Today was a hard day.
Not for my oldest. He was pretty excited to start school. First grade, it's "all that." He's really psyched for tomorrow when he gets to eat lunch at school. He's social, he's happy, he's ready for it all to get going.
Not for my middle. He was also excited to go to school. Last year, he didn't love it so much, but I think he wasn't quite old enough. This year, he's a star. And the teachers noticed how much he's grown up, how happy he was.
Not for me. I know how happy my boys are at school! I know how much fun they're having, I know how much they're learning, I know how good it is.
It was hard for Yael. This morning, she woke up a little earlier than usual, because there was all the hustle and bustle. That was the beginning of it all. Then, suddenly (well in her 18-month-old mind), the boys, including Dad, got their shoes on in a hurry and left.
What!?
She sat right down in the middle of the front hall and screamed. She followed them out the door. She cried as they drove away.
And all day, it was like that. Just not quite right for her.
Poor baby.
I've read lots of articles about how to ease your child into preschool, how to transition to the first day of school, how to make it all okay for the ones who are doing the going.
But not too much about the ones left behind. I never even thought of it. A whole morning alone with her mom...but she didn't quite see it that way.
A little bit of extra love and kisses for my baby this week.
How did your kids do on their first days of school?
Showing posts with label parenting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parenting. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Musings on Pajama Day
Today is Pajama Day at David's school.
David is in Kindergarten.
He came downstairs really excited about wearing his PJ's to school. I didn't argue or dissuade him. He thought the whole thing was "cool".
After breakfast, he started to have a change of heart. "What about my afterschool program? It's not pajama day there." So I offered for him to take a change of clothes, but told him it wasn't safe to change on the bus, to please change once he got there.
So he stuffed a pair of pants and a shirt into his backpack and we were off.
About a block from school, he started to look worried.
"What if no one else is in their pajamas?" he asked.
I assured him that many people, especially in Kindergarten, would be in their pajamas. After all, weren't people wearing green yesterday and dressed as their "future selves" on Tuesday? (It's Spirit Week.) He agreed that they were.
But as we got closer to the playground, he could see many kids in regular clothes. It's a bit chilly this morning, so I could tell that many of them *were* in PJ's (by the bottoms) but with coats on. He was unconvinced. "No one's wearing pajamas!" he bemoaned.
"Can I change right now?" he asked.
How could I argue with him? I tried. A few moments. I walked him through what to say to the teacher if he felt uncomfortable and how to ask for permission to go change in the bathroom at school. He would have none of it.
So he changed. Right there, in the car, in the dropoff line. (Yes, I was that mom holding up the line today.)
And my heart broke a little. (Especially when his best buddy walked up wearing his pajamas...but that's not the point.)
My heart broke for my little boy who is already concered about what other people think.
My heart broke for a world in which kids are cruel to other kids.
My heart broke when I thought that he was already defining himself by what is "cool" and what is "not."
It's a long way off for him to come into high school. But I just finished reading this novel, which, while fiction, has been haunting me.
This is only the beginning. I feel such a weight of responsibilty, to teach my child that he *is* a blessing, just by being himself. That I love him for who he is. That the world will love him too, if he just guts it out and makes it through whatever minefield elementary, middle, and high school will be for him.
I pray that it will be easy. I pray that he will not be a bullied kid, and that he will not be a bully either. I pray that he will be a mensch...kind and sweet and good and that *that* will take him places...
Please.
David is in Kindergarten.
He came downstairs really excited about wearing his PJ's to school. I didn't argue or dissuade him. He thought the whole thing was "cool".
After breakfast, he started to have a change of heart. "What about my afterschool program? It's not pajama day there." So I offered for him to take a change of clothes, but told him it wasn't safe to change on the bus, to please change once he got there.
So he stuffed a pair of pants and a shirt into his backpack and we were off.
About a block from school, he started to look worried.
"What if no one else is in their pajamas?" he asked.
I assured him that many people, especially in Kindergarten, would be in their pajamas. After all, weren't people wearing green yesterday and dressed as their "future selves" on Tuesday? (It's Spirit Week.) He agreed that they were.
But as we got closer to the playground, he could see many kids in regular clothes. It's a bit chilly this morning, so I could tell that many of them *were* in PJ's (by the bottoms) but with coats on. He was unconvinced. "No one's wearing pajamas!" he bemoaned.
"Can I change right now?" he asked.
How could I argue with him? I tried. A few moments. I walked him through what to say to the teacher if he felt uncomfortable and how to ask for permission to go change in the bathroom at school. He would have none of it.
So he changed. Right there, in the car, in the dropoff line. (Yes, I was that mom holding up the line today.)
And my heart broke a little. (Especially when his best buddy walked up wearing his pajamas...but that's not the point.)
My heart broke for my little boy who is already concered about what other people think.
My heart broke for a world in which kids are cruel to other kids.
My heart broke when I thought that he was already defining himself by what is "cool" and what is "not."
It's a long way off for him to come into high school. But I just finished reading this novel, which, while fiction, has been haunting me.
This is only the beginning. I feel such a weight of responsibilty, to teach my child that he *is* a blessing, just by being himself. That I love him for who he is. That the world will love him too, if he just guts it out and makes it through whatever minefield elementary, middle, and high school will be for him.
I pray that it will be easy. I pray that he will not be a bullied kid, and that he will not be a bully either. I pray that he will be a mensch...kind and sweet and good and that *that* will take him places...
Please.
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