THIS IS A photograph of all three kids on their first day of school last month. Patrick and Julia are now in CM1 (4th grade) and so far seem to be enjoying it ('it's OK' is the usual line we get), and Henry is in his first year of maternelle, a sort of pre-K/day care for 3 and 4 year-olds. He is only attending two mornings a week and that's probably a good thing because he hasn't been very...what's the word...enthusiastic about the experience so far. Oh, he loved the 'idea' of going to school (new clothes, backpack, etc.) but once he actually got there the novelty of the new clothes and backpack seemed to fade away. You can see from the above photo that he's all smiles. But if we'd taken a photo 10 minutes later you would have seen a completely different look on his face -- one more like...what's the word...terror!
But that was then. Now, thanks to some creative techniques by Kerri, Henry goes into his class without (much) incident. And he is comforted by the knowledge that his mother will pick him up for lunch in a few hours.
But this week we had to change the plans a little bit. Because Kerri now has a weekly appointment on Tuesday mornings, I pick up the kids and take them home for lunch on that day. Henry was told about this, but I'm not sure he processed it properly. I say this because when I arrived to pick him up this past Tuesday he wasn't very happy. When he saw me at the door at 11:30 he did his best to hold his emotions together but I could tell as soon as he saw me that he was hoping for someone else. With a quivering lower lip he said au revoir to his teacher, put his things into his backpack, and we left the room. As soon as we were a few feet away he looked at me and said, 'I didn't want you to pick me up. I wan't mommy to pick me up.' By this time the tears were coming down his face (but he was still trying hard not to cry) and I was doing my best to reassure him that mommy would be home very soon to join us for lunch. He wasn't buying it for a minute. He just kept repeating that he didn't want me to pick him up.
That's when Patrick and Julia saved me. They know on Tuesdays and Thursday to come to Henry's classroom to meet Kerri (me, on this day) and when they saw us they ran up to see how Henry's day was. Like seasoned parents they went overboard about how exciting it was that Henry was in school and how excited they were to see the paintings he had made that day. And wouldn't you know it -- it worked. Henry quickly forgot about me and began talking to his big brother and big sister about...school.
I've already decided that next Tuesday I'm just going to wait in the car and have P & J pick up Henry from the classroom.
CJS
But that was then. Now, thanks to some creative techniques by Kerri, Henry goes into his class without (much) incident. And he is comforted by the knowledge that his mother will pick him up for lunch in a few hours.
But this week we had to change the plans a little bit. Because Kerri now has a weekly appointment on Tuesday mornings, I pick up the kids and take them home for lunch on that day. Henry was told about this, but I'm not sure he processed it properly. I say this because when I arrived to pick him up this past Tuesday he wasn't very happy. When he saw me at the door at 11:30 he did his best to hold his emotions together but I could tell as soon as he saw me that he was hoping for someone else. With a quivering lower lip he said au revoir to his teacher, put his things into his backpack, and we left the room. As soon as we were a few feet away he looked at me and said, 'I didn't want you to pick me up. I wan't mommy to pick me up.' By this time the tears were coming down his face (but he was still trying hard not to cry) and I was doing my best to reassure him that mommy would be home very soon to join us for lunch. He wasn't buying it for a minute. He just kept repeating that he didn't want me to pick him up.
That's when Patrick and Julia saved me. They know on Tuesdays and Thursday to come to Henry's classroom to meet Kerri (me, on this day) and when they saw us they ran up to see how Henry's day was. Like seasoned parents they went overboard about how exciting it was that Henry was in school and how excited they were to see the paintings he had made that day. And wouldn't you know it -- it worked. Henry quickly forgot about me and began talking to his big brother and big sister about...school.
I've already decided that next Tuesday I'm just going to wait in the car and have P & J pick up Henry from the classroom.
CJS
1 comment :
ooooo that is sooo cute.
poor henry. I remember my first day of "Maternelle". I stuck to my brother all day. i was sooo scared!
is he enjoying it now?
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