Sometimes It Isn't About Us

Sometimes the answers to dilemmas we face as parents are not always as clear as we want them to be but often times if we lay it all out on the table before making a decision we have a better chance to focus. At the beginning of this school year we were forced to make a difficult choice regarding our 5 year old son that was enrolled in kindergarten. Although we knew before classes started that he would be the only boy among 6 girls in the class we still maintained that he would hold a position in that group. Shortly after the year began it became very apparent that this classroom was not going to be a good fit for him so I started the agonizing process of trying to find out what would be best for Gibby. Note: I did not say what was best for me, because truly and honestly the easiest thing would have been to drop him off each day with the other kids and pick him up at the end of day.

I researched schools online, called some of them and even spent a half day in two different classrooms observing. And although I know my child, I still sought out the opinion of others who knew him and those that have valuable experience in education. I was doing my best to make a switch but I desperately want to make the RIGHT switch. It was a challenge for all of us, but especially for Gibby. We did attempt to make it easier by allowing him some limited and very guided choice in the matter. We encouraged him to choose what we thought would be best for him in the future and not what would be convenient for me right now. And I'm proud of Gibby for giving it a chance to work, to take a leap and trust that mom and dad sometimes know what they are talking about. He is now happily homeschooling the kindergarten curriculum and attending a high-energy preschool classroom in the mornings to meet his socialization needs. It is amazing how a problem can work itself out with the best possible solution if one chooses to seek out the right resources and puts their child ahead of all other worries and comforts.