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Krista: This is Secret Mom Hacks episode number 19. My name is Krista and I am your host. It's June 14th, 2023, and I have mixed feelings when I report I officially have a pre-K graduate on my hands. May is always a busy month with a school year coming to an end, and this was our family's first educational milestone to celebrate with our daughter.

Now, we bounced around a few different daycares for various reasons when she was an infant, but when I discovered Primrose schools, I knew it was the place for us. So in today's episode, I'm going to reflect back on the last few years worth of my daughter's learning the magical worlds of preschool and pre-K and why Primrose was the perfect solution for our needs. So wherever you are in your educational journey with your child, I hope today's episode either brings back fond memories of your little learner, or helps to illustrate what's ahead for your sweet baby. But before I get to all that, I just wanna say thanks for tuning in, mama.

I started this podcast because babies don't come with instructions, and as of this recording, I am chasing around an almost five year old that no amount of Googling was able to prepare me for. There's a lot of stuff people don't talk about when it comes to pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy and postpartum, and as someone who was previously terrified of childbirth parenthood and all that follows. I'm here to help you pull back the curtain on all of it. And every now and then it may get a little messy. We may share a little TMI, but that's why you're here, right? My goal is you'll leave every episode feeling refreshed, inspired, and hopeful, knowing you're not on this mom journey alone.

Now, there's a lot of subject matter to cover when it comes to mom life, and we are covering it all. So let's explore the exciting and curious world of preschool. Pre-K is a magical time filled with wonder, curiosity, and endless possibilities. And messes, but that's okay. It's a stage where young minds embark on this journey of discovery, soaking up knowledge like little sponges.

So what exactly do children learn and how do they blossom during this phase? We'll buckle up because we are about to find out. So pre-K kids are language marvels. They dive headfirst into the vast ocean of language.

They learn to express themselves, expanding their vocabulary and gaining the ability to communicate their thoughts and feelings effectively. From storytelling to singing catchy rhymes, their language skills blossom before your eyes.

From birth, I have talked and read to my daughter long before she could utter any words we were reading. Goodnight Moon, the Hungry Caterpillar, and more. And now she is such a reader and loves to sing and ask questions. It's been especially exciting these past few years when she comes home from school and is using words like habitat and chrysalis words.

I don't think I learned until much later in elementary school. Pre-K kids also become number crunchers. Counting, sorting, doing basic math. Pre-K introduces children to the exciting world of numbers. They start recognizing and understanding numerical concepts, paving the way for a strong foundation in math.

I have been astounded by my daughter's growing number, crunching abilities, and especially her desire to sort. Everything from her bears to her dinosaurs, to her goldfish and her fruit. Pre-K is also all about nurturing curiosity. Children become explorers, questioning everything around them, eager to unravel the mysteries of the world.

They're like little scientists observing, experimenting, and developing critical thinking skills that will serve them for a lifetime. The but why Mommy game is very much alive and well at this stage. Also in Pre-K creativity is unleashed from finger painting masterpieces to constructing magnificent structures with blocks.

Their imagination has no boundaries. I've watched in awe as my daughter creates innovates and brings her vibrant ideas to life. Whether she's using a xylophone to teach her class, aka her stuffed animals, a song. Or taking a cardboard box that hasn't quite made it to the trash can yet, and putting it on her arm to use as a fish fin.

Her whimsical imagination has flourished over the last few years. Another way my daughter has spread her wings in pre-K is socially she has become a social butterfly. She's learned the art of sharing, taking turns, and collaborating with her peers and okay, we're still working on that sharing part, but it's getting better.

Friendships have bloomed and she's developing crucial social skills such as empathy, kindness, and conflict resolution, and it's such a joy to watch these sweet social interactions unfold. In Pre-K kiddos become motor skills. Magicians. These critical years are key for refining those fine and gross motor skills from holding a pencil with precision to hopping, skipping, and jumping with grace.

