By Debbie Jones…new
West Wing Parent
I dread the drop
off. I admit it. Thankfully, we haven’t had kicking, screaming or crying. It’s
just the prospect of a painful goodbye that I dread. It’s like that moment you
realize your child is going into a downward spiral of inappropriate behavior
and you will be forced to take some sort of disciplinary action, but you
hesitate because you know it will cause a huge, public temper tantrum. You know
you have to do it…but you need a moment to mentally prepare.
Thanks to the expert teachers and the reassurances by Kris and Roleen, Austin
and I have fared pretty well since he started in September. Like most kids when
they start preschool, his first six weeks he only attended three weeks of
classes due to getting sick repeatedly. So each time he was out for a week it
was like starting over…”I don’t want to go to school. I want to stay home with
you. I’ll go to school in the morning, but I don’t want to stay for nap.” And on it went each morning. On one morning drive to
school Austin brought the kitchen label-maker with him in the car and we spent
the drive spelling out the words NO SCHOOL TODAY FOR AUSTIN on the label maker.
Now that we are
finally getting into a routine, here comes Winter Break. I have heard even the
experienced East Wing parent lament over the transitions during and after
Winter Break. I thought it might be helpful to pass on some reminders from our
recent morning Coffee with Roleen.
Most of us thrive
on routine and kids are no different. You may be able to avoid some of the
holiday over-stimulation by preparing your child for the change in routine. It
is amazing how capable my son is if I just let him know what is going to happen
ahead of time.
Grandma
may pinch your cheeks…I know you don’t like it, but it is her way of saying she
loves you. How do you want to say hello to her? “Ok mom.”
For
dinner we will all sit together. If you finish before the rest of us you will
still need to stay at the table until everyone is done. You can pick out a coloring book so you can color
while you wait. “Ok mom.”
Tomorrow
morning we will be getting up very early to get on a plane to visit your
cousins. You can wear your pajamas or choose the clothes you want to
wear. “Ok mom.”
Today
we are not going to have a play-date or go to the park. I have
some friends coming for dinner and I’m going to need some help picking up the
house. What do you want to be in charge of? “Ok mom.”
Sometimes
that simple “Ok mom” is like the
Hallelujah Chorus in my ears.
When
it comes to returning after Winter Break, keep the same things in mind. Don’t
expect your child to say, “Yea! I can’t wait to go back to school.” Some kids
will, but it would not be unusual for even a seasoned East Winger to complain
about returning to school. After all, they probably spent a lot of time with
you over the holidays and they may not be ready to be away from you. If they
are new to the school, they may be concerned about reestablishing relationships
with the teachers and with their new friends.
Keep the momentum
of school going by talking about the teachers or the friends. Talk about what
they may be doing over winter break. Schedule play-dates with children from New
School West…you may need to keep your kids busy anyhow. Look at photos that
were taken at school of the teachers and friends. If you don’t have any handy
you can go online to the blog or the flicker site to see pictures of your child
having fun at New School West.
Although we just
started New School West in September, Keith and I are already loving the
environment provided for our son…and for us as parents. The support and
continuing education for all of us will help guide us through this new phase of
our son’s development. We’re looking forward to getting to know the other
parents and children and maybe seeing you at a play-date over the winter break!