Wednesday, September 10, 2008

First day at preschool



It's been five months since I wrote this post about my preschool search. KB turned three in August and it was time for the "big boy" to start school. The big day - KB's first day of preschool - was upon me/us this morning. It was big not just because he was starting preschool but this was probably the first time ever he was going to be away from me ever. The best he has done away from me is when he is home with B and I go out to get something quick and come back home asap. But usually I don't get enough time after B returns home to do that on week days and on weekends, we usually end up going out together. And this was a big day for me to see how I react to being away from KB. I imagined myself breaking down in tears to leave him in school and wipe it off movie style and start my car and drive back home. I imagined KB shrieking and howling holding on to my legs only to be pried apart by the teacher and having to run out of class. That didn't happen really.

What did happen?

I had prepped KB over the last few weeks that we would be going to school W and I would drop him off in the morning and he would do all the fun things at school and when it was time to go home I would come and pick him back up. He would recite all of this like a story back to me. Often. We also read a couple of books about starting school. And even this morning when we left for school he told me he would be a "good boy" and have fun at school W and that he wouldn't cry. Well, our boy is a good story teller I have decided. He would get to the finest details about this whole school story - how he would get into the car when I came to pick him up and how KG will be happy to see him, how she would scream in delight when she saw him etc etc.

B came with us in a separate car and we went to drop off KB in school. He looked happy and cheerful when we went in. I took him to the bathroom and then got back into the classroom. I found a chair available and since we had to leave the classroom in a minute or so (school starts at 9.00 am), I just quickly seated him in a chair, gave him a hug and showed him the rolling pin for the play dough and said goodbye to him and left the classroom. It was really strange for me to drive home alone with KG alone and KB's car seat empty. A sad hindi film song would have been apt for that mood!

I got home and had my cereal, talked to my brother and a good friend - pretty much about this since they wanted to know about his first day. I thought to myself that if he crossed 10.00 am then he would be fine. Nuooooohoooo! Our boy had different plans.

At 10.30 am I got a call from the director of the preschool saying KB was having a hard time and if could may be pick him up earlier. So I just immediately left and went earlier than school ending time to get KB. As I parked the car, I saw KB standing in the play ground looking at the other kids while casually crying away to glory. The teacher Ms.T told me that he played with play dough etc till about 9.35 and then he came and told the teacher, "I am done". So she took him to a bin of cars and asked him to play with it. After which he asked for mom. And the flood gates were thrown open when mom didn't appear out of the play dough or jump out of his toy cars!

I was feeling really bad when I was walking towards his school for early pick up. But thankfully I didn't start crying myself. The teachers seemed quite supportive. Even though he was the only one in his class who cried this much, the teacher said there were other kids in other classes who also cried. As soon as he saw me he calmed down with a few whimpers thrown in for effect to show how much he had been crying. He was of course happy to be brought back home. But what gives me hope is that a) he did not cry for the first 40 min in school b) He loves this school
3) he told me stories about who did what in school and it seemed to me like he enjoyed being there.

Well, let's see what happens on Friday!

If it is possible to write posts while sleeping, you could give it to me. I am totally falling asleep here!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MammaMia - this one's for you : What do Bengali kids learn in preschool?

A for Orange! :) (Need I elaborate why Onondita?!)

14 comments:

Mamma mia! Me a mamma? said...

What a sweet post...and you wrote it so well! I felt like I was there with you!

Yes, you do have things to take heart from! I'm sure it's going to be all up-hill from here!

My YO starts on the 22nd of this month and he's not yet two! You can imaine my fragile state of mind right now!!

Mama - Mia said...

am sure KB will do just fine!! way to go dude!!

do tell us how things go tomorrow!! it helps to learn from you experienced mommies! :D

cheers!

abha

Maggie said...

Ah Noonie, a week to 10 days is all it will take. But I know it's a hard time for all involved. Hugs!

Preethi said...

That was so cute.. the story telling!! As for the crying.. Cheeky did the same too last year.. but he settled down and had fun soon!! So don't worry KB will settle down soon.. is he going to go 5 days a week? Sleeping and writing? wow.. you write so well even when you are dozing off!!

Neera said...

You know noonoo, if KB had not cried yesterday I would have suspected something is wrong somewhere .it is but natural ..and I have to tell you he did a Phenomenal job for his first day of school. Even though he had it all in his mind but still u know u don't know the reality of the situation till u are in it. But yeah I know he'll get over the crying pretty soon.
So engrossed he becomes in whatever he is doing and for 35 minutes ..thats an excellent quality he has yaa :)
And yeah I know I too just had to write about his first day on that very day itself literally falling asleep at the comp.
Many hugs to KB and to u :)

DotThoughts said...

yaaay! KB is in big boy school.. he will be ok noon and he will start having so much fun! just wait and see!

noon said...

Mammamia - thankee thankee. WOuld have been fun if you had really been there with me yesterday to watch all this drama! :) I really hope KB gets used to it soon - I am so eager to see him enjoy this place - it seems like so much fun that I wish I were a three year old now!
Wow YO starting school?! Not even two? Why so early? Well I think for KG I will put her in school at 18m! :)

Namesake of MMia :) - Hope dude boy does fine! :)
OK will do an update post tomorrow - but only if things go well! If not I will be walking all the way down guilt lane - what did I do wrong etc etc!

Mags - 10 days - Oh man - seems so long! Strangely I didnt' feel so bad to see KB crying yesterday - somehow it seemed so funny bcz he was actually distracted by the other kids playing and I felt like he was making sure he was keeping up with the crying along side the people watching! :)

Preethi - I wish I knew which post you had written about Cheeky's first day. I want to read it now. Now I am interested in all first day of preschool posts! Thanks for the compliments about my sleep writing! :) May be then I should sleep and write - seems to have a better hit rate than my awake ones!

Neera - it was your post that inspired me to write and beg B to download the photos from his camera so I can post it along with this post. I should go back and look for Vansh's first day at ECFE. Just to feel better that it will change soon for KB too!

Dots - yes, that's what I am waiting for - I just want him to enjoy it. I mean these kids have it so good - play dough and awesome play grounds and what not. My L.K.G was a proper classroom. No play dough or such fun stuff. I don't remember it clearly but I don't think it was half as much fun.

Aryan-Arjun said...

Again no words to say about your writing skills....
HUGS to KB..look at how nicely he is sitting...So cute man...
He will be fine soon.
AM

Mamma mia! Me a mamma? said...

Thanks noonie! The joke goes on you know...

B for Bangla
J for Jebra (ie Zebra)
S for iskul (school) etc...

noon said...

Vat do you mean Mammamia - Our Tamil kids learn other thingz at preschool: Fi ones ah fi,
W for van and so you say Vot and not What (I learned the sound diff pretty late in life, hence this joke on myself!) etc etc !:)
Hope you didn't mind the Bong joke!

noon said...

Aryan - thanks! :) Really hope he gets used to school soon!

dipali said...

Awwww-poor boy and poor mamma. I'm sure he'll be fine soon:)

Anonymous said...

Oh, goodness, his first day was not a Monday but a Cryday! Hope he gets used to things soon...

noon said...

Dipali, Deponti - thanks - hope he is fine soon - just don't want to loose out on a good teacher mainly!