The return to school brings a mix of emotions with the changing season. The days begin to grow shorter along with our patience for having our kids home all day. And at the same time some of us feel sad to say goodbye to our summer-time companions. Or maybe it’s a mix of both.
Jeff and I have a strange work schedule that often involves night and weekend work, so we knew that a preschool wouldn’t be able to cover all of our childcare needs. However, as Wolf got older, spending time at home with a nanny or babysitter seemed less and less like a good option, at least for everyday. He craved stimulation and play with other children. Yet, I was worried about sending Wolf to school, thinking he was too young, or that I was “copping out” for sending him off when in theory (with our flexible schedule) we could have made it work to keep him at home.
When we started looking at preschools I wanted somewhere that felt like home: cozy, loving, peaceful, and with lots of opportunities for spontaneous play and being outdoors. That’s when we found Alaya Preschool. This small, contemplative preschool housed in an old home on 19th street in Boulder, is full of all the things that I wanted to have in a learning environment; comfortable spaces, spontaneous schedule changes paired with routine and loving adults. Plus it had a lot that I couldn’t offer at home: daily, creative craft projects, playmates, songs and games to transition between activities, birthday and seasonal celebrations rich in community and ceremony and of course an outdoor playground and water feature right outside the door!
After our first day at Alaya, (Wolf didn’t even cry!) I knew we had made a choice that would enrich our whole family’s life. Wolf would have his own community of playmates and learning, Jeff and I could accomplish our administrative duties for our business and maybe take an oo ah ah oo oo ah ah hike together sometime. We haven’t looked back and we can’t wait for school to start again at the end of the month.
For over forty years Alaya has provided quality early childhood education in Boulder, Colorado. They offer a loving environment and three different classrooms with half or full day schedules. Plus 7 weeks of summer camp (hallelujah!). Our little Wolf has blossomed in the care of these fantastic teachers and mentors. Alaya has space for the 2018-19 school year in their two younger classrooms the Snow Lions (where Wolf will be next year at age 4 in November) and the Tigers (starting age 2). Visit Alaya’s website for more information about this fabulous school. Jeff and Paige highly recommend it!
“Alaya teachers delight in the opportunity to nurture and guide children in their becoming:
-Genuine, compassionate and curious;
-Joyful and connected in their relationships;
-Proud of the effort and discipline in their accomplishments;
-Meeting challenges while exercising their minds and bodies.”
