Acceptance Letters 101

Here it is...the first of my to-blog list!

Due to some recent decisions that will significantly change our family's lifestyle, Luke and I have been diligently searching for a pre-school for Jack for the 2008-2009 school year. Our first thoughts of course were the pre-school at our church. Being the good (read lazy) mom that I am, I polled members of our Adult Bible Fellowship in regards to the the CEC. After receiving mixed reviews on everything from the academic standards to the amount of chapel attended each week, I found myself in the pre-school trap. I was certain that if I didn't find the EXACT perfect pre-school certain doom would befall. After a week of researching and pulling my hair out in angst I came to the realization that it really doesn't matter. The pre-school I send Jack to has no bearing in any form on the university he will attend or the career he will have. It is just pre-school -- a chance for his three year old (when school starts that is) self to run around, make some friends, color some pictures and learn some songs.

But this recent search opened my eyes to an entire world I assumed I was miles away from...the crazy land of pre-school competition. I called one school to find that there was a waiting list several students long...already...and registration hadn't even been opened officially. Other moms I know were visiting pre-school after pre-school in hopes of finding the program that offered the most Bible exposure, the most creative yet rigorous academics, the nicest looking facility, the most options (ballet and tae-kwon-do to name a few). They were and are genuinely concerned that their children will somehow be behind in life if the perfect pre-school isn't found. The entire process is preposterous. And that is when I noticed the correlation -- between these parents and the students I teach now. My students are so concerned with each grade and every extra-curricular all in hopes of earning a spot in the most prestigious university; most of these students are so focused on prestige they haven't stopped to consider whether the university of choice is the best fit for them -- just like these other moms.

So here is the conclusion to which I have arrived. Jack will attend CEC -- we hope that he will learn a few things he didn't know before, he will gain a greater sense of the God to whom he belongs, he will make friends that may last a school year or a lifetime but most of all we hope that he will have fun. After all, isn't that what being three is all about?