For these past two years, I have been living in and planning with a short term mentality. In the beginning, I really was living day by day. Then as time passed, it became easier to look ahead and make future plans that were a bit more long term. For the past two years, I have taken where I lived one year at a time. This year, I have also decided to stay here for another year. I have also chosen to keep my son at the day care center he is currently in. My son will be of preschool age this September, but instead of sending him to our "home" public school for Pre-K, I have decided to keep him where he is for another year. The day care also provides Pre-K services and he can stay there all day. I will not have to worry about where he goes before and after school since being a teacher, I will have the same hours as him. It will make life easier... for the both of us and I am all about that.
Another big decision that I have made, which I consider much more long term, is my decision to stay here in New York City. It was just this past winter that I realized that I am exactly where I need and want to be and it ended up being a decision that was comfortable to make. I even felt relief for having had made such a big decision and I am still happy with what I decided.
Now I am entering a new phase. This new phase is making me think about and make some even longer long term decisions. I am still planning on staying here in Brooklyn, but now I have begun to think about where I want my son to go to school next year when he does begin kindergarten. I know, its a year away... but I honestly have to give it some thought now because there are some big arrangements that may need to be made and that takes time.
Option #1: Stay put. Our home school is not a bad school. It is actually quite good and I would be very comfortable sending him there. However, I would need to find some place for him to go after school (for sure) and possibly before school (from time to time). Also, my rent is going to be going up again next year. That will be $300 in 3 years! But I do love our location. His school is only blocks away and is only about 5 minutes from the school I work at.
Option #2: Move... but within the neighborhood. We are just one measly block out of zone for an even better school! This school has a great academic program with lots of extras. It even has an after school program which would be wonderful! If we moved to this zone, it would only put minutes onto my commute and distance from my son. I would do this in a heartbeat except that the rent is significantly more (even more than what my new rate will be next year) and I am quite sure that I will also be sacrificing space as well. :(
Option #3: Move... out of the neighborhood. There are lots of great elementary schools here in NYC. But there are only a few other neighborhoods that I would consider moving too. A couple that I would consider I am sure to find very good schools in. I am also sure that I would be able to find apartments that are larger, nicer, and possibly even cheaper! The drawback, location. Although these are nice, clean, and safe neighborhoods, they are much farther away from where I work. And, they are much farther away from what we love most about where we currently live.
I realize that I am very fortunate to have options. And I am very well aware that I can always change my mind at any point. I know that my son will not be traumatized if he has to change schools at some point in his elementary school years. However...
Thinking about these future long term plans have made me very aware of how alone I am. It is strange to have to make such important decisions without any input and without compromise because of somebody else. I am solely responsible for making these decisions and they all do revolve around my son and his education, but he is too young to have an opinion. It's entirely up to me and it has created a very lonely feeling to know that I have to make decisions based on the fact that I am alone. If there were another income, Option #2 would be more than doable. But I can't bet on that. Realistically, it could take years for me to find someone to take it to that level. Option #1, perhaps the wisest, almost seems though as if I am just taking the safe, waiting route until something does happen. Is Option #3 the best? Should I be more fiscally conservative since I don't know when and if and how much someone else one day will be contributing financially to this family?
Too much thinking I know. But these are real issues that I want to start to consider now. Because like I said I am lucky to have these options and I am also lucky to have the time to consider all of them. I do want to make the best decision for the both of us. Perhaps it is best that I am thinking about all of this while I am very much single. I wouldn't want just anyone to influence my decisions. He would have to be very special and someone that a future with would be a very likely possibility. Who knows what will happen between then and now...
Life can throw things at us at any time and when we least expect them. I am hoping that something good, no... amazing ;) gets thrown my way and I know that one day it will. I just don't know when that will be. I cannot wait for it to happen. There is something exciting about walking down this new path into the future with my son. It is going to bring about so many changes. But at the same time, it is a lonely path too.
Another big decision that I have made, which I consider much more long term, is my decision to stay here in New York City. It was just this past winter that I realized that I am exactly where I need and want to be and it ended up being a decision that was comfortable to make. I even felt relief for having had made such a big decision and I am still happy with what I decided.
Now I am entering a new phase. This new phase is making me think about and make some even longer long term decisions. I am still planning on staying here in Brooklyn, but now I have begun to think about where I want my son to go to school next year when he does begin kindergarten. I know, its a year away... but I honestly have to give it some thought now because there are some big arrangements that may need to be made and that takes time.
Option #1: Stay put. Our home school is not a bad school. It is actually quite good and I would be very comfortable sending him there. However, I would need to find some place for him to go after school (for sure) and possibly before school (from time to time). Also, my rent is going to be going up again next year. That will be $300 in 3 years! But I do love our location. His school is only blocks away and is only about 5 minutes from the school I work at.
Option #2: Move... but within the neighborhood. We are just one measly block out of zone for an even better school! This school has a great academic program with lots of extras. It even has an after school program which would be wonderful! If we moved to this zone, it would only put minutes onto my commute and distance from my son. I would do this in a heartbeat except that the rent is significantly more (even more than what my new rate will be next year) and I am quite sure that I will also be sacrificing space as well. :(
Option #3: Move... out of the neighborhood. There are lots of great elementary schools here in NYC. But there are only a few other neighborhoods that I would consider moving too. A couple that I would consider I am sure to find very good schools in. I am also sure that I would be able to find apartments that are larger, nicer, and possibly even cheaper! The drawback, location. Although these are nice, clean, and safe neighborhoods, they are much farther away from where I work. And, they are much farther away from what we love most about where we currently live.
I realize that I am very fortunate to have options. And I am very well aware that I can always change my mind at any point. I know that my son will not be traumatized if he has to change schools at some point in his elementary school years. However...
Thinking about these future long term plans have made me very aware of how alone I am. It is strange to have to make such important decisions without any input and without compromise because of somebody else. I am solely responsible for making these decisions and they all do revolve around my son and his education, but he is too young to have an opinion. It's entirely up to me and it has created a very lonely feeling to know that I have to make decisions based on the fact that I am alone. If there were another income, Option #2 would be more than doable. But I can't bet on that. Realistically, it could take years for me to find someone to take it to that level. Option #1, perhaps the wisest, almost seems though as if I am just taking the safe, waiting route until something does happen. Is Option #3 the best? Should I be more fiscally conservative since I don't know when and if and how much someone else one day will be contributing financially to this family?
Too much thinking I know. But these are real issues that I want to start to consider now. Because like I said I am lucky to have these options and I am also lucky to have the time to consider all of them. I do want to make the best decision for the both of us. Perhaps it is best that I am thinking about all of this while I am very much single. I wouldn't want just anyone to influence my decisions. He would have to be very special and someone that a future with would be a very likely possibility. Who knows what will happen between then and now...
Life can throw things at us at any time and when we least expect them. I am hoping that something good, no... amazing ;) gets thrown my way and I know that one day it will. I just don't know when that will be. I cannot wait for it to happen. There is something exciting about walking down this new path into the future with my son. It is going to bring about so many changes. But at the same time, it is a lonely path too.
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