Today, in addition to seeing how Connor did on his first day of school, I also got a small glimpse of what it's going to be like on the day I try to ship my other two children off to school. You know, the two-year olds who are still on the waiting list for pre-school. It wasn't pretty, not at all.
Lucky for me, Josh was able to be home this morning to look after the little guys while I took Connor in for the first day. We knew there would be paperwork and that he might be a bit shy at first, so I got to take him by himself and get everything settled. It took over an hour and a half, so it was nice not to have the little guys tagging along for that.
However, Josh actually had to go to work before it was time to pick Connor back up at noon. That meant I was going to have to do it with two toddlers in tow, two toddlers who have a lot of separation anxiety and who are not all that social. Sounds oh-so-fun, doesn't it? It wasn't, not at all.
I was that mother. You know, the one with the screaming and inconsolable children in the hallway. Other parents looked on, some with sympathy and others with less cordial looks (like why can't you control your children kind of disgust). And many simply averted their eyes. It was painful to watch, two miserable and unhappy little boys screaming and crying and trying to escape the terrible halls of the preschool. And the really sad part of it all, is that they weren't even there to go to school. They were just there to pick up their three-year old brother from school.
You see, in this day and age, preschools are apparently getting tighter on security. The doors are closed and locked from the outside during class, where only teachers and directors have keys. The door opens at 12 noon, sharp, and parents are lined up in the halls waiting. Children are released one at a time, to ensure they're going with the right person, and you must sign them out.
We waited (I wish I could say quietly, but clearly not) until the end. I kept the little guys as far away as possible from the other parents and siblings (who were all quite calm), and came to get Connor last. I knew after leaving him happily playing earlier in the morning that he would be fine. If anything, he was sorry to see us (especially his crying brothers) and not at all ready to go.
My big boy came out with a smile on his face and a wistful look back over his shoulder at the classroom and all the wonderful new toys and things he was leaving behind. He had a new carrying bag with his name and handprints that they had made that day (all the kids made one, so they all have the same backpack). He had a brand new yellow t-shirt with the school's name on it, and a small box of goodies - bubbles, toy coins, a plastic slinky, and a magnifying glass. He was in heaven. And when I asked him if he liked school, he gave me a big grin and said, "I like it! Connor maybe go back tomorrow?" Not quite, my big boy, but soon enough.
Oh well, at least the one who is actually enrolled in school seems to like it. The other two, however, did not seem at all pleased with even the idea of school (even after Mommy explained a thousand times at the house, in the car and on the way there that we were just going to pick up their brother, not to stay). A rather bad sign, I imagine, for the future.
Perhaps next week we'll try taking them in the stroller. With suckers. Surely they won't scream around the suckers in their mouths, right? Let the other parents think what they will. And as far as actually taking them to school, well, we'll just wait and cross that bridge when we actually get to it. That is, assuming the little guys don't burn it down first, which is probably a really strong possibility. Good times ahead . . .
