My 3 year old is a budding flower of curiosity. She's a socialite, thrives on evening play with the neighbor kids, and is becoming more skillfully active as the days pass by.
As a single income family (SAHM) with 2 young ones at home, we are a family that does our best to stay on a budget. There is a little more thought and reflection that goes into making decisions because we have only one income to cover all of our expenses (bills and anything fun as well).
Age three seems already to be a significant year. Many children (including mine) are starting preschool. Mother's Day Out, which she did last year, was a great opportunity to have her in a classroom for an extended period of time without me. But now that we're three, it's preschool. Two days a week. School supplies. Meet and greet the teacher. Back to School. Practicing writing letters. Signing class. It's the real deal now.
We've had many people in the last few months ask us if Ava is taking any classes this year - dance, soccer, swimming. "People, she's only three!" is what the voice inside me is shouting, but instead I act as though we're just not sure if she'll take any or not. The truth is, we only have plans for preschool as of now. We have to consider our budget and make choices for how money is spent, and I prioritize preschool over soccer right now.
There's nothing wrong with 3-year-olds taking a ballet class, soccer, or karate. But sometimes I can start to feel as though my child is being deprived in some way because she's not enrolled in something. Maybe I'm holding on to these years that are flying by. While I look forward to the school years, I dread the practices, the homework, the weekend games and tournaments that will consume our lives. I know we are busy now, but I like what we're busy with: taking care of our 1 year old and 3 year old, meeting basic needs, reading books, changing diapers, playing peek-a-boo, holding a little one on my hip while feverishly getting dinner ready, learning how to get dressed, and matching uppercase to lowercase letters.
I figure we have many years ahead of us that will be filled with schedules and social calendars for our children. For now, I'm content to have play dates, preschool, and other fun outings that are not so "class oriented."