Nature vs. Nurture

Remi started preschool a few weeks back. On her first day we walked in, found her cubby, and she took off for the play area. Not a backwards glance, not a whimper, not even a "Bye, Mommy." I had to track her down to reassure my unconcerned child that I would, in fact, be back to pick her up in a few hours.

Who cares? her demeanor seemed to say, I'm surrounded by new toys and countless 3 year olds. This from a child with no previous daycare experience and limited interactions with kids her own age.

So I worried about her, despite this auspicious start. Would she make friends? Would she play with the other kids? Had I irreparably stunted her social growth by failing to identify and solidify her BCF (Best Childhood Friend) relationship pre-birth? Apparently not.

I met with her teacher, and the official word is that Remi is settling in just fine. That she not only plays with other kids, but that she's always in the middle of things. That she's a little director of sorts and they've dubbed her the Teacher's Assistant.

So I guess what this tells me is that nature won out. That if you're social, you're social, and Remi was just waiting for a nurturing chance to let her personality bloom.