[blparent] Preschools

[Jo Elizabeth Pinto]

Hi Tara. I sent my daughter to preschool when she was three and a half, mostly for the socialization aspect of the experience. I thought it was about time she started interacting with other kids her own age, and to tell the truth, I was ready for a bit of time to myself. The first year I sent her two mornings a week, and then the next summer I had her go on some day trips to local places like the aquarium and such. The second year I sent her for some longer hours; I can't remember exactly what they were now.

Anyway, I chose a free-standing child care facility that had a lunch program, playground equipment, and state accreditation over one that was part of a church. I just felt more comfortable with that, personally. I paid a bit more for those perks, and I did find out that most programs that were part of churches had to have at least some basic accreditation standards, but not as many.

Sending my baby off to preschool was a little hard the first day, but she was excited to go. In fact, going to preschool was what finally motivated her to potty train, so it was a big deal when her dad and I finally took her to her first day of class. I had tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat as I led her into her big girl classroom, but she let go of my hand as if it were  a hot potato and strolled off toward the kids and toys like she owned the joint. It was awesome! Her dad said she barely looked back as we left, and when he went to bring her home to me, she wasn't exactly eager to leave.

The staff wasn't particularly concerned about my blindness. The head of the facility gave me a tour of the school, including her office and the playgrounds, and when my daughter changed classrooms, I was shown where her new room was. I told the head woman that I would need communication by e-mail or phone, and she was wonderful about that, although the classroom teachers weren't always so helpful. There were a few minor issues over the years, and the head of the school always followed through with e-mails. I wish my daughter's current school would do half as well with that.


Jo Elizabeth Pinto

"The Bright Side of Darkness"
Is my award-winning novel,
Available in Kindle, audio, and paperback formats.
http://www.amazon.com/author/jepinto

-----Original Message-----
From: BlParent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tara Briggs via BlParent
Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2017 12:46 PM
To: blparent at nfbnet.org
Cc: Tara Briggs <thflute at gmail.com>
Subject: [blparent] Preschools

Hi all! I have started looking into getting my three-year-old daughter into a preschool. I just think she is ready and would really enjoy the experience! I would love to hear any of your stories. What was sending your child to preschool like for you? What means did you used to get them to the preschool? How did you address your blindness with the staff? Did you use any particular alternative techniques or accommodations? I look forward to any responses.
Tara

Sent from my iPhone
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