I am totally stressing about preschool for AJ. The school he�s in now was basically the only choice we had this year, as few places take two-year-olds. I imagine that�s because most people don�t want to deal with the diapers (and who can blame them).

But at age 3, AJ will have choices. This isn�t exactly the college admission game we�re playing here. Or even anything like the preschool rodeo in New York or Chicago. But the program I wanted to get him into is already closed (slots went entirely to siblings of previous students, who get preference). They have openings in a two day per week program, but we were hoping to move up to three. Now I have to decide if we should do a three day program somewhere else or stick with two at the one we wanted and hope a slot opens up that we can move into, which might be harder on AJ.

The other thing I have to figure out is what exactly we want out of a preschool program. It seems that there are two kinds of programs: those that say they concentrate on helping the kids with their social skills and those that talk about �curriculum.� I�m worried the former might be boring for AJ � he�s kind of an intense kid who likes to figure things out on his own and is already starting to read and do basic math. On the other hand, those with �curriculum� say that it includes working on letter and number recognition. AJ�s had that down for at least a year already. He�s clearly way past that.

My gut is telling me that preschool is not school. My gut is telling me that a program that mostly lets him learn how to play better with other kids, a skill he and most of the other kids his age are still figuring out, is going to be better for him in the long run than one that teaches him things he already knows along with some things he may want to know. My gut says, it�s PRESCHOOL. He�s a baby. Let him play. Besides, we probably read 20-30 books a day together at home. It�s what he likes to do.

But when confronted with an endless barrage of ads telling me my son should have been enrolled in language classes and swimming classes and music classes since birth, it�s hard to keep from being anxious about everything. He�s my only kid. Of course I�m anxious to do the best thing for him.

The other thing that�s got me biting my nails is potty training. It is not going well. I am tired. He has to be potty trained before he can enter preschool in the fall, and I really have no idea how we�re going to get there.

I spent much of last night and any free moments this morning trying various anxiety alleviation measures including hiking, yoga, weight-lifting and bourbon (don�t worry, the latter was last night � I�m not quite that desperate yet.). I think I�m actually in a good frame of mind to get some work done this afternoon. I�d better get to it.

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