Suri Starts School

Suri started preschool a few weeks ago, and our household has finally recovered from the Preschool Plague. It has been a lot in the past few weeks, while I wasn't entirely prepared for the illness that overtook us. Thankfully, I had other things in place to make this transition to school a little easier.

Choosing the School Program

Having a Mother that's an Educator, I am very critical when it comes to Suri's education. Finding a well-rounded program was important - teaching philosophy, religious foundation, and Diversity were essential. 

After a lot of research, we went with a Preschool Cooperative-style program. "A preschool cooperative is run with parent volunteers. There are full-time teachers on staff, but parents volunteer to help out in the classroom and with all aspects of running the preschool, including administrative support, cleanup, and food prep. Because parents are giving their time for free, the preschool can operate with fewer paid staff members and at lower costs than traditional preschools." Due to the Covid, there are currently no parent volunteers, but we'll see if we turn a corner by next year when CJ will also be attending.

Suri's program also has a Christ-focused environment that I felt most comfortable with, an extension of what we are teaching her at home.

 More than anything, I would say that Diversity was the biggest priority for me. Having grown up in a small town during the early 90s, I have so many stories from a young age where I knew and was told that I'm different due to my skin color. That, unfortunately, is a reality for most Black children. Suri needed to have children that looked like her and other cultures and ethnicities that were represented. 

The commute is the only thing that I would complain about, and it's essentially 40 minutes when I leave until I return without traffic each way. The construction would have been completed in a perfect world, and our commute would have been cut in half.

Potty Training

Over the summer, I potty trained Suri, and while the peeing in the potty was easy, going number two was such a struggle. She's potty trained during the day; if we avoid liquids a few hours before bedtime and wake her up to potty, she's able to stay dry until the morning. That is easier said than done; I plan to work on that later this year. It was a S.M.A.R.T. Goal of mine to have her potty trained before starting preschool. I wanted her to communicate when she needed to use the bathroom in a school setting; it was less work for the teachers. They already have enough on their hands. I will say we've had a few accidents on the way to school, and I think that is just nerves. This week alone, I made the mistake of giving her a sugary ice-type drink around her bedtime, and I think she went to the potty like six times that day at school and had two accidents, so I won't ever do that again.

Meal Time 

Suri has a litany of allergies. We did the complete allergy testing earlier this spring, and we have been following a strict protocol based on her allergies.

In Allergic to Everything, I go into detail about Suri's Food Allergies.

 Throughout the summer, it was essential for me to try out quick lunch ideas that Suri would eat and that would still provide nutrition. There are so many brands that she likes. For example, I know that PB&J is a staple for American children. One of the Alternatives that I use this Sunflower Butter, and it is just amazing. We still do most plant-based foods, even though we introduced the children to chicken this summer (always organic and antibiotic-free), which they only like drumsticks. 

I typically ensure a carb, protein, fruit, sometimes a veggie, fat, and something sweet for her lunches.

Lunch Ideas:

- Sunflower Butter and Jelly Sandwich (SB&J), peaches, cucumbers, Vegan Cheese Crackers, Cucumber Slices, and Vegan Muffins

- Vegan Grilled Cheese, Veggie Straws, Green Grapes, and Vegan Chococolate Chip Muffins

- English Muffin Vegan Pizza, Broccoli with Nutritional Yeast, Clementines, and Vegan Muffin

I will do a more in-depth post on this in the future.

School Gear

I've always been a fan of Pottery Barn, especially when I was in college. When I had children, I knew I would get their backpack and lunch box sets from Pottery Barn Kids. I got Suri the Mackenzie Lavender Blooms Backpack in size small. I went back and forth between the small and mini sizes, but my thought was that the small backpack should last a few more years. Then the matching Mackenzie Lavender Blooms Lunch Box with the cold pack. I did forgo getting it monogrammed with her name on it for Safety Issues. I also got the Spencer Stainless Steel Bento Box in Lavender, it's a bit pricey, but my thought again is that it should last long. 

Outfits

So for Suri's outfits for school, it's pretty simple. She's either in a dress which I always have her wear some Cartwheel Shorts because she is still a little girl and plays a little wild. Our other go-to outfits are biker shorts and some graphic T, and she has a pretty lovely sneaker collection; as of late, she insists on wearing her Adidas Superstars every day, and we pair each outfit with some colorful socks. 

Emotional Transition 

On the first day of school, when I dropped Suri off, she was excellent. She didn't even turn around when walking into class, and I asked her for a kiss; when I came back to get her, she was so happy to see me. The second and third days were challenging, she had meltdowns at drop off, and at that point, I just considered withdrawing her entirely. But the teacher did a great job sending photos throughout the day that showed she was adjusting fine. She looks forward to school each day and has had no issues since.

Prepare for Sickness

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, we are just now recovering from the Preschool Plague. Your child will inevitably bring home some sickness when they start preschool. We were warned, but I don't think we were ready. No one in our family was spared from those preschool germs. 

While we are on the mend now, I felt this article about Immune Booting Supplements by Jennifer Anderson was helpful.  

With all things considered and the Pandemic that looms above us, Suri is flourishing at school, and we’re so happy to see her social, emotional, and even expressive language growth.

How was it when your children started preschool? What was the most significant adjustment for your family?

Shoot Details

Photographer - Melissa Ortiz Photography

Makeup and Stylist - Tishele Smith

My Dress - Zara Tied Poplin Dress

Suri’s Outfit - Pink Leotard and Tutu

Location - Private Residence