of the coin but just wanted to share our experience too.
Way to go mama for trusting your mama’s intuition! You are soooo right! Sometimes kiddos just aren’t ready or maybe the school isn’t right for them. Thank you for sharing this!
My little girl started going one morning a week also and I’m not going to lie, there are still tears shed from her when it’s time to leave her but about 10 minutes later the teacher’s aid sends a text to the parents letting us know how our little one is adjusting (and it’s almost always a GOOD text! whew!) so we are all not a nervous wreck! haha. I got the idea from a friend of mine to create a little tradition before you drop them off to school, so we go grab a donut one morning a week and eat it in the parking lot until I take her into school 🙂 each week gets a little better!
Awwww I bet she loves the tradition!!! You remember those donut moments forever!!!
Hi Ali! We’re newish to LA (from NY and lived in SF prior to moving here) and have a 9 month old. We are going to start our search soon. How did you even begin the preschool search here in Los Angeles and ultimately narrow down to the one you picked?
We did the toddler and me class before to check out to school for ourselves too. If we didn’t like it while there we were going to try others at other schools. But luckily we loved the first one we tried! Plus my friend’s child went there and recommended the school to me.
I do not have children but I love reading your blogs and insta stories. Love the idea of bringing a pix of family to school. And the cape idea is so cool! I will share your tips with my niece who had a baby girl recently.
Thank you for being real! Love you girl!
Thank you soooo much for reading Nelle!!!!
Hey Ali, im Excited for molly. Sounds like she has tons of fun. I am a preschool teacher. I teach ages 2-5. I have never heard of the family picture idea definitely going to try that. Also what I do in my class room if they are missing mommy or daddy I have them draw or write a little “letter” to them. We also do family trees. My students have so much fun with that. Anyways im so Happy Molly. I hope she is learning a lot.
Oh awesome!!!! Love that you are going to implement that in your classroom! That makes me sooo happy!
I don’t think it’s fair to compare Molly to some kids that were having less then stellar drop offs. My kid has been in day care since one, and officially preschool as of this September at 3.5. There are many days where she is walking in as if I don’t exist and other days where she is losing her shit. Sometimes out of the blue for an entire week she will cry every morning at drop off. Their little brains go through so much that while the cape might work this week there might be a day where nothing will make it a good drop off. But I’m glad she’s started out on a good foot and I hope it continues.
Also my daughter is obsessed with cowgirl boots! I love it!
Totally get that! We had one rough day last week out of the blue and I know there will be more! I just think these things helped and wanted to share!
Oh the dream. I feel like we did all the right things too before starting preschool, but my 3 1/2 year old is just NOT good at the separation. He’s happy as can be about 5 min after drop off but you are very lucky that Molly is so easygoing! So to all the other Mamas out there whose children are not as good, you’re not alone! And it doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong 👍🏼 Here’s to hoping son #2 is a bit better 🤞🏼
Every child is different. Molly likes to try new things but she is VERY much a mama’s girl right now. Meaning mommy has to do EVERYTHING with her. So I do think these things helped a lot! Did you do a toddler and me class at your son’s school?
I go back to work Monday after a year maternity leave (in Canada) and my little girl will be going to a daycare centre every day. She’s a very easy-going baby (toddler now?! Ahhh) who loves people so I know she’s going to love the socializing and is going to get used to a “school-like” routine very quickly. But it sure is going to be emotional (for me) leaving her every day for 8 hours 😢 Such is the life of a working mom!
We already have a family photo ready to hang on her locker and we did some trial dates leaving her there over the last few weeks and she did great…. It’s definitely going to be harder on me than it is her! Wish me luck 🍀
Hi Ali! I love your blog. One thing I read was that your kids only like to sleep in their cribs. That’s how my little girl is too and has been from the start. So how do you handle traveling? My daughter will NOT sleep in my arms. Do you just always get an extra seat and lug on the car seat? She’s 18 months. Thanks!
Awesome post! Molly is SO cute and so happy she is enjoying preschool 🙂
We started our daughter Rylie in Daycare when she turned 1 and I went back to work (We live in Canada) She honestly loved it right from the start! We were able to bring her for about a half hour at a time a few weeks before she started to get familiar with everyone. There are only 5 kids in total because it’s a home daycare. She has learned so much there and they do fun activities and crafts everyday! She will stay there until she starts JK. We are so lucky that we found someone who is amazing to take care of our daughter, really that is half of the battle. It took almost 1 year to get her into this daycare full time. We had to start her 2 days a week a first and then a few months later she started 5 days and week and has been going full time ever since. It’s so amazing 🙂
I think she is just too little for school. I am an educator and there is no reason for a 2 year old to be in school. A few playdates every couple of weeks is plenty at this age. Being home with her family is where she should be. You and your husband are her BEST teachers at this point in her life. I have always liked you but it really seems like you are becoming less hands on with your kiddos. They are going to both be in school full time in just a few short years. These years are precious and you will not get them back. Sometimes as Moms we just can’t have it all. Your time will
come again. Just something to think about. 💗
I’ve never left a comment on here but I enjoy reading Ali’s stories about family fashion etc. For an educator to take the time to make her feel bad is pretty harsh- she sends her 2 year old to school 6 hours a week- there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s pretty terrible that people feel they can judge others on social media- it really can hurt feelings- parenting isn’t easy- I think I’ll stick to “if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say it at all” (in my real life and on social media)
It is okay we don’t agree. Nothing in my post was to make Ali feel badly. It is simply my opinion as another Mom and someone who specializes in Early Childhood education. As an educator, my opinion is that children this young benefit MORE from being at home than they do in school. I am sure Molly will be just fine, as she has a loving family. But the need to transition to school because they are too busy for playdates is concerning to me.
Meant with much love and not to be interpreted as anything rude…Don’t be a “genius mom” you are too down to earth to be “that mom” where everything is perfect all of the time and my child is a genius at everything they do physically mentally and emotionally…be proud of your kids always of course!! I had to stop being friends with someone who was a mom like that, every time I shared a struggle or new phase we were in at home she would always have all the “know it all answers” and say my kids NEVER did that I couldn’t even inagine🙄that’s not a real friend! Always bear in mind what works one week may not work the next, when you think the routine is down pat and you know what you’re doing it goes off the rails! Don’t get too comfortable with how things are going, not to be negative but there are many hiccups and things along the way that you will never think you have to deal with in a million years but you do! It keeps on like this forever until they’re on their own likely🤣
Hey Ali! Thanks so much for this blog post, my 2 year old son also started school 2 days a week for 4 hours each and it’s been great for both of us. But we have also seen the downside in the form of germs. I feel like he has had a cold or cough nonstop since he started school. Have you noticed Molly having more colds since she started school and is there anything you have done to help boost her immune system now that she is in school? I’d love to hear any tips or tricks that you may have! Thanks so much.