Here's an update on TK:
Day One = Loved it!
Day Two = Loved it even more!
Day Three =Planned absence to Grandma's house
Day Four = Ms. Trainor pulled me aside at pick-up and told me Samantha was crying on and off throughout the day saying she missed me.
Day Five = Samantha wanted to take the day off. When I told her she had to go, the waterworks started. She cried all the way to school and begged me not to leave her. I told her I would stay until she felt comfortable. I sat in the classroom for about 20 minutes and realized that I would be sitting there the whole day, she wasn't going to let me leave. She was participating and having fun but as soon as I motioned that I was going to head out, she would get hysterical.
We went outside and Ms. Trainor and I tried our best to console her and get her to go back in. A little girl (I didn't get her name) came in late with her mom and she came right up to us and wiped away Sam's tears and held her hand. We thought maybe the friend would help Samantha go back in the classroom, no such luck. I took her home.....
At home I tried to get out of her why she didn't want to go and she would only say, "I just don't want to go today." I asked if she wanted to go back to preschool and she said, "No, I just don't want to go to any school. I want to stay home with you."
After some encouragement and coaxing to go back to school for the last half of the day, she reluctantly agreed only if I told the teacher that if she felt like going home that they would call me. Deal!
We walked up just in time for the brunch snack/recess break and the aide, Ms. Williams, ran right up to Samantha and told her how excited she was that she came back and that she was just in time to be the Line Leader. Several of the students also welcomed her back and asked her if she was okay. Ms. Williams had a walkie-talkie in her hand so I asked her to use her special phone to call me if there were any issues. Ms. Trainor also saw us and gave Sam the thumbs-up sign. I gave a quick kiss and hug and got out of there!
Thatcher and I picked Samantha up with a princess balloon to show her how proud we were of her for going back. She said she had fun and got to do a stamping project. I talked with some of the parents and we all agreed, five days a week for the kids who are not used to going to school that much is a big transition. Also, while TK is not as structured as Kindergarten, it is still more structured than Sam's preschool. The class size is also larger. And the kicker, Samantha seems to be the only 4 1/2 year old amongst the group of families I've talked to that is still napping. Samantha's naps are long too, real long! But I feel she still needs them because when she skips her nap she is pretty difficult in the evening. I can also bet that Samantha is going to bed the latest which in turn makes it hard for her to get up in the morning. I am literally begging her to get out of bed, eat breakfast, get dressed, brush teeth, go the bathroom, I thought all that was to happen when she's a teenager?!
Tomorrow is week two........
Stay tuned!
