I never planned to put my two-year-old in private school. A great one just showed up at my doorstep–literally. I was a stay-at-home mom returning to college and, though his grandparents had volunteered to look after him, I was concerned about his limited social skills and exposure to adults other than family and friends. My husband and I immediately thought of daycare–private homes and centres. I weighed the pros and cons of both and decided that home daycare would be best for our son. We visited a few places, but things never quite came together: inconvenient location, no openings when we wanted or a difference in educational values.
I had given up the search and was ready to hand over the reins to my in-laws when a colourful letter came in the mail. A new private school had arrived in the area and we were invited to attend an open house. We booked the one-on-one session out of curiosity. There were no expectations. After all, our son was only 2. He wasn’t ready for organised instruction. I couldn’t hold his attention for more than five minutes at a time.
I fell in love. The director told us about the social studies, chemistry and media literacy classes and while my spouse rolled his eyes, mine grew wider with excitement. Then she said something that every mom loves to hear: “I refuse to place any limits on what your child can learn.” He can do anything!
Six months later, my little guy is a Brightstart Kidz Academy student and every afternoon he greets me with a new phrase, art project or story about his friends and I am confident that private school was the way to go.
Parenting Tips
When advocating for your child, remember that; transportation not only means to and from school, but also in and around the school building, and any specialized equipment required by your child.
Parenting Tips
When advocating for your child, remember that; transportation not only means to and from school, but also in and around the school building, and any specialized equipment required by your child.