The first day of preschool.
Kiddo's enrolled in a preschool at a Lutheran church about 7 blocks from the church I'm at. The main teacher has a master's in early childhood development, and is a really nice lady to boot. There's two assistants who are also very qualified...and great with young kids. We had gone to an open house in the spring and had been talking it up all summer...the teacher had made a home visit the week before and had done some activities with Kiddo...there was a picture of him hanging up in the preschool room, he had made his own bag and t-shirt...and now it was the day after Labor Day, the first day of class, and he was all ready to go.
Except he didn't wanna.
And oh boy didn't he wanna. Sweetie took that morning off from work to help see him off, and actually at first he was okay with it all. He posed for pictures at home, got into the van, and even talked about it on the way there.
But when the time came to get out of the van and walk inside, neither hell nor high water would tear him from his carseat. And the pitiful wailing could be heard for miles:
“MOM-my!!! DAD-dy!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!”
We pried him loose from his seat: “MOM-my!!! DAD-dy!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!”
We dragged him inside the building: “MOM-my!!! DAD-dy!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!”
Down the hallway, church secretaries looking on with bemused acknowledgement: “MOM-my!!! DAD-dy!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!”
Past other parents who had already calmly dropped off their children, trying not to make eye contact: “MOM-my!!! DAD-dy!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!”
And into the classroom, where Kiddo promptly latched himself on to Sweetie's leg: “MOM-my!!! DAD-dy!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!”
It was not pretty.
He wasn't too fond of being there, but was willing to deal with it as long as we stayed. After about ten minutes of him following us everywhere, though, it became obvious that sooner or later we were just going to have to pull off the bandaid and leave.
Mrs. H, one of the assistants, came over and held Kiddo back as we walked out the door, the sounds of “MOM-my!!! DAD-dy!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!” echoing down the hallway chasing us as we left.
Wanna hear something funny?
According to the teachers, five minutes after we left, Kiddo was back to normal. And he had a great morning. In fact, the first thing he said when I came to pick him up 3 hours later was "I had fun, Daddy!!!"
It took a few days, but the last 3 times I've brought him I've been able to drop him off without incident. Which is good. He's growing up. He's not as dependent on Mommy and Daddy.
Honestly, it makes me a little sad, though. He's not even 4 and we're already beginning the long process of letting go of our baby.
A side note: last week, Kiddo learned a song to the tune of "Oh My Darling Clementine" that teaches the days of the week. "There are seven days, there are seven days, there are seven days in a week...Sunday Monday, Tuesday Wednesday, Thursday Friday, Sa-tur-day." Over the weekend we had a Beatles CD on the stereo, and the song "8 Days a Week" came on. We didn't say anything, but somewhere in the middle of the song, Kiddo turns to Sweetie with a puzzled look and says "8 days?!?!?!?!" We've decided that the Beatles were pretty silly guys.
We'll wait a few years to discuss the various causes of their silliness.
Pictures? You say you want pictures? Well, why didn't you say so earlier?!?! =)
Outside the house, ready to go!!! (As long as I'm with Mom and Dad, that is...)
"I had fun, Daddy!"
2 comments:
Just wait until the bus comes to pick him up or you have to drop him off at a "big kid" school. I have had the bus come and that is not fun! It makes you realize that there is no turning back and believe it or not, your little guy does grow up. Even though both our sons are not in kindergarten yet, it sure feels that way some days! Tell your boy to stop growing! He's getting too big! (like that will help) =)
Oh how I remember those days......
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