Mrs. Mommy's Preschool

I hesitate to post this. From time to time I get comments like "What don't you do?" or questions about the realness of my life. Trust me, there is a whole lot of realness at this house. Just come over and you'll see full scale . . . . Child #4's intense personality is challenging and demanding more often than not. For example, the other day I sent her into the bathroom to wash her face. She came out and said, "I washed my shoes too. They were also dirty." The shoes were on her feet. Squishy shoes did not feel really great so she took them off and went outside to dry off. Soggy shoes walking down the hall left a mess and so did the dirt she played in with partially wet pant legs. If it were only things like that, it wouldn't be as bad, but she needs A LOT of attention, otherwise we experience too many negative behaviors (such as running across the dining room table during a family meal and other inappropriate things to get attention). Because of those intense needs and her severe lack of fine motor skills, something had to be done. This is done out of need and not out of super mommyness and since it is part of my history, it needs to be recorded.

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A few weeks after Tess got her glasses, I was praying to know how to help her and improve the many 'school skills' she is lacking--mostly from her inability to be able to see. I had been tossing around preschool ideas in my mind and wondered logistically how I could make them work. I've tried things in the past. All of them failed miserably. But one night in my prayers, thoughts flowed into my mind as to how to make it work and what specifically to work on. When thoughts come pouring into me like that, I know their source and knew I had to utilize them. And if they helped Tessa it would be worth the sacrifice. (Some days it is exactly that, but most days I really enjoy it.) Even the name "Mrs. Mommy's Preschool" came to me in that prayer. Tessa attached herself to it and calls me "Mrs. Mommy" during preschool. (Cracks me up.)

Why don't I just put her in a preschool you ask, especially because of the break it would give me? I've seriously considered it. But when I totaled up how much a year of preschool would cost me I wasn't willing to part with that amount especially when I'm educated to teach. We're tight wads I know. And who better to meet her needs better than her mommy? (This isn't the answer for everyone and I don't fault anyone --teaching degrees or not-- who pay for preschool.)

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The Preschool

We start each session with prayer (because Brigham Young said, (paraphrased) "You shouldn't attempt to teach even the alphabet without calling upon the powers of heaven.") we review our rules and say the pledge. We review letter sounds and sight words and count to 50. And when she remembers, Tessa brings 'Show and Tell'. (100% her idea from the very beginning. I have no idea where she got it from. But she loves it and it is quite entertaining for me!) We also read books, have snacks and play classical music in the background. (Sounds perfect right? In theory yes, but trust me we tweak things daily, go with the flow and deal with moods often.)

I spent $40 in books so I didn't have to make lesson plans. Life saving decision. I bought one book with coloring/cutting/tearing/folding skills and one with instant learning activities. We do one activity from each book a day. The activities we have done range from math, language, and science skills to large motor skills. They are very simple like hiding an object and giving the girls directional clues so they can find it; going out to look at branches on the trees to see beginning buds; setting up kitchen chairs like a train and getting on the first, middle or last car; making snow angels; rhyming games, guessing objects with the overhead projector etc. We play as long as short attention spans allow.

Then we do a cutting/pasting/coloring project. While completing the project I tell them tidbits of information about what we are working on (spiders, penguins, chickens etc.). After we complete the project for the day we post it on the refrigerator. The next day we take them off the fridge and put them in a binder so the girls can recall what we did each day. At first we just labeled what we were coloring, but now I have them dictate a sentence so that as they look through their books they have something to practice 'reading' (mostly for Tessa, but Greta loves it too).

What are the results after three months of preschool? Tessa's ability to attend to something has improved so much! Her ability to complete a project from start to finish is night and day. She can also color in the lines and realizes there are lines to color in! I know that sounds silly, but with her natural impatience and inability to see those were things inconceivable to her. She also can write a few letters and draw a little. She still doesn't color or draw as well as other 4 year olds, but the improvement she's made in 3 months is impressive. Now she also can cut and glue. And when I am consistent, her behavior is largely tempered throughout the day. She still is very impulsive and impatient, but the attention she gets through preschool is gradually helping with that also. In my book those are huge gains and so worth my effort. (I was sick for two weeks a bit ago and didn't do preschool at all, at the end of those two weeks I was ready to list her on ebay--she was back to her mischievous antics and her demands were emotionally draining. Since I've started back with it, I can see how much she really, really needs this.) It's truly been an answer to my prayers and I'm so thankful I have heeded the guidance I received.

Greta's results are not as significant since most of the things we do are not developmentally appropriate for her age, but her coloring has also improved. She can manage a pair of scissors (she still can't cut things out yet though). And she seems to be soaking in all the information she is getting. We see little signs here and there that she is picking things up at a rate much quicker than her ability to tell us about it. And she loves it!

Changes for me: I feel like I'm more on the offensive rather than the defensive with Tess. That is huge! I'm a different kind of tired. I'm more tired physically, but less tired emotionally. I'll take it!! Also, my testimony has been strengthened. Heavenly Father is ever concerned with His children and is willing to direct lives when we ask and are willing to follow that direction. He loves Tessa more than me and is willing to generously give help so I can teach her and train her to use her wonderful talents for good. I'm so thankful!

A few more pictures: