Preschool - Week One

Well, our first week of preschool is over.  I wanted to make sure I got this in writing, because I seriously hope my feelings change over time. 

Basically, I hate preschool.  Hate it.  I can't stand it.

To be clear, the directors are awesome.  The parents (most of them) are great and I've made some new mom friends already.  But, I hate the whole preschool experience.  The noise, the mess, the sheer chaos of 24 three-year-olds running around all morning is driving me crazy.  At any given time, someone is peeing on themselves, someone is being bitten, some little girl is giving attitude, some little boy is being obnoxious.  And lunchtime always seems to be hours away.  Ugh.

I must be the only one who feels this way, which is why I don't dare share it with any other parents.  Maybe it's just that I can't stand three-year-olds and their constant schizophrenic "I'll do it myself"/"Why can't you do this for me" drama.  I don't have the patience.

I had to do cooking this week, and I made fruit and cheese kabobs for the kids, with a banana slicing station and a melon balling station, so they could get their hands-on fix. I was up past midnight the night before, chopping everything up.  Sure enough, some kid comes up to the dish of chopped cheese and sneezes all over it.  Son of a.  The good news is that the kids really seemed to like my snack.  Nobody threw any food away.

After school, the teacher gathered all the parent volunteers from that day together and we had "talk time," which is our 15 minute chance to discuss anything that happened during the day or that we are concerned about.  I was still washing dishes while the meeting started, and I was getting ready to mop the floor when O called me to the bathroom.  I go in expecting to help her wipe or congratulate her for doing it all herself, only I discover that the entire bathroom stall floor is wet from her accident.  She's soaked her pants and down into her shoes.  Which reminds me, the shoes are still in a plastic bag.  How long can urine-soaked shoes last before they should just be chucked?  Good grief.

I'm so upset with her but I don't dare say anything, lest another parent overhear and call me out for not being the perfect parent I'm supposed to be.  Lots of pressure and performance anxiety in preschool  For the kids, too, I guess.  Everybody's watching everybody else.

 Oh, I hope this gets better.