Life can be disappointing and at the same time very surprising, and I can prove it! We thought, back in spring, that we would be able to afford to send Kimball to Preschool. It would be in the 60 dollar range, seemingly affordable at the time. Kimball was SUPER excited about school, especially since he would get to go to school with his friend Braxton.
Coming into the fall semester however, it became very apparent that our budget had no breathing room for any extra expenses. We knew that we would have to downsize, and Preschool was one thing to be taken out of the budget. We wanted Kimball to get used to the idea of having a teacher before kindergarten, and also to get adequate social interaction before that time. We decided to pay a one time fee for soccer, giving him social interaction and also the opportunity to learn how to listen to an adult other than mom and dad.
How grateful I was to other moms in our ward who wanted to organize a Joy school. We have 6 moms and 8 kids, and it has been an awesome experience! It is very similar to the Preschool organized last fall by Ashley Krieger, but the lessons are already prepared. Meieli Hales has an account at www.valuesparenting.com, and it is at this web address where all the Joy school lesson materials can be accessed. The moms use her log-in info to access the lessons, songs, and handouts when preparing for Joy School. Each week, one mom is in charge of Joy School at their house, Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 to 12:00. Another mom is assigned as the helper for the week. They come to Joy School to be the extra set of hands that is always needed with that many youngsters.
You know what the biggest surprise was? Brandon AND Kimball get to go to Joy School!! They love going together, and they both feel included. Brandon definitely would have felt left out if Kimball had left for preschool. It is bound to happen next year with Kimball going to Kindergarten, but Zach will be a little older and hopefully a good enough companion for Brandon. Joy school will live on though, I am hooked! I am definitely getting my own membership for valuesparenting.com!!
Above all else though, I get the opportunity to be their teacher. It was really enjoyable this last week to be the mom in charge and have the lessons prepared for Joy School. Not being able to send Kimball to preschool has made me step up as my children's first teacher as well. I spent $20 at The Learning Store in Pocatello on educational materials for the boys (charts with colors, numbers, animals, letters, and shapes). I put them on the wall in my kitchen around our dining table. On the day I put them up Brandon's ABC'S sounded like this "A, B, C. A, B, C...." That night it was "A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Next time won't you sing with me." Now, one week later, he can sing the whole alphabet! Mike and I both work with Kimball on addition and subraction.
$20 has gone a long way, which is why every 2 months I will take $20-$30 dollars to the learning store, or even online, and buy educational materials for my boys. The great thing is that these materials will be handy and in great condition for Zach and all other children that join our family circle!
So where we were met with disappointment in our budget, we are now met with fulfilling activities with friends from our ward and greater purpose in my role as a teacher for my children.
