Politics

Not the politics that are in the news right now, this is a mommy blog so I'm talking about mommy politics, more specifically - Preschool Politics. I know that the current followers of this blog have heard more than my 2 cents on the subject, but it is inescapable if you have small children. It's the kind of thing that makes you dread running into some people out at the park because you have to put on a fake smile and be polite even though you've been on opposing sides of some debate or another having to do with the way a school is run.

Here's the good news, preschool doesn't last for very long, relatively speaking. You will be on the PTA at the elementary school in no time dealing with a whole different set of issues. What makes preschool tricky for the moms is that it represents the first steps towards letting go. You no longer have complete control over who influences and plays with your child. Having worked in the office of a preschool with lots of issues, I can tell you that kids are very resilient and fairly unaware of any unrest going on within the school. Parents are the ones who are more easily scarred by what they see. It has taken me several months to get over all of the catty politics that went on last year, but my girls and I actually survived quite well.

What type of tip could I possibly have about all of this? Here's my daily latte about preschools - go with your gut and what is convenient for you. If it doesn't feel like the right place, find a different one. If at all possible, find a place that is close to you house so that your preschooler will meet other neighborhood kids who will go to the same elementary school. I now put my preschoolers in the stroller and walk the 1 1/2 miles to and from their school every day, and it is great. And after I drop them off, I can even go to Starbucks to get My Daily Latte.