Rather a glum sounding title, wasn’t it? So now you’re all thinking, “Uh-oh.”
Of course I’m talking about how Keira went at Preschool in the end and the answer is a happy, “Pretty well!”
Apparently she stopped crying almost right away, once she’d been distracted by the silkworm farm they’ve got running. Even later, she was in full throttle, being bossy to some of the other kids (!!! – My genes there…)
I didn’t realise how much of an impression her distress had been making on others. When I turned up to pick her up, one of the mothers who was rostered on for the morning, patted my arm and said, “She forgot all about you after a few minutes.”
Then one of the other mums said she specifically asked her girl to keep an eye on Keira, and to “Help her if she got sad.”
That bolstered my spirit. I thought I’d been alone in my distress, too. It was lovely that others do observe, and then say the right thing (as apposed to some of the ‘wrong’ things, which I referred to briefly yesterday).
What I can’t help but find ironic is that Riley, at 20 months, seems ready to go to school right now! He walks up to the other kids, talks to them, sits down next to them, watches them, then gives me this grin to say, “I’ll take my sister’s place!”
All in good time, son.
Thanks to you all for your kind thoughts and comments yesterday. I appreciate it.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Riley knows where it’s at!
I’m so glad that she calmed down and had a good day. It must have been a load off your shoulders when you picked her up.
The best thing the preschool could have done for you was to ring you during the day to let you know she was fine – would have made for an easier day for you. (Like as soon as you got home maybe!!) I’ve had days like that on the odd occasion – even when my girls were at school. I once dropped something up at school and saw one of them (Year 3 I think she was!) was crying at recess over some friends issue or something. I spent the rest of the day with my heart broken; went up to see the teacher at the end of the day and she looked at me blankly and said ‘but she’s had a lovely day!’. Kid had got over whatever it was 5 minutes after I left and I was the one who suffered all day…
Back to your preschool situation – I’ve seen kids do the drama thing and get over it, but I’ve seen a kid cry all day too, so you can never dismiss it. (Mind you, I reckon throughout my girls’ time at preschool I only ever saw that one kid who was just so totally miserable all day, and she had real family issues – separations or something and she was terrified she was never going to see her Dad again.. or something like that.)
If Keira does have a good day in the end (from 5 minutes after you leave!) I think it’s worth persevering for all the ‘socialisation’ reasons – if for no other reason than to make going to big school a breeze!! A clingy 5 year old is harder to deal with – and there’s a higher teacher/student ratio, so the school teacher doesn’t have the time to give them in distraction (and TLC) that a preschool teacher does…
If Keira is as smart as she sounds maybe you can discuss her “carry-on” with her later. I could never talk sense with Zoe during her tantrums, but later on we’d talk about it, and she could even admit she’d been a silly billy. (She may have been a bit older that Keira is now when I hit on that strategy, but it’s worth a try!)
Well, the teacher did say she was going to call me to say she was doing fine, but got too busy.
Although, they do stress, if she is that upset they will always call the parent to collect the child (which I have done in the past!)
Which is why I do take every session she’s made it through as a ‘victory’. And she’s proud of herself too, when she does.
T – I can see why that’d ruin your day too! I sometimes think observing playground interactions between kids is frightening! When they’re upset, and then when you’re unlucky enough to see something like bulllying going on…
It’s good to hear that she did well, I’m sure it will just get better too.
Hope you got some good celebrating time in after the day was done
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