| n life is complicated. Every day involves a careful | | | | he had attended preschool, enrolling in another |
| balancing act between duty and pleasure, | | | | private program, or moving into public school. |
| responsibilities to our family, friends, employer, | | | | Staying with Montessori meant the short-term |
| and community must be balanced between our | | | | benefit of allowing my son to stay in a |
| need and right to spend some time enjoying life. | | | | comfortable, familiar environment and supporting a |
| Many of us are fortunate that at least a portion | | | | worthy program balanced by the short-term |
| of our responsibilities also coincide with pleasure, | | | | disadvantages of continuing tuition payments and |
| but no matter how much we love our family or | | | | a lengthy commute. Looking ahead, we knew we |
| our job part of being a grown up is accepting that | | | | did not plan to continue with Montessori past |
| along with the joys of family and profession | | | | kindergarten so in essence we were only |
| comes some drudgery. I love my family but no | | | | postponing the inevitable. |
| one can make me like scrubbing the bathroom or | | | | Enrolling in one of the local private kindergarten |
| enjoy grocery shopping. I love my job but along | | | | programs offered the benefits of good programs, |
| with teaching the subject I love comes a | | | | smaller classes, and desirable peers balanced by |
| mountain of grading that is sometimes frightening | | | | tuition payments and scheduling issues in the short |
| to contemplate. Even when life is progressing | | | | term. Looking ahead, we knew that eventually our |
| smoothly there are unpleasant tasks and choices | | | | child would have to go to public school so why not |
| to make. But what happens when life gets | | | | make the transition now? |
| complicated and unpleasant decisions need to be | | | | Moving into public school offered some short-term |
| made? | | | | advantages including the issue of timing. Our son |
| Like many people in the past I was often | | | | was ready to go and it seemed natural to move |
| paralyzed by difficult decisions. When it seemed | | | | into public school at the same time as most of his |
| that there was no good choice I would often | | | | peers. Other short-term advantages included |
| duck responsibility altogether until a decision was | | | | convenience and the quality of the program and |
| forced upon me. Then of course I would usually | | | | the financial benefits of not paying tuition. |
| be unhappy with the results. Most people are | | | | Short-term disadvantages included our son's |
| more decisive than I was but are frustrated by | | | | emotional attachment to his previous school and a |
| their decision-making. | | | | general upheaval in the elementary program due |
| Some make all their decisions based on what they | | | | to population growth. Looking ahead, we were |
| need or want right now. While this strategy can | | | | confident our son could and would make the |
| make life simpler, and sometimes happier, in the | | | | adjustment to a new school, he would have to |
| short term over time it often leads to problems | | | | make the transition to public school at some point |
| with money, relationships, and their career. | | | | anyway, and that the program's strengths |
| Some make all their decisions based on their | | | | outweighed its weaknesses. |
| needs and wants for the coming year. While this | | | | By now you have probably guessed what decision |
| strategy can also make life easier in the now it | | | | we made. Once we broke down our decision and |
| could still result in future problems. | | | | looked at the advantages and disadvantages in |
| Some make all their decisions based on their | | | | the now, in a year, and in a decade it was easy |
| future needs and wants. This can often lead to an | | | | to see what was really important to consider. |
| unhappy present as most pleasures are deferred | | | | Only a week into school and our son has fully |
| to the future achievement of long term goals, but | | | | adjusted to his new school and has already made |
| avoids the long-term problems the other choices | | | | friends. Next year will mean some more changes |
| created. | | | | but by then he will be comfortable and happy with |
| I have learned the hard way that good | | | | his school. And in a decade he will be in high school. |
| decision-making means achieving a balance of | | | | However, the care and thought we put into |
| these three methods. When facing a tough choice | | | | choosing a preschool program and school district |
| look at the results in the now, in a year, and in a | | | | will play a major part in his success at that level. |
| decade. Visualizing how the effects of a decision | | | | If you have trouble making decisions, or living with |
| will impact your life should empower you to make | | | | the consequences of the decisions you make, |
| better decisions and to make living with those | | | | then using this simple strategy will make your life |
| decisions easier. | | | | easier and better. Compare the expected |
| For example, my son just started kindergarten | | | | outcome of each choice in your life now, in one |
| which meant my husband and I faced the choice | | | | year, and in one decade. |
| of continuing with the Montessori program where | | | | |