A Mother's Day Out

I remember when Haley was born thinking about how absurd it was to put children in a "Mother's Day Out" program.  I mean after all, I wanted to be a stay at home mom to be WITH my children, so why pay money to drop them off somewhere.  Then Bekah was born 19 months later.  It was not easily juggling a toddler and a newborn.  My next door neighbor sent her daughter to Mother's Day Out at a nearby church, so I decided to check it out myself.

Mrs. Judy's 2 Year Old Class

What I found was an excellent program directed by Karen Davis.  It was solid in doctrine and the ladies there were so loving and kind.  Haley was 2 when we enrolled her for the first time.  Her teacher, "Mrs. Judy" Grenley came for a home visit a few weeks before school started.  She got to know Haley in her own environment before coming to "school" the first day.  When I did take her to "school" she learned stories from the Bible, active songs that taught Bible truths, and how to sleep on a rest mat.  She got to go to the playground or play in the gym on a rainy day.  She loved "Bo and the Puppet Show" put on by Tammy Patterson.  Not only was she making friends for the first time, some of the lasting friendships I hold today started from other parents in that class.

Mrs. Susan's 3 Year Old Class

Haley then moved on to "Mrs. Susan" Campbell's 3 year old class the following fall.  She was introduced to The Donut Man, letters and sounds, and began to take field trips to the pumpkin patch and sheep farm.  While many of the same children were in her 2 year old class, she made new friends as well.  Bible stories were taught weekly and they started memorizing verses.

Mrs. Lena's 4 Year Old Class

As a 4 year old, Haley was under the instruction of "Mrs. Lena" Boyd.  She learned her "ABC's" - a verse for each letter of the alphabet complete with sign language, put on a Christmas show, took more field trips, and enjoyed Thanksgiving feasts and Valentine Tea Parties.  When she came to graduation, she was well prepared for Kindergarten.

Preschool Graduation

Graduation Day

It's hard to believe I said "never."  Involving Haley in this fine program not only exposed her to many rich and wonderful experiences, but gave me the chance to get the grocery shopping done and house picked up so I felt like a refreshed Mommy who could better serve her.  Her teachers, who were also experienced moms, encouraged me through the preschool years to teach Haley in the way she should go.