Wishing all Pre-K/K applicants luck

[Anonymous]

These posts today about how you know your file is complete and other topics reminded me that it was just one short year ago that I was caught up in all of this.

When March came, we ended up getting accepted at the school that was the best fit for our DC. It was high on my list but not #1 for a variety of reasons that are stupid in hindsight now. DC is deliriously happy at the new school.

I just wanted to wish everybody lots of luck and happiness with your new schools next year. Sometimes this process gives you what you need instead of what you most want, and that's probably good. It has been for our family at least.

[Anonymous]

Thanks OP. Seven weeks to go. Kind of tired of the wait. What school does your DC attend, and what do you especially like about it?

[Anonymous]

Thanks OP...any advice of how to stop thinking about are our WPPSI's good enough, how did the playdate go, etc? It's driving me nuts and we still have weeks to go : )

[Anonymous]

OP here.

In turns of how to stop thinking about it, I view it kind of like I did my wedding (I didn't have a wedding planner) - when the day came, I knew I had done everything I possibly could,so all I could do was hope that people had fun and know I tried my best. But, it took me several weeks before I got to that place with this. I think I finally made peace with it about 2 weeks before the letters came. One word of advice - try NOT to check DCUM in early March. People will start speculating about when the letters will come, and that just freaks you out again even if you had finally gotten to a good place. And try not to talk to anybody about it, either! Even when I was good about not checking DCUMs, a colleague down the hall from me at work kept telling me things I didn't want to know.

As for our school, it's Norwood. There are a lot of reasons it is the perfect fit for our DC, but the biggest one for me is that our child is deliriously happy there. Seriously. Yes, if you live in DC as we do, and work downtown, the reverse commute out there and then heading downtown in full on rush hour sucks (which is why it was not #1 on our list). In the scheme of things, DH and I switch off so no one is stuck with it full time and the nanny picks DC up in the afternoons so no skin off my nose there, so it is really not that big of a deal. Everyone I have had a frank conversation with about this (mostly families from our former preschool) has had the same epiphany. And the kids in that little group of folks are, without exception, really happy and learning a ton. Maybe these admissions folks really do know what they are doing when they pick these kids. Our school may not be the right fit for your child, though, so I hope no one reads this as me saying it would be best for everybody.

Again, good luck to you all and best wishes (and many calming thoughts are being sent your way).