Wait! I am not going back to school this year. It feels really, really weird. BB and BG arrived in September, but with both of them I started the school year. I never missed an opening day.
Although I am excited to be home with my children, I am missing my professional life a little bit. I love the feeling of excitement of the first week. I like getting back into a routine and seeing my colleagues. I like the energy of the children and teachers.
BB will be starting a new preschool this year. Transitions, and school in general, has not been very easy for him. His first daycare/preschool experience did not go well. His classroom was not a good fit. Aside from one excellent and loving teacher, his primary teachers did not give him the affection or guidance he needed at that point in life. He was two years, 10 months old in a classroom with 3 and 4 year olds. It is my belief they failed to take into account developmental levels and realize that he was a just a baby in a big kids' classroom.
Since that time, we have learned much more about his sensory, fine motor, and behavioral needs. Over the summer we continued with occupational therapy, which has made a world of difference for him. As parents we know better how to get him the daily sensory input he needs. BB went from being resistant to trying fine motor tasks, to being excited about writing, drawing, and coloring. We have also realized the he must continue to take naps, because fatigue is a huge factor in his behavior. We have changed his diet (removed the milk and egg, limited the soy, limited the sugar, and avoid food dyes). Next year he will continue to get daily classroom support from his occupational therapist and special education teacher.
He is doing really well, but it does not stop me from getting a stomach ache when I think of sending him into a new classroom. Will his teachers be able to support him? Will he make friends? Will he have fun? Will he be able to sit and follow directions? I know I am no different than other parents on the first day of school. I imagine that everyone has these thoughts. Unfortunately, his first school experience haunts me. He is such a special, loving, and beautiful little boy. As parents, we want the world to enjoy him as much as we do.
No comments:
Post a Comment