The Peas Pod: The First day of Play school

Two weeks ago my Curious George had his very first day if play school. He is attending a lovely school called Roosevelt Park Pre-primary which is just around the corner from us. I have locumed there and my aunt is a teacher there. So I know the school well and agree with their child view and educational methods. However even though I know the school very well it was still a very difficult for me to decide whether or not to send my precious son to school. He is only 2,5 years old after all and I am a stay at home mom.

So why did I decide to send him when the educator in me is of the opinion that most children are ready for school at about 3? Well firstly since becoming a mom I've realised that every child is different and you cannot simply box children into age groups. This is a Utopian and narrow visioned ideal just like architecture that doesn't take people into account when it is designed. We'd all like things put into perfect little categories because that's easy but life is not like that at all. The more I live the further from the ideal I live and I'm OK with that (most days). So when my son started saying that every child we met at a park or restaurant or on an airplane was his friend (whether he talked to them or not) I realised that he was in desperate need of some companionship. In fact when we first started talking to him about school his first reaction was that he was going to make friends and paint. Well then perhaps he was ready. However he was still very clingy and after our terrible 2012 I really wondered whether he'd be able to separate from me. I really did not want his first experience of school to be a traumatic one. After all he'd been through enough trauma and I was at home so there it was not a necessity (I am truly blessed to have the luxury of staying at home).

Well after a lot of prayer and conversations with the school and people I trust we decided to start CG at the beginning of the year at 2,5 yrs old in the playgroup for 2days a week, moving up to 3 when he got used to it. We'd only been home from the USA for 5 days and were dealing with serious jet lag but I took him anyway so he'd be new with everyone else. I spent the day before thinking over every scenario of how I could make it work: I'd stay the whole time, I'd stay but not in the classroom in case the wheels came off, I'd stay for some time and then leave, I'd leave quickly but only for an hour, I'd stay and do something with him then leave and come back in an hour. In the end it was the last option I decided on with the help of his teacher.

The days before the first day I talked him through every part of the day and what would happen (thanks to my bestie for this suggestion). Then on the day I was as positive as possible (keeping all my own fears hidden). I made him special breakfast and we made a big fuss over him. I also made him a felt heart on a necklace which we 'filled' with kisses from everyone in the family for him to use at school if he missed home. Then it was off to school. I can tell you that staying excited and positive was very difficult considering all the trepidation I felt.

So after greeting teacher Bonni with a big hug and saying hi to the other kids (mommy initiated) and taking lots of photos I stayed to paint one picture and then gave a big hug and said good bye. Teacher Bonni picked up my crying child and carried him off to the playground and I exited as fast as possible. As I walked through the school gate I thought I might cry but actually I felt a huge sense of relief. It had gone so much better than I expected and I had done my crying the night before.

But as I drove off the guilt set in. Thought - you are a terrible mother, how can you send your child to school when he could be at home, home is supposed to be better for them, you are a failure because. You can't entertain your child at home and on and on the litany of guilt continued.

But when I went back an hour later he was so happy he didn't see me so I slipped away and sat in the big kids play ground for another hour. When I finally did fetch him he cried because he didn't want to leave. Of course that made me feel worse - "my child likes his teacher more than me". But then I returned to my sense and realised I been given a great gift, not only was it obvious that my child was ready for school but he also enjoyed it.

Now in our third week the guilt lingers only slightly, after all now I spend special time with JB and some time on me and our home. Today I took him in and he didn't cry at all when I left although he told me he would (lol).