Adult School's Preschool Teaches Parents

When I first mentioned South Bay Adult Preschool, I . I have since learned that it is not, in fact, a co-op. It is a "parent education program"! Because we are required to attend at least one of the two days a week (I still attend both), the parents are given ample opportunity to learn about raising creatures with runny noses who throw tantrums at grocery stores—toddlers.

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It is very much like a preschool, except there is one teacher and the rest of the watching is done by parents. The school's mission is "to meet the needs of parents by providing essential knowledge, skills, and resources to maximize their effectiveness."

I would say that, so far, the school has been great for both of us. I can't say I have left Smith to his own devices for the second day, but I may get there yet. We are still on shaky ground when it comes to potty training, so I like to be there to take him to the bathroom or change his pants if he has an accident.  

One of the great benefits of 's preschool is the parents you meet there. I love to chat with the other moms and dads while our kids paint together and sing songs. You don't get that at other preschools, and I truly cherish the time I am able to spend with Smith in a learning environment. Parents come on their designated days to spend time with their kids and watch after others, so it's great to get to know the parents and their children so you can better take care of theirs—and ultimately, your own.

What do we do all day? We play a lot. I would say that the school is play-based, as the children are allowed to explore no matter what activity is taking place. We start class at 9 a.m. with signing the children in and signing ourselves up for a workstation (Play-Doh table wrangler, sandbox guard, kitchen Nazi, art table organizer, etc.). We then sing a welcome song in a circle before letting the kids loose to work at different activity tables. They are encouraged to take part in the group activities, but if they want to play with the drums like my son, they can play the drums instead of making apple stamps or collages.  

A little before 10 a.m., we have clean-up time, complete with the clean-up song that plays on repeat until the kids and parents are done cleaning up. After clean-up, we all sit in a circle and sing songs while the snack people (they have a colony outside of Middle Earth) sets up the children's plates, cups and snacks for the day. Once snack clean-up is over, we go outside for a while where there is always a play dough table, the sand area, art aisles and a toddler-friendly playground.  

Around 11 a.m., we pass out bells for the children to shake and let everyone know it's time to go back inside. We put away the outside toys, pick Play-Doh out of our shoes and go inside for story time. We begin with an activity song; after that, the teacher reads a story. I usually start sucking my thumb and yearning for a flannel blanket at this point—but then my son comes up and hits me over the head with a rubber hammer, and I'm knocked back into the reality of parenting before the goodbye song begins at 11:30 a.m. After 11:30, we can stay for another 30 minutes and chat with other parents or talk to the teacher regarding a certain topic until noon.

Smith really likes South Bay Adult School, and so do I. I don't know if I'll ever take the second day off. I know it's healthy to have a few hours of toddler-free time during the week, but it's also healthy to learn more about parenting and see your child socialize and grow in a school setting. He's only 2 years old once, and I can't go to high school with him … yet.

I should mention that South Bay Adult School Parent Education program has been awarded the Program of Excellence status twice by the California Board of Education.  

Parents have a lot to learn, Redondo Beach.