In a few short weeks, the Little Lady will have her fifth birthday.
F-I-V-E.
Give me a moment — I need to let that sink in.
This morning, I sent her off with her Daddy for her final day of school. For most five year olds, this would be the last day of preschool. But not so for our daughter.
We have decided she needs one more year . . . she is just not ready.
As much as I tell myself, “we are doing this for her,” I still feel guilty, wondering if it is really the best decision. Wondering if she will resent us for “holding her back.” Wondering if she will doubt her own abilities later for knowing we didn’t move her forward.
Mommy guilt.
It never leaves us, even in moments like this when we are trying to do what is best for our children.
The plain honest truth is she needs more time to mature, to strengthen her ability to focus, and she needs just a bit more time to get ready academically. The Little Lady is a lover of song and dance … letters and numbers just don’t interest her. Who needs to count when you have ballet moves to invent?
One more year of kindergarten prep. That’s what we’re choosing. One more year of a smaller class size. One more year of one-on-one teacher time. One more year to grow.
Hopefully … she’ll see it that way too when she’s older. She’ll understand my best intentions.
