The Twin’s 1st Year in School with Pediatrics Plus

It’s happening, you guys! The twins will turn 5 at the end of this year and we’ve decided it’s a great time to start preschool this coming August! I’ve had many glorious years at home with them in our pajamas and they are ultra excited to take that new, big step of starting school! I’m always flooded with a TON of questions on Instagram from mamas all around the world who are curious about the school policies in the United States. Here in Texas, kids officially begin public school after they’ve turned 5  years old. Before then, it’s completely optional if you want your kids to have a preschool experience or not. When it comes down to that decision to put your kids in preschool, I honestly believe there’s no right or wrong age. You do what’s best for you and for your sweet little ones! There will always be mothers who feel guilty for working outside (or inside) of the home. There are mothers who feel guilty for not contributing to the family’s income. There are the mamas who feel guilty for sending kids off to school because she’s needing a few extra hours to herself, etc. There are the mamas who feel inadequate to teach everything their child needs to know before starting public school. There’s a lot of guilt and anxiety available to be felt (and I’ve definitely felt negative emotions with most of the scenarios I just described!) and I’ve learned it’s better to smoother it in it’s tracks by just doing what’s best for you and your family and choosing not to indulge in those guilty feelings! Those feelings are a trap! They are not real. And you don’t have to pay attention to that devil on your shoulder. Brush it off, because we’re all doing the best we can. And I believe a healthy and happy mama is the best thing we can offer our children. So, you do you. 

CHOOSING A PRESCHOOL PROGRAM

I knew that I wanted to have the twins go to school a year before they start Kindergarten but draggggggged my feet at actually enrolling them. I looked at many of my friend’s school programs, called a few, and eventually couldn’t take the plunge. None felt right for us at the time. I’m also not a big worrier. I don’t stress about most things in the future which meant I didn’t worry that many preschools had closed their enrollment. I assumed it simply wasn’t the right time since I heavily rely on my mama intuition. In April, the sweetest gal reached out to me to share some details about their new preschool coming to my town in Dallas! The email landed in my junk folder, and 99% of the time I delete without reading. The email shared a few details about Pediatrics Plus, a developmental preschool that provides traditional learning, along with pediatric speech therapy, occupational therapy, and even services for kiddos with autism. This was the full package preschool with overly qualified & highly trained teachers and therapists. It’s basically a dream program that focuses on evidence-based research for how children most effectively learn! It all just felt right and I was excited to learn more. Since the Frisco, Texas location is still under construction I flew out to Arkansas to visit their established location in Little Rock. It was fantastic to get a firsthand view of their beautiful school, the intentionally organized classrooms, the therapy and sensory gyms, etc. The quality of their work was undeniably detailed to the max. But what was most exciting was to meet the owners and see the absolute joy they have in their work. The entire staff seemed to be one big family.

DETAILS

• Pediatrics Plus begins enrolling children in preschool as early as 6 weeks of age
• Incredibly low student to teacher ratios within all of the classrooms
• Children are also given the option to receive therapy during their daily routine
• It’s a year-round program with extended hours available
• Offer specialty Autism classrooms for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Enroll by July 31st and receive 10% off monthly tuition for 1 year!

TWINS

I’m most excited for Ethan & Charlotte to grow and progress so much this next year! In a few weeks, the experienced staff and therapists will provide the twins with a comprehensive evaluation to develop an individualized treatment plan to help them be on the right path this next year! I’m thrilled for Charlotte to work on speaking more clearly and to learn her alphabet + numbers better. (Her big sister knew her alphabet letters & sounds well before she turned 2! It goes to show that children learn different things easier than others.) I’m hopeful for Ethan to enjoy coloring, writing, and to enhance his fine motor skills. I’m excited for both of them to learn how to sit in a classroom with other children and follow directions from someone other than me! While in Arkansas, I visited with a staff member who shared with me that she had been an elementary school teacher for many years before joining the Pediatrics Plus program. She used to decorate her classroom to the MAX. Now working with this new school, she learned that most children become distracted in the classroom with all of the cute, flashy decorations plastered along the walls and ceilings. Instead, only the basic essentials are on the walls and kept at children’s eye level. I SO appreciate these small efforts that create the perfect environment for learning. After watching my husband spend the last 7 years in programs heavily based on research, I have a new appreciation for education that focus’s on new, evidence-based findings instead of what’s stagnant or trendy. We are thrilled for their preschool adventure!

Hand-painted sugar cookie with my brand name. SO crazy beautiful! I spent a while designing the flower when I created this blog last year. My heart leaped out of my chest when I saw this darling cookie! The colors, shading, embossed and embellishments!

{Airport security broke my gorgeous sugar cookie. Seriously the cutest!}