Preschool Pride

Of all the memories from my early childhood, my time in preschool stands out most prominently. Lucky for me, I had a mother who had done her homework to find a school that focused on extensive creativity and socialization, and as a result, my preschool experience was truly magical. Since becoming a mother I have ardently desired to find a preschool experience that focused on preserving the creative beauty of childhood in the same way. Unfortunately, I have observed that in our increasingly competitive world, preschools are focused more and more on early reading rather than on real childhood development. Thankfully at the end of this past summer, I found a Waldorf-based preschool 20 minutes south of me, the distance for which I was willing to drive if that could ensure a good experience for Coco. 

With this in mind, I was hopeful that Coco's experience here would be positive, despite the fact that Asia has the reputation for being exclusively results-oriented with their schooling. In all actuality, the older kids' school involvement so far has been incredibly nurturing, and doesn't fit the stereotype at all. Therefore, I was disappointed when their same school did not have room in their kindergarten/preschool for Coco, especially considering it is only a two minute walk from where we live. 

Happily, Coco already has a number of fans. Four years ago a family from here came to visit Li-ling for a full month. At this point Coco was only a baby, and every time we came to have Chinese lessons with Li-ling, the father and daughters of this family fawned over her constantly, and mourned when they had to say to goodbye to her. Hearing that we were coming to stay in Taiwan for a couple months, they were eager to have Coco attend their own prestigious and bilingual preschool. Unfortunately, their school was too far away (in a neighboring town), which wouldn't work for what we need. So, they didn't give up there. Instead, they arranged (through their own powerful connections) for Coco to attend the most well-respected (and very hard to get into) preschool in YuanLin. Once again, this required a lot of classic Chinese diplomacy, the players thus involved are pictured at the school below:

One of the trickiest part of this arrangement was to ensure a way to get Coco to school every day. Her class runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and is about 45 minutes walking distance from the older kids' school. Because Li-ling's family here doesn't have a car at their disposal (typical for most Taiwanese families), nor a scooter (not typical of most families here), my only option was a bike . . . Now, unlike most of the families here, the idea of just strapping my four-year-old to the back of my seat with a rope was not savory to me. So, Li-ling's mother Ama took me to the local used bike shop and we figured out something that would work. Here is the result of our labors:

Coco absolutely adores this! Every morning we wake up and brave the erratic traffic to take her to school. She loves having a front row seat as we ride through the morning market, filled to the brim with with fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats, and eventually breezing past the local park which is filled with over a hundred old men all gambling at traditional games. It's a happy time for us, one which I love, and I laugh at the irony that I've now cut her preschool commute time in half. 

Once we finally arrive, this is the scene awaiting Coco. (You'll notice her little blonde head down in the right hand corner):

All these cute little kids (Chinese kids have always melted me) call Coco by name and tell her good morning. Her teachers, Hong Laoshi and Luo Laoshi, meanwhile are both fastidious and nurturing, exposing the kids to all sorts of wonderful experiences. 

Recently they've been doing a unit on flowers and trees, (the kids will attend a field trip next week to visit the local arboretum), and they did group art projects with leaves they collected from outside: 

One of the most interesting differences here with schools is the fact all through grade school the kids nap during the day. Their lunch break is usually an hour and half (or more), and the majority of this is spent resting. For anyone who knows what a nap nazi I am, I really appreciate this aspect. For Coco's preschool we were required to bring a blanket and pillow for her to use every day.

One of the other idiosyncrasies with schools is how they feed the kids. Hot lunch is definitely provided, although the kids must bring their own bowls, spoons, and chopsticks, and then take them home and wash them at the end of every day. They're also expected to bring a toothbrush in order to brush their teeth afterward. In Coco's case, since she has such a long day, she is fed three different times, (including snacks, etc.). The bowls and matching spoons the school provides (for a fee, of course) are pictured here below:

Aren't they cute!? I tell you, everything about her little school is adorable, and Coco is incredibly happy to be there--even with the language difference. For me, each time I drop her off I can't help myself from lingering, longing to go back to the my golden days of preschool--only this time in Chinese. :)