Today is Kaia Pookie’s last day at her current school. She’s spent 15.5 months at her current school, in three different classrooms. And since her 18-24-month class, the teachers have always told us what a little leader she is. They call her Ms. Kaia because she loves to mimic what the teachers say in terms of instructing kids on what to do, whether it’s for sitting down, being quiet, or going to the potty. She’s “the life of the party,” one of the teachers told me yesterday. “Everyone always knows Kaia because she makes sure that you know who she is!” Apparently, teachers from other classes all know her and look forward to seeing her and her big personality. It’s truly amazing to see how much she’s grown and flourished in her time at this school. She came in as an almost 17-month-old baby, and she’s leaving as a fast-growing and maturing 32-month-old toddler. She’s no longer wearing diapers at school anymore, walking around commando (just shorts, no underwear/diaper)!

For treats for the teachers and kids, we brought mini (dairy and non-dairy) ice cream cones. We also wrote her two teachers thank-you notes. We’ll likely be back for backup care in the future, but overall, we’ve had a good experience at this school and enjoyed the curriculum and structure. Daycare has been a good experience for us, and it’s something I share with all new parents who are hesitant to move their kids from being at home with a nanny/grandparent to school. There’s something magical that happens when kids are altogether. Peer pressure can be good and bad, but I try to see the good (like the nap instilling!!) and be happy about that.