An Excited Mother of a Soon-to-Be Preschooler

this is in response to chelo's question re raf's education

raf is going to school already come june. he is excited already and we are too! i've been making inquiries to several schools since last year but the shortlisted ones are those within the town proper of minglanilla. we're scheduled to visit the one that's inside our subdivision only and i am hoping raf gets into this school (meaning, pass their exam chorva) because of the following reasons:

1. it's near our place. on a good day, raf and the nanny can just walk either to or from the school. if not, we can just hire a pedicab to take them there. paranoid as i am, i don't want to take the risk of having only the yaya accompany raf to school everyday and they have to take at least two jeepney rides or even one taxi ride. besides, i don't want to impose unncecessary stress to my son, having to commute every single schoolday from our kabukiran to the city.

2. it's less expensive. i've discussed this with my mother before. there's no financial issue, we can afford to send him anywhere. and of course, if we're talking about our children's education, every penny is worth it. but then, i am thinking, why should i blow quite a hefty amount of money if there's something relatively cheaper and the training is basically the same? raf is going to nursery school, not med school! hahaha. it kinda pains me to pay almost half of my 13th month bonus when i know that raf would only pull his classmates' hair and run around with the boys. hahahaha.

3. the school has quite a good reputation. and upon inquiry, they only have 12 kids in one classroom and i think, that's small and manageable enough for the teacher. hell, we were 45 rowdy kids in one classroom before and we all graduated and landed cool jobs. hahaha. i've been telling ppip that although the school and its educational system has a big part in molding the children, 75% of the child's success is mainly: good genes and excellent upbringing. so kung bright, bright gyd. i attended this inato-higher-than-a-day-care-standard school for my nursery and kindergarten education. we were only 15, and before our recess, our teacher would spread this large banig and make us go to sleep while she prepared our snacks on group tables. our teacher was firm but very sweet, and we had extravagant and fun themed christmas parties. i was once ms spain, then that famed old woman who lived in a shoe, then at one point, a christmas alphabet. hahaha. i enjoyed those formative years so much. i'm hoping raf and andi would have that much fun in school too.

raf is bisdak as bisdak can get but he's quite fluent in ilonggo as well. he knows several english words and uses them sometimes when we converse. we do the usual alphabet and number drill before going to sleep but i keep telling him, "sunod na pd na raf, kay basin wala nay itudlo imong teacher nimo when you go to school." hahaha. i know, i know, i am not your outstanding mother awardee.

we might visit the school within the next week. it's amazing, isn't it, how time flies so fast. pretty soon, i'll have a pre-schooler. as much as it is exciting, it's also anxiety-inducing. my raf is growing up so fast!