School has been a huge adjustment for all of us, and I have to say that things are far from perfect. To recap:
Day one was okayish but hard on Sh.awn. They did not have an aide in place for him. There was an aide, but she was suppose to split her time with some other kids in the school. The principal stepped in to help be his aide when the other aide was gone. That didn't go well. Sh.awn is not his best when there are a lot of transitions. He didn't know these people who were coming and going. It was just...not an ideal situation. Then they decided that the boys won't leave out the same exit as the other kids because there are other parents lined up with the afternoon kinder kids where we'd need to exit. The walkway isn't big enough for us to get through if other people are there. So now we go through the school and out the front exit. It adds a lot of extra walking for the boys when they are already just tired. Sigh.
Day two was a little better, but still not without issues. The aide was now going to be with Sh.awn all day, but how effective can she be when she has to ask Is.aac what to do when Sh.awn tells her "no." Um...tell him yes and get on with business? When I talked to her after school, she said she wanted me to come 10 minutes early to pick the boys up because she had to go to lunch before she had to work with another student. Again, um...No.
Day three was the day the boys were kind of done going to school. There were tears and they just didn't want to go. Got them calmed down and in school only to find there was yet another aide in there for Sh.awn. He spent the day crying off and on, asking for me. The principal was again in and out all day long trying to help out, but let's face it. They made a hard situation even harder by given him yet another change to have to deal with during an already traumatizing week. Sigh.
I ask them how the day went and don't get much info from them. The second day they forgot to pick up the boys' homework and didn't give us that night's homework. We didn't get it the next night either. I don't know if there was homework for day three.
According to the other teacher in the room (the kinder teachers share a room and help the other out when not teaching), Sh.awn is ready for school. He makes it about half way through (until recess) before he just falls apart. He knows so much, but he is just really struggling with the transition.
Sigh.
I knew there would be a challenge in the transition to school for the boys, especially Sh.awn. But I have to say that watching him go through this is really, really hard. My stomach has been a mess for days. Is.aac and I are at each other's throats over the stupidest things. It's just...ugh.
To top it off, the boys are sick with fevers and throwing up. (although I did paste in Is.aac's texts to me about Ja.son getting sick over on the boys' blog because it was pretty funny how he described it)
It's been a hard week.
Tomorrow I go back to work, so I'll be even more out of the equation. I can't help but think things are spiraling out of control and I don't know how to stop them.
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Forgive the crappy writing. I just can't bring myself to even go back and reread what I wrote. Blech.
I'm sorry things are hard. I'm sorry that they're hard and now you have to go back to work before seeing him/them settled.
ReplyDeleteSchool is a hard transition. The teachers are bound to be used to it, and they'll get him through. He'll adapt. Hopefully very very soon.
((hug)) i hope it gets easier!!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry it's been hard on everyone. I hope that these kinks get ironed out.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest all of my kids were good for the first couple of days and then announced that they didn't want to go to school. I think it's when the excitement is over for them.
Stay strong mama. put some hearts in your pocket.
Here's to a much better week.
I agree with Cathy. The teachers are used to this kind of thing and will get the boys through it. I know that Shawn likes routine and he will get there. It's early days yet. I think all kids get to about day 3 or 4 of kindergarten and realize that holy crap, I have to go every day? They will get used to it. They will adjust. Give it time.
ReplyDeleteAnd I wish I had better news for you about the germs. When we put our boys in daycare at age 2 they were sick about every other week for the first few months. The good news? After that initial onslaught of germs/illnesses, it got a LOT better and continues to be better to this day, 3 and a half years later.
Hang in there. This is the tough part, the getting-used-to-it-all part. It will get better. Promise.
Carrie
Hang in mama, it will get better. I'm sorry it's so sucky now. xo
ReplyDeleteOh this kind of breaks my heart a little bit for all of you! Transition/change is hard for anyone, let alone a kindergartner, and add in top of that the extra stress that your boys feel. I can't imagine how difficult it is for you, but I know you will get through it, as will the boys. Eventually, this will become the new routine for them. Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteHang in there. New transitions are always rough. We just got started for 2 of the kids, too, and the other 2 start next week. I feel like the stress level has increased around here 10-fold, too. :(
ReplyDeleteI think the first month will just be like this, unfortunately. Once a routine is figured out (for us, for the kids, for the teachers) HOPEFULLY it will be a lot better.
Hold on!!
That is hard.
ReplyDelete