I don't know if you've heard, but my baby is a kindergartener now. She really enjoys school and likes her teacher a lot. She's already a pro on the school bus and has come home speaking Chinese, counting to 100, and singing new songs. She told us all about Mrs. Parker's reward program for good behavior, and she's very excited to try and earn an ice cream cone party for her class at the end of the month. She even made us a "kissing hand" - a cut-out outline of her hand with a heart pasted in the middle, which we are to keep with us and look at for comfort when she is at school because, as she explained, "It's like I am blowing you a kiss so you won't miss me and feel sad." So far, so good.
However, there were a few bumps in the road. The biggest involved morning transition from bus to school. After the bus dropped Emma off Wednesday morning, she apparently had no idea where to go and there was no one there to guide her - this despite all parents being assured Tuesday that there would be adults "everywhere" to help the children. So she started crying and calling for me until another parent noticed and asked where her Mommy was. (Hearing Em tell me this story, after I'd just spent eight agonizing hours wondering if she was safe/happy/scared/etc., was akin to being told, "Your daughter needed you and you weren't there. You failed." Excruciating.) The parent read the note I'd pinned on Emma's shirt and saw that she needed to go to the cafeteria for breakfast. Thankfully, this stranger helped her get where she needed to be. Em told me all of this as if it were just another little anecdote about her day, but Chris and I were NOT happy. I exchanged long emails with her teacher that night. Mrs. Parker was very empathetic, but ultimately not much help. The gist of her advice was that if Emma needs guidance, she needs to ask for it. Needless to say, I wasn't reassured.
I was very, very tempted to just scratch the bus entirely and take her to school myself the next morning. But Emma enjoyed riding the bus and wasn't that freaked out about what had happened. I feared that if I rearranged the schedule and made a big deal about it, then it would suddenly BECOME a big deal to Emma and she would get scared. So, not at all sure I was doing the right thing, I instructed Emma the next morning to go straight to the first adult she sees after arrival at school and ask them to show her the way to the cafeteria. Then I spent another eight hours worrying myself into a mini-frenzy.
However, I should have had more faith in my little girl's resourcefulness. That afternoon, Emma got off the bus with a huge grin on her face and declared, "Kindergarten is GREAT!" Once Em got to school that morning, she discovered that she remembered the way to the cafeteria and got herself there all on her own. She was very proud of herself, as she should be. That school is huge! I honestly don't know if I could have done the same. I'm still worried about her getting lost, but she doesn't seem to be, and that's what really matters I guess. Because like it or not, I can't be there with her. For the first time in her life, she's kinda on her own...and there's not a thing I can do about it.
So, first week under our belts...although it has ended up being a bit abbreviated. Emma woke up with a fever today, so no school. She was bummed, I was (secretly) elated. It sucks that she's sick, but I've really missed her this week and don't mind having her at home at all. And Sophie is over the moon to have her playmate back. She's been a bit lost all week without her big sister. Walking home after seeing Emma off to school yesterday, Sophie suddenly stopped, turned in a circle, reached her hands in the air and wailed, "Where's my Emmmmmaaaaaaa?" I just looked at her helplessly and said, "I know how you feel, kid. I know how you feel."
One week of school down, 13 years to go.
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