I think we sometimes expect too little of our preschools. We are super choosey about what we let our kids watch on TV, what we let them put in their bodies, the words they say, the clothes they wear. And yet, we are content if a preschool has them coloring worksheets and singing songs. Precious Resources has taught me that a preschool can be so much more: a parenting partner; an advocate for your child; and even a force for good in our world. Precious Resources blows whatever ideas you have about preschool right out of the water.

When my husband and I first drove up to visit Precious Resources Preschool, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It is tucked in a small corner of a shopping plaza, not exactly your typical children’s school. However, when we walked in, I knew this was the place. When you enter Precious Resources, it is like stepping into a sanctuary. I don’t know if it is the relaxing splash of the turtles in their tank, the feel of slippers on your feet, or the reassuring warmth of Miss Barbara’s smile, but Precious Resources feels different right away. Everywhere you look, you are enveloped in the industriousness and good cheer of children being children: self-portraits, recipes, science experiments, stories. It is so easy to forget how amazing our kids are. As a parent, I sometimes feel my day is a series of battles. We argue about combing hair, brushing teeth, cleaning up after ourselves. But Precious Resources helped me see my daughter as a creative and capable individual. She was a painter, a writer, a scientist, and a planeteer. And she saw herself in this way, too. I swear Katie walked out of Precious Resources feeling about ten feet tall. Every day seemed like an adventure. Katie was a waitress for the Mother’s Day tea, and a baker when they read the book about sun bread. She made her own paper; she made her own chewing gum. She would come home to show me yoga poses, or have me guess what stage the caterpillars were in that day. Days spent at Precious Resources thrilled her.

I have read that the best preschools are organic and child-centered, that they build upon and grow from students’ interests. I know now that that is true. Though it’s been over 6 months since Katie “graduated” (and they really did hold a sweet celebration with slide shows and diplomas and songs and cake), we always wave and call out “Hi, PR!” when we drive by “her school.” We’ve returned to visit, to weed the garden, and to have lunch and chats with Miss Barbara and her staff. Katie has continued so many of the interests she pursued at Precious Resources. From yoga to gardening, from recycling to kitchen science, she is my capable and wonderful little planeteer. I have Precious Resources to thank for that. They were my teachers, my partners, and my friends.

- Annmarie