"Learning to Fly"
As of one week ago today, Connor is attending school twice a week, four hours a day. Since this is basically his first experience being left with anyone but family, I'm not sure who had a more difficult time adjusting — Connor or his mom.
Here is the up-to-the-minute update of how Connor and Stacey are handling this new adventure thus far.
Open House: Stacey took the day off, and we both took Connor for an open play day in his classroom. Seeing the classroom gave me shudders — reminding me how much I despised school, and also reminding me of how long a journey Connor has before he's done. Sorry, kid.
He played well with the other kids, but freaked out when he wasn't ready to stop playing with a particular toy. Rather than make a scene and upset the other kids, we left...after making a scene and upsetting a few kids.
Day #1: Many parents of other first-timers like Connor stuck around after dropping off their kids to see how the wee ones fared without their parents at their sides. After 10 minutes, nearly every parent was gone, but I was there to stay, given very specific instructions by Stacey to not even step out to use the restroom. So, I camped out with my laptop, video iPod and a magazine, and hunkered down for the long haul. One hour after dropping him off, Connor melted down and I had to take him home.
"He's a sympathetic cryer," the program's director told me, as if this was an issue I was supposed to have resolved previously.
Day #2: We'd been 'talking up' going back to school and Connor seemed a bit more ready to go, though he still cried when I dropped him off. I prepared to camp out again, but after 30 minutes, the program director informed me that he was playing with other kids and wasn't crying.
"You're welcome to leave," she told me. "We won't let him cry very long, and if he does, we'll call you immediately."
"Thanks for the info, but I have to talk to my wife first," I told her.
"Well, you CAN leave," she responded.
After getting a half-hearted green light from Stacey, I bolted. Connor made it the whole day and all is right with the world.
Though I wasn't nearly as nervous as Stacey about this process, I am shocked that Connor adjusted as quickly as he did. Though he still cries a bit when I drop him off, he marches in on his own and never looks back for me.
I suppose I have more work to do than him with this, though. If he finds out how terrible I did in school — not to mention how long it took me to finish — I'll never be able to get him to do his homework.
Have they invented smart pills yet?
Here is the up-to-the-minute update of how Connor and Stacey are handling this new adventure thus far.
Open House: Stacey took the day off, and we both took Connor for an open play day in his classroom. Seeing the classroom gave me shudders — reminding me how much I despised school, and also reminding me of how long a journey Connor has before he's done. Sorry, kid.
He played well with the other kids, but freaked out when he wasn't ready to stop playing with a particular toy. Rather than make a scene and upset the other kids, we left...after making a scene and upsetting a few kids.
Day #1: Many parents of other first-timers like Connor stuck around after dropping off their kids to see how the wee ones fared without their parents at their sides. After 10 minutes, nearly every parent was gone, but I was there to stay, given very specific instructions by Stacey to not even step out to use the restroom. So, I camped out with my laptop, video iPod and a magazine, and hunkered down for the long haul. One hour after dropping him off, Connor melted down and I had to take him home."He's a sympathetic cryer," the program's director told me, as if this was an issue I was supposed to have resolved previously.
Day #2: We'd been 'talking up' going back to school and Connor seemed a bit more ready to go, though he still cried when I dropped him off. I prepared to camp out again, but after 30 minutes, the program director informed me that he was playing with other kids and wasn't crying.
"You're welcome to leave," she told me. "We won't let him cry very long, and if he does, we'll call you immediately."
"Thanks for the info, but I have to talk to my wife first," I told her.
"Well, you CAN leave," she responded.
After getting a half-hearted green light from Stacey, I bolted. Connor made it the whole day and all is right with the world.
Though I wasn't nearly as nervous as Stacey about this process, I am shocked that Connor adjusted as quickly as he did. Though he still cries a bit when I drop him off, he marches in on his own and never looks back for me.
I suppose I have more work to do than him with this, though. If he finds out how terrible I did in school — not to mention how long it took me to finish — I'll never be able to get him to do his homework.
Have they invented smart pills yet?
posted by Carter at 4:36 PM
2 Comments:
What the hell is a sympathetic crier? We're still a couple years away from any organized school setting, but we did enroll our son in swimming lessons. He loves the pool, but couldn't care less about the other kids or the lesson - just wanted to do his own thing. A chip off the ole block I guess.
The smart pills don't work, I've tried them...and besides, they have side effects. Was that the front door or the back door?
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