Their physical abilities take incredible leaps and I've been amazed as my daughter masters tasks that once seemed daunting to her. And lastly, pre-K has set the stage to help my daughter become mis independent. In pre-K kiddos, learned to clean up and perform everyday tasks with minimal assistance.

I've watched my daughter's confidence soar as she's taken small steps towards self-sufficiency. So whether you're a parent like me, a teacher, or simply someone who appreciates the beauty of childhood development, take a moment to just breathe in and cherish these precious memories and moments.

Nurture their curiosity, celebrate their achievements, and embrace the joy of watching them grow. Now that we've covered some of the core learning components leading up to pre-K graduation, let's delve into the world of primrose schools. As I mentioned at the top of this episode, Primrose is not where we started our preschool journey.

We tried two other preschools beforehand and we left those daycares for various reasons. I won't get into here, but when I discovered Primrose and met the director of the local franchise, I knew it was the place for us. I truly felt like I was partnering with this school versus being told what to do. So if you or someone you know is looking for an award-winning early educational program, look no further than Primrose schools.

So I'm going to share a handful of reasons why our family can't recommend them enough. First is educational excellence. Primrose schools have a stellar reputation for providing top-notch education. They have this philosophy called the balanced learning philosophy to ensure every child receives a well-rounded education that fosters a love for learning.

So what does that mean? Will? It means a few things. First is academics in play. At primroses Learning is a harmonious blend of academics and play. They understand the importance of both structured instruction and unstructured playtime in a child's development. By seamlessly integrating these two elements, Primrose schools create an environment where children can explore, discover, and learn through hands-on experiences.

Next is individualized instruction. We all know every child is unique with their own set of strengths, interests, and learning styles. And Primrose recognizes this and tailors their instruction to meet the individual needs of each child. Whether a child thrives in language arts, math, or creative expression, primroses ensures that their educational journey is personalized and meaningful.

Next is social emotional skills. Primroses understands the significance of social emotional development in young children. They provide a supportive environment that encourages children to build relationships, express emotions, and develop essential social skills by promoting empathy, effective communication, and conflict resolution.

Primroses empowers children to navigate the complexities of social interactions with confidence.

Next is their STEAM integration, science, technology, engineering, arts and math. Education. STEAM for short is a cornerstone of Primrose school's curriculum. They believe in cultivating children's natural curiosity and problem solving abilities through hands-on steam experiences, from exploring nature to engaging in creative arts and experimenting with basic engineering principles.

Kids are immersed in a world of discovery and critical thinking. Next, it means language and literacy. Primrose places a strong emphasis on language and literacy development through storytelling, reading activities and language rich environments. Children are encouraged to explore the magic of words and develop strong communication skills.

They learn to express themselves, listen attentively, and develop a love for reading that will accompany them throughout their lives. So, for example, at some point this past school year, The local library, their book Mobile came to our local primrose schools and my daughter was able to get her library card, so that was awesome.

I have my library card. I've been meaning to take my daughter up to the library to get hers, and we just hadn't made time to do that. But thanks to Primrose, my daughter was able to get her library card through there and she's been able to check out books when the local library's book Mobile comes to visit Primrose.

So that has been awesome. And lastly, balanced learning philosophy also means health and fitness. Primrose recognizes the importance of a healthy mind and body. They incorporate health and fitness activities into their daily routines, promoting physical wellbeing and instilling healthy habits from an early age, whether it's engaging in outdoor play, out on the playground, or learning about nutritious food choices.

Kiddos at Primrose develop a holistic understanding of the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle, and it's been awesome. They've partnered with the local soccer shots program, and so my daughter for the last year or so has been able to participate in soccer at Primrose. Thanks to that partnership, I haven't had to take her.

Anywhere else. Additionally, in order to participate in soccer, she's been able to do that once a week at Primroses, which has been so fun. Another reason we love Primrose is their passionate teachers. So at Primroses, teachers are not just educators. They're passionate mentors who truly care. About kiddos development, they create an awesome nurturing environment where children feel valued, supported, and inspired to reach their full potential.

