Rumors started swirling in the halls of Griffin’s preschool at the beginning of January. Crazy, unthinkable rumors that preschool administration was changing how enrollment for the following year would occur. There would be no more camping out to reserve your spot in line. There would be no more guarantees if you “put in the time” you would be handsomely rewarded with the class you wanted. GASP was the reaction of most. It was a crisis of epic proportions. Whispering in the halls, text messages, and phone calls began, but no one (or least the 99% of Type A personality moms at the preschool) were going to believe it until something official came down the pipeline. Denial is a powerful coping mechanism.
When I first learned of this unspeakable change, I did not call James. Let’s face it. I knew he would be thrilled by the change. He does NOT have a Type A personality and has thought for YEARS that my stress and all the hoopla surrounding preschool registration around these parts is beyond ridiculous! Did you know I have been stressing every Spring about preschool registration since 2007! TWO THOUSAND SEVEN! I cannot imagine what life will be like when both of my children are just “in.” So after the initial rumors started circulating I did not call the Father. I called the Grandmother, because I knew my mother would get it. “Oh no!” was her response. (I can always count on her for validation). She agreed this was not good. That control over the situation would be gone in a flash! Camping out to ensure you get the class you want is best! AGREED! AGREED! AGREED! This is every Type A person’s worst nightmare and about three weeks ago it was confirmed. We received this in the take home folder.
Mothers huddled together outside classrooms. There was crying. (OK. Not really any crying, but a few moms probably could have. James thinks I am bad. Ha! There is worse out there!) “What was wrong with camping out to get your spot in line?” was asked by many. Yes, it was freezing cold. Yes, safety concerns. Yes, it created a little hysteria and meant a night of your life camping out for preschool, blah, blah, blah. But whatever. The first year James, on his portion of the campout, did watch a woman’s coat catch on fire from a butane heater, but really it was not that big of deal. They got the fire out before any real harm was done. People overreact sometimes (but never about preschool registration of course).
To make a long story short. There will be no more campouts. The Monday before preschool registration is held, parents are instructed to go to their computers starting at 10:00 AM and click on a link that will take them to a national website that’s sole purpose is to register names as they come in and assign numbers. A virtual waiting list so to speak. Within about 30 seconds of the new process being learned, my friends and fellow preschool mothers had identified about 100 plus reasons why this would be a royal failure. The biggest concern? How can this website handle literally hundreds of mothers all clicking on the same link at the same time without the site crashing? Because everyone I have talked to (remember, Type A here people) will ALL be clicking on the link at 10:00 AM precisely. The official word from the “higher ups” has been they feel confident it will work and to pray about the effectiveness. Not. reassured. at. all.
At a meeting held last Thursday by the preschool director about the new and improved (insert sarcasm) registration, she held her own as said Type A mommies fired off questions about this process. Her response at one point was “Do you think we (as in administration) want 400 plus mommies calling us and coming to the office to complain about this not working? We can assure you we want this to work as badly as you.” One mom noted quietly that this online number registration conveniently happens on Monday when the preschool is CLOSED. That is no coincidence folks.
So, this upcoming Monday, I will be parked in front of every last computer we have in our house (three) and maybe the two iPads (I kid. Well, maybe I kid) to be ready for fast finger clicking to get my spot along with the hundreds of other mothers who will be doing the same thing. I have verification that moms plan to enlist husbands, grandparents, and others to join in on the fun by trying to see who can get to the site first. People are taking off work, missing swim lessons. Soccer Tots (Griffin), and other scheduled activities to be ready to roll at 10:00 AM on the dot. We have been told this website can calculate order by the hundredth of a second. Unfortunately we will not even know our spot in line until Tuesday when we receive an email from the preschool revealing our coveted number.
Next Saturday we officially register at the preschool and will be called in number order obviously. If I have a high number, sadly I am not sure what will happen as far as my preference for the class days goes. There are 392 total spots in the preschool and shockingly that does not meet the demand. There are 48 available spots for the three day a week class that is my first choice.
I got a text from one of the mom’s in Griffin’s class yesterday that said “I bet the whole thing is rigged. I bet the order has already been decided.” See James? I am not the worst pessimist mommy out there. Up until that point, I had not even thought of that, but I will not let myself even go there. I have enough to worry about!
<SIGH>
Preschool Registration Crisis 2012 is in full effect in the Prescott household. Stay tuned (and stay away if I were you unless you have a computer and are free at 10:00 on Monday).
