grown up | jiaxing photographer

somewhere along the way, in between moving around and having a second baby, my first baby seems to have transformed into a grown up little girl without warning me.  we were on our way out the door one day and i glanced at her and thought she looked so grown up and wondered when did this happen? (I subsequently snapped some pictures before she suddenly turned into a teenager)  i hope kaylah is more considerate in giving me some forewarning… though unlikely

so yesterday was a big milestone in this grown-up girl’s life as she started her first day of school!  she was so excited and did wonderfully.
it’s also a big step for us as we start to enter the world of formal schooling.  and trying to better understand the school system here – which is different in a lot of ways compared to the US.  In general, everyone seems to say there is “great pressure” here when it comes to schooling.  It is making me think hard about what is better or worse versus just different, and what are our primary goals and purposes in sending our kids to school, what do we hope they get out of it, etc…  Perhaps you may think i am over thinking things when my kid is just starting preschool.  But these are things you consider when you’re warned that your kid may fall behind and be unprepared for elementary school if you choose to only send her to preschool part time.

Any thoughts as to what is important to gain from school at different ages?  And what is important to gain outside of school or at home?