Preschool can be a double-edged sword.

While it offers vast opportunities for a child to learn the fundamentals of socialization and classroom etiquette, it may also begin to strip away traces of childhood innocence.

For the first time, Babisodes (who is no longer a baby) is attending preschool four days a week.  Since there is real a possibility she will be attending Kindergarten next fall, this is an attempt to build her social skills with several half days of preschool per week.  We hope that this will help to provide a smooth transition, rather than throwing her straight into Kindergarten 5 days a week cold turkey.

In just a few short weeks, she has already made great strides.  Despite the fact that she is the youngest in her class by at least several months, her teachers have assured me that she is keeping up with her peers and making strong social connections.

Sounds like pride swelling news for any parent, right?

Now before I begin to sound like a curmudgeon mom, allow me to start off by saying I am very proud of my daughter.  I relish in her sudden stockpile of knock-knock jokes.  I grinned ear-to-ear when she was able to greet every classmate by name in the second week of school. And her sharpening skills for letters and numbers amaze me each day as she brings home heaping stacks of crafts and projects (how do parents fit all this crap on their refrigerators?).

However, while her intellectual, fine motor, and social skills refine, the preschool environment has nurtured  personality traits we have never seen before.

Traits I am unsure if I was prepared for just yet.

Babisodes leaves class every day holding hands with a male classmate.  She only talks about her boy friends (notice they’re 2 separate words).  And she provides a daily report of which boys attended class and which did not.

Despite our efforts to nudge her in the direction of her female peers, she seems completely apathetic.

She has also developed a new skill for bullying.

…and talking back.

Oh, and let’s not forget the classic eye-roll and exasperated sigh.

Especially when mom wants to snap a photo of her in costume before the preschool Halloween party.

(The look of 4-year old disdain)

After 4,367 attempts to get her to smile, this was the best I got.

Please don’t tell me this is “just a phase” that will last 20 years.

I was tempted to Photoshop in heavy dark eyeliner, long wispy bangs and black nail polish.  However, I don’t think I could handle the image of an emo 4-year old.

I suppose I should be thankful though.  She did excitedly request to wear the same Minnie Mouse costume she wore last Halloween all over again.  Saved me a few bucks.

I just hope it’s not because all the boys missed how cute she was in it last year.