My little girl, Ava, has always been around kids a little older than her. She will be three soon, but is a lot smarter than your average almost-three year old. For the last year and a half, she has been being watched by an in-home care provider while I work or go to school. There are other kids there that vary in age. Most of them are older than she is. She also spends a lot of time with my sister (her aunt) who is six.
What I am trying to convey is that she spends a lot of time with kids that are older and more mature than those that are her age. She has a demeanor that is beyond her years and is amazingly smart. And, I swear I am not just a biased mom. I know this to be true!
Yesterday was her first day at her new school. It only took her a minute or two to warm up and she was "SO excited" to be at her new school. When I went to pick her up, she was happy. She had a big smile on her face and was very excited to see me. It was snack time, so I waited and observed for a while to give her some time before leaving. What I noticed was that the other kids in her class are not at the same level as she is. They didn't have as good of communication skills and a few of them didn't even know how to sit properly at the table and eat their food.
Now, before I get judged- I am by no means saying that there is anything wrong with the other kids. At. All. I am simply describing the situation as I saw it.
The teacher said Ava was pretty quiet that day. Didn't have a lot to say and was just checking it all out. Doesn't sound like my Ava to me, but fine. I can understand that!
Well, driving home all I could think about was if I had made a big mistake taking her out of the setting she was in and putting her into this new setting. Am I hindering her intellectual advancement? I don't know.
Today when I dropped her off, I spoke with the director. They will not (can not?) move her up to the next class until she is 3. In a little over a month. I spoke with her teacher and she tried to assure me that she sees that Ava is very smart and that she will take one on one time with her to keep her challenged.
I'm not sold. My plan is to give this another week or two. See how it goes. I don't want to pull her out so soon, but I also don't want to lose her spot at our old sitter's.
I can't help but worry. I don't know if I am doing the right thing for my child. Then, I think about when she starts school. Is this how it will be from here on out? Because this is a lot of stress!
Have you ever been in a situation like this? I need to hear from other parents who may also have a child that is a little smarter than your average (insert age here). How did they do in school? Did you put them in a special program or do you just let them ride it out? I have so many worries because I want the best for my child, but I know that I don't have the budget right now for the best schools.
Please, leave me a comment! I would love to hear from other parents about this.
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