This year, we struggled a lot when we were trying to decide on whether or not the kids should go to school. While we were back in the US, Evan had attended 6 months of pre-school prior to our move to Spain, which was a really positive experience for him. So when we arrived in Spain, we had enrolled him in a local international nursery school right away. He loved it there, and stayed from March right after we arrived until the school year wrapped up in July. But when the time came last September to re-enroll, it just seemed like a colossal waste of money. He and Mia were into the same kinds of activities at that point, we were surrounded by parks, playgrounds, and kid focused play centers, and I was home anyway. We opted to keep him home, divert the tuition cost towards travel, and dive head first into this stay-at-home mom thing. (A bit like diving head first into a 6 inch pool of freezing water.)
This year we knew we had to do something. With a baby due any day now, and the kids growing up, it seemed clear they were in need of something a little more socially exciting and structured than what my tired pregnant self could offer. As much as I'd like to be that energetic, super creative, hands-on kind of mom, there are plenty of days when it is all I can do to put out some coloring books and crayons and hope for the best...hoping to avoid having to referee any screaming fights that inevitably start to surface after the two of them have been spending 24/7 together for months on end. Honestly, these poor kids literally eat, sleep, play, and shower together. Lately, I could tell they needed to be around other kids, and I needed some quiet time to be able to focus on this new little person in our lives without complete chaos ensuing.
The question was, where to go?
Here in Barcelona, the free public school system starts at age three, so technically both kids were eligible this year to attend public school. In speaking with a lot of local international families (not from the US), this is the route they take. For good reason -- it's free! Plus, the kids are immersed in the language and culture at an age that is ripe for learning. Why wouldn't you go, right? Well, we tossed this idea around many times, wondering if that was the right call...but, ultimately, it just seemed too extreme for me. Coming from the US, where pre-school is usually two or three mornings per week and just for a couple of hours, this option seemed overwhelming. Public school is five FULL days per week, from 8-4, with huge classes and completely in Catalan (a different language than Spanish). For Mia, who has been home with me from birth, it seemed extreme to toss her into that kind of environment right off the bat...especially with a new sibling due to arrive the same month, and a move scheduled back to the US in February. I know kids are resilient, and can adapt, but I also know there comes a point when you have to take it down a notch. Even for Evan, it just seemed to be a bit much. I know the best way to get your kids to become bi-lingual is to put them in the native schools, and as terrible as it might be to say this, if the schools were in Spanish I would have considered it--learning Spanish has much more relevance once we move back home than Catalan does. But it just seemed a bit pointless to me to put them through that kind of transition so early in their lives, only to be transitioning once again come springtime. My mommy radar just said, no.
So we opted to stick with the same local international nursery school we sent Evan to when we first arrived. The school is three blocks from our house, and they offer four different language groups: English, German, Catalan, and Spanish, all broken into smaller groups by age. The days are short, ending right after lunch, and the school is a wonderful mix of kids from all over the world, Ultimately, the environment is still pretty diverse and offers opportunities for new language and culture. There were a surprising number of local families from Barcelona that opt to send their kids to this school for the same reasons...less "institutional", shorter days, more free play and creativity than what the public schools offered. We love it there. Evan loved it there. And we are hopeful Mia will love it there too. The best part? Chris walks the kids to school in the morning, then continues on walking another 3 blocks to work. Amazing.
This morning, I just stared at the kids running around excited for their first day, sort of speechless. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited too...I badly needed some structure to our days and weeks, and these quiet mornings to gather my wits and prepare for the new baby. But I just felt sort of shocked this day had actually come. Mia is going to be three in one month. Three. She was barely talking and walking when we first got here, still riding on my back in her little baby carrier, and here she is running around in her long pigtails and with her own backpack reminding me to pack her "first day of school snack". I anticipate some sadness and a little more clingy-ness on the back end of this week, once she realizes what it all really means. But it felt good to see her to eager and excited for this new experience from the start. And Evan...now 4.5, was quietly aware this was his first day. He took it in stride and sort of dutifully get ready for the day. A little less excited than Mia, I think he understands more so what it means to be "in school". He has a little of mama's shyness, and it takes him longer to open up and get into the groove, but once he's off and running, it's amazing to see. I'm so proud of both of them, and honestly, proud of myself for making it through this past year as our own little tribe of three, exploring and experiencing Barcelona together. It made today feel good. We were all ready for it, and excited for this next phase of life. New schools, new siblings, new routines, new experiences.
Oh, and taking a shower this morning in silence without someone banging on the door, asking me for something, or screaming bloody murder...Kind of amazing.