We know our daughter's teachers by name, and they're so good about relaying helpful information about what's happened throughout my daughter's day. Okay. Another reason we love them is because of safety protocols. So as parents, our children's safety is of course paramount and primrose schools understand that they have rigorous safety protocols, ensuring our little ones are in a secure environment where they can grow and thrive.

Now, this is a huge win for me. Because there was a situation with a previous school where I was getting incident report after incident report nearly every day for about four or five days in a row. And when I inquired with the director, they were less than friendly. In fact, that was the first time I was ever mom shamed.

And this particular school who shall remain nameless, was putting the blame on my nine month old daughter for falling over and hitting her head. Versus taking a responsibility that their teachers were not taking proper precaution to help prevent her from hitting her head while she was learning to sit up.

So when we moved over to Primrose, those issues vanished. Okay. Another reason we love Primrose is because of parental involvement. Primroses believes in the power of a strong parent-teacher partnership. They actively involve parents in their child's learning journey, providing regular updates, open communication channels, and opportunities for parental engagement.

In fact, I don't know if this happens at every primroses, but through our local Primroses, they have an app where I can see. What lessons and what topics they're teaching in the classroom that day. I can see what she had for lunch or snack or whatever, and every now and then they even snap a photo throughout the day, which is awesome as I'm working or doing whatever I may be doing in a given day, seeing a photo of her sweet little face, building something or making art or having fun out on the playground that just.

Absolutely makes my day. So I love that Primrose offers that and that they're very engaged with their parents.

And finally I could go on about so many of the different reasons why we love Primrose. But the last one I'm going to share with you is character development. So they prioritize character development alongside academics. I love this. They focus on instilling core values such as kindness, empathy, respect, and responsibility.

Helping kiddos become not just academically successful, but also compassionate individuals. My favorite way they do this is using Primroses friends, which are 12 engaging, cuddly classroom puppets that teachers use with role play music and hands-on activities to help foster compassion, creativity, gratitude, and honesty In children, and this is something I have heard about so much from my daughter, she loves the Primroses friends.

There's a lamb, there's a rooster. They all have different names. There's a cow. They all have different names and. Different things that are associated with the different friends, such as respect and sharing and and so on. And I think a lot of them actually have songs that go along with them because my daughter, I know she has sang about Molly the Cow and it's very sweet.

Oh yes, Molly the cow, her motto, or a line from this song is to be kind to yourself and utters. U D D E R s be kind to yourself and utters from Molly the cow. Is that not the sweetest? So I really can't say enough good things about Primrose. My daughter has been in two different ones locally, and the only reason for that is because we moved a few years ago.

That was a time in our life. When a lot was going on with our family, so I really appreciated that. Primrose was like a north star for us. When we were exploring new areas for homes, one of the prerequisites was that there had to be a primroses nearby, and we were lucky that the community we moved to has.

Two Primroses locations and the one closest to us was able to get us in within just a week or two of moving. And I loved that the curriculum was familiar to my daughter, and even the building looked similar to the previous primroses in our prior neighborhood.

I was also thrilled that the staff was equally as amazing. Now our time has ended there. Our time has come to an end at Primrose with my daughter's pre-K graduation a few weeks back. But we will definitely look back with fond memories and friendships that we plan to carry on for many years to come.

Well, that brings us to the end of this episode of Secret Mom Hacks. Before we wrap, I do want to just share that gentle reminder of self-care. Take that great big drink of water. Go on that short walk or get in that 30 minute cardio burst or kettlebell activity. Whatever it is you can, that you can do for yourself, do it.

Make sure that you can take care of yourself so that you can take care of those you love.

I hope you found today's episode helpful or at least interesting and really appreciate you spending some time with me today. If you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe if you haven't already. Give me a five star rating and leave a review sharing your favorite takeaway so far. Make sure you stop by secret mom hacks.com where you can find transcripts, resources, and more.

Stay tuned for next week's episode, and until then you've got this mama.

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