The Outdoor Classroom

Behind the preschool's play yard is an acre of land that BAPP owns for nature walks and other outdoor experiences. As a novel pilot program, they are offering an outdoor classroom during the months of October through April. Classes meets for 1.5 hours every Wednesday after the official preschool day ends, and are held exclusively outside in the rain or shine, snow or sleet. (No thunder or lightening!)

Like the rest of the program at BAPP, the outdoor classroom's curriculum is driven largely by the children's interests and explorations each day. I am told they will build dens and other outdoor structures, learn safety, pursue crafts like whittling, and who knows what else! I love that Roscoe will have the opportunity to observe the nuance of each season with a group of his peers.

Roscoe is obsessed with the animal kingdom and is especially fascinated by predator/prey relationships, and the myriad ways that insects and animals are equipped with unique protections and skills.

Roscoe shared this first-day-of-camp discovery with pride and glee

Roscoe and Merritt spend a lot of time outside and their knowledge of the animal world is very impressive and yet, as much as I encourage observation and respect for what we find in nature, I've noticed that neither of them has great empathy for insects or animals. They will smash a bug without a second thought. Destroy a spider's web, kick up an ant hill, or tear up an earthworm.

My hope is that, in addition to all the lovely experiences forest camp will offer to Roscoe in the coming months, the instillation of compassion and protection for the living things that we come across in our adventures out of doors will be a part of his education and growth.

Would you send your little guy or gal to an outdoor classroom?

Preschool Days

Happy faces for the first day of school

We are two weeks into our first official preschool year. Roscoe and Merritt are enrolled at a small private Reggio-Emilia based program just 5 minutes from the rental house we are moving into next month. (Did I mention we are moving?!) 

The BAPP preschool is for children ages 2-5 and runs 9:30am-12:30am, 5 days a week. Merritt is in a class that meets 3 days a week on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. 

Merritt hangs his tote bag on his hook first thing when he enters the classroom

I'm so grateful that we got in, we were on the Wait List for months last year as they only accept a limited number of new students each year because of its small size and because the siblings of current students have preference, and this year there were a lot of rising little brothers and sisters.

Every morning when we arrive the kids wash their hands and the older ones sign in.

I smile when thinking about what his signature will look like by the end of this year.

The teachers document the children's learning throughout the day, and every morning at drop off I look forward to reviewing the latest photos and stories that are hung throughout the classroom. 

I love that the children's curiosity drives the lessons of the day. 

An investigation story

Observations from the two year classroom

A comparison activity

More observations for the little ones

A story about how the kids worked together to build a house. And then destroy it.

I love how compassionate the teachers are. I'm learning a lot just listening and watching for the short periods of time that I am present in the classrooms every day.

Teacher Anne & Roscoe, and Merritt in his classroom

Before school began, I was impressed that the boys' teachers made home visits to meet each student in their familiar space. It is such a warm and thoughtful way to begin their relationship. The older children pick a symbol to represent them at school. Roscoe picked a dragon. 

Outside there is a huge wooded play yard perfect for exploring. Roscoe learned how to pedal a bike on his first day.

It's kind of incredible the amount of time every day that is now devoted to some aspect of school. I'm still figuring out the logistics of drop-off routine and pick-up lines but I can already feel the difference that the schedule makes for all of us. I have little chunks of time every day to break from my mothering role (and to work!), and they have a little home away from home that suits our family so well.

If you're interested in the Reggio-Emilia approach you can learn more about the philosophy here, and thoughts on incorporating the ideas into your home life here.  

How is the back to school transition going for your family?

Another Year at Home

After a lot of thought and some strategy talk, we've decided not to enroll Roscoe in preschool for the upcoming school year.

We learned through our 6 week experience at Waldorf that Roscoe may not be ready to assimilate just yet.  He was in almost constant conflict with one child or another, and while a number of variables were at play (such a small room, and so many momma/toddler pairs--it was a challenge not to come in physical contact with someone at some point; all the kids were so hovered over by their parents that the true kid-kid dynamic was hard to come by; class time fell right in the middle of Roscoe's nap-time; etc.) Roscoe just didn't seem to enjoy it very much.

We looked into some other attractive options in the area but found that by January/February, when we were feeling serious about applying, it was too late for most of the programs.  Open houses had passed, deadlines were looming large or else we had already missed them.  One school had a wait-list that had been started all the way back in October! New to the area we were definitely behind the preschool admissions curve.

I was temporarily devastated that Roscoe would be home all year, and that he would not get to experience some of the amazing opportunities afforded by these great programs. I was also distracted by the fact that his not going to preschool meant that I wouldn't have any breaks built in to the week for myself or for my work.

Subtracting the 6 months of maternity leave that I took when Merritt was born, I've been working at least part-time since Roscoe was 4 months old. I've grown to depend on my scheduled work-time as an opportunity to think non-child related thoughts and to feel like a professional, contributing my brain power to something outside my home and beyond our intimate bubble of family life.

I'll be honest, it's a break for me too, from the unforgiving demands of parenting.

So I had a discussion with our Nanny, who currently cares for the kids on the two days that I work each week, and she agreed to stay with us for at least another year.

Problemo solved.

I'm working through the end of May, and then I will move on from what has become a pretty sweet DC gig to spend two months prepping lesson plans and organizing the business-end of my soon-to-kick-off adventures in birth education. August will be the start of my first class.  I'm a little giddy and slightly nervous.  But I know I will love it and there is no doubt that I am looking to spend more time with the things that I love.

Maybe what I'm about to say next only speaks to my own prejudices, but I struggled for several weeks with the voice in my head that undermines my professional work and my dedication to the kids as their mother.

Spoiled. 
Greedy. 
Selfish. 

To have someone regularly watch the kids so that I can make my need for content, time, and space a priority, especially when I'm not even working, seems indulgent.  That last part, about "not even working" won't be so hard to overcome once I get started with my new venture but for now, the idea of immersing myself in the work of empowering families through birth education sounds like a dream, not a job.

Andy snapped me out of my negative self-talk and stifled my hesitation when he pointed out that, "Just because you're a mother doesn't mean that you have to devote every waking minute of every day to the kids or to me.  You deserve to have time to yourself.  Don't feel bad."

It's true, he's right. I feel supported now and worthy of this decision.

Next Fall we'll be at the ready with front row seats to open house night, our pre-filled applications in-hand. But this year, I'm looking forward to the luxury of following my heart into the birthing community, taking care of myself, and enjoying my boys and the life that we're building here.

Having someone to care for the kids for a few blocks of time every week will afford me the opportunity to work in peace, to have an extra hand, to get out on my own regularly, and to integrate more quality one-on-one time with each of the boys (I'm hoping to add afternoon dates to our routine).  Then, instead of feeling stressed in the evenings, to pack into 2 hours all the things that I didn't get around to doing during the day, I see them being open for Andy and I to reconnect.

As always, a happy momma makes a happy family.