21 April 2009
Brave boy
Today Yannick had his first half day at pre-school. He went in without batting an eye lid in hesitation. OK, he stopped to sit on a bench next to the entrance for the first five minutes and watched what was going on but after that he set off to play as if he'd never done anything else. After another five minutes or so I went over to him to tell him that I was leaving. He wasn't bothered too much. He looked at me in a way that it seemed like he was trying to find out whether I was really going and then just played on.
How brave is that? He went in there without knowing anybody and doesn't even speak great English yet. I think at almost three years of age this is very courageous, especially if you've never really staid with anybody else but your parents. OK, my sister took him out to play last year a few times but that was that.
He was supposed to stay there for three hours. Two hours after leaving I received a phone call that Yannick wasn't happy at all any more and was asking for his mummy. So I set off to collect my brave little boy who was now crying while sitting on a helpers lap. Awww. He was happy to see me and just wanted to go home. I asked him whether he wanted to come back tomorrow and again without hesitation: 'yes'. He actually really liked being there and I was assured that he was playing nicely up to about five minutes before they called me. I guess that it simply all got a bit much after a while and he needed some moral support. I'm expecting something similar for the rest of this week (two more half days) and maybe for next week too.
I think part of his courage must come from the fact that we have a couple of books which described pre-school pretty well and he was really keen on playing with other children. I was probably more nervous beforehand than he was. And while it was really nice to have a couple of hours to myself today (spent with cleaning of all things…) I was missing my little man and shed a couple of tears about how fast they grow up.
Posted 4 May 2009, 18:11. About 'Brave boy'.
I think it is a really big step. Freyja started pre-school in January, and she has been used to being with her childminder a few days a week since she was a year old, but she still found the step up to pre-school, where there are more children and it is less of a ‘home-from-home’ setting, quite daunting. Even now she sometimes says she doesn’t want to go! But she always loves it when she is there and I look forward to the paintings and little things she has made that she brings home afterwards!
Well done to Yannick! (and to you!)
Posted 7 May 2009, 21:11. About 'Brave boy'.
Yes, isn’t that just great, all those pictures you get all of a sudden?
Yannick also said a couple of times that he didn’t want to go - but only because he was in the middle of something. Once I reminded him of all the toys in pre-school he changed his mind immediately.
Thank you, Solveig! :))