Sugar and school... Why they don't match up in my dictionary!

I was delaying this post for a while though I had it in my mind that I would write about it. This posts comes as an answer to the question, almost everybody a( which includes old and new friends, acquaintances and complete strangers too!) ask me, " u do not send sugar to school?" then they don't stop at that. all my well-Wishers then invariably ask, "why?" some go beyond and give me A counter," but u started chinipie by this time!" few go further and say," see! That how a second child is always biased!" and a couple of them crossed all boundaries and added," is it because u feel something might happen to her again coz she was so critically ill and had to be hospitalized?"

I am not being a critic here and do appreciate all the well-meaning concerns. But, now that chinipie has restarted her school, I had to speak my mind. So, before you ask me again, "No. Sugar doesn't go to school." "I love both my galz. Both of them are such sweet hearts!" "She is far beyond her critically ill phase and is a perfectly healthy baby now and I do not worry about that a bit!" and "Yes! I did start chinipie when she was two!"

Why the discrimination? Read on...

First of all, I feel two is a very early age to start school. Two and a half would be the most apt, as per me. That too, probably just 2-3 hours at the max. Not a full day( unless, of course, you are working. So, all my working mom and dad friends, chill before you start getting worked up. Please recall that I am currently a stay@home mom, who left work for the sole reason of giving her 100% to the little ones). Chinipie did start her school @2 yr n 2 mths for two half mornings per week, which after a month, we increased to 3 as we realized that she had started enjoying and was looking forward to them. Chini had just turned 2 when we welcomed sugar in our lives( will cover the why to this in some other post). I had no help here with a toddler and a baby in my lap. Had to manage the home, the cooking, the feeding, the little ones and me all at the same time. For some reasons, we didn't keep any hired helps, too. In the process, I felt I couldn't give much time to chinipie as much as I wanted to. She was an active toddler and wanted constant activity and all I could manage was sit with her with a baby nursing on me. Plus, much before she turned 2, I had started sensing her need to play with kids in her age group. She had, many a times, given vey clear indications of the same. Unfortunately, most of our friends were still enjoying their happy honeymooning phase. Though chinipie had made really good friends with all of them and used to enjoy their company, they couldn't make do for the friends her age. The other few friends were either working full time or didn't stay close enough to be able to meet regularly. We did go to the library programs but they were not sufficient. So, it made more sense for her to get an exposure to the other kids at the school and I enrolled her in one of the best in the area(which I instantly liked on the very first day!) and I have no qualms about it as we saw an immense progress in her! Sugar, on the other hand, has her own big sis as her constant playmate. In her didi's wings, Her communication,motor and analytical skills are already at par with any pre-schooler. She is completely potty-trained, speaks well formed sentences, expresses her needs and emotions, and can crack a joke too! Also, after chinipie started school, we had made a lots of friends with kids her age, with whom we had many a get-togethers. this gave sugar ample opportunities to grow around/with kids.

What about now, when we have again moved in a no-kid neighbourhood, you ask? Well, sugar is enrolled in a mommy and baby program in the same school as chiniiz, starting next week.

Who am I kidding? With all the practicalities in my reasonings above, yes you are partly right when you think I have a separation issue, more than her! Those who knew me two years before, probably, would know that I cried more than chinipie every time I dropped her to school and kept weeping long time after she had happily adjusted! We always wanted to have two angels in our life, which implies sugar is the last baby of the family. I know My self imposed exile from the corporate world might soon be over and how much I am delaying, I will be joining the work force some time in near future. The emotional mommy in me wants to cling to it for a little while more.. Trying to savor each moment.. Hanging on to every bit of it... Until she can...