Kindergarten!

When Forest was a colicky newborn, I distinctly remember thinking 'Just 5 years until he goes to Kindergarten and I can get my life back...because I am NEVER doing this again.' Then I realized he missed the cutoff by 2 months so it would actually be closer to 6 years before he left the nest. Either way, I had 3 weeks to go until I reached the finish line and BOOM- I started the baby clock all over again. At least this one is a summer baby so will be going to Kindergarten just after her 5th birthday. In all seriousness, the baby phase was never my favorite, but the preschooler phase was. I feel like Forest ended his preschooler phase a bit early since once we moved to Bangkok he started going to PreK 5 days a week for 5.5 hours a day. This year he is attending the same school, but Kindergartners go for 6.5 hours a day. Not too much of a change. 

I also feel like Forest is pretty academically advanced so he's been ready for Kindergarten in that capacity for some time now. I hope that his strong reading and math skills help him to feel confident, since he really struggles socially. His first day of Kinder started off weird. He had a rash on his chest and back for two days prior so we were treating with Benadryl. That meant I had to wake him from a dead sleep and rush him through breakfast and the morning routine in order to take a few snapshots and get to school on time. I wanted to get there a little early so he had time to play with friends and also get there before it got crazy packed on the preK/K playground. No such luck! We got there 5 minutes before the bell and it was a madhouse! Most kids had both parents there for drop off for their first day and it was just a sea of red polo shirts. 

I started chatting with a mom I knew from PreK and Forest ran off to the playground. I thought this was a good sign and hoped he'd found his best friend. A minute later I went to look for him and couldn't find him. I finally spotted him over by the preK area and could tell by his shoulders that he was crying. It broke my heart! I quickly grabbed his hand and he told me he couldn't find Cody (his BFF) and didn't know where I went and he didn't know if he was supposed to sign in for the day or not. 

My little perfectionist has SO MUCH anxiety about every little thing. He wants to know the protocol and hates big crowds and confusion. I quickly explained that his teacher would tell him everything he needed to know and it might take a week to learn the new rules/procedures but that no one expected him to know what to do on the first day. The bell rang and he confidently grabbed his backpack, gave me a quick goodbye hug and went to go into the classroom (like they did in PreK). 

His teacher gently asked him to stand in line behind the girl who got there first and once again, his shoulders slumped and I could see him totally shut down. Yes, he is THAT sensitive. He walked in and the teacher told him to go put his backpack in his cubby...and he just stood there. She gently nudged him toward the cubbies and greeted the next kid. Forest just stood there and the rest of the kids streamed past him following the teacher's instructions. After she pointed him to the cubbies for the third time, he slowly made his way over there. 

Then I looked back and he's standing off in a corner rubbing his eyes and crying. So of course, I started crying! I just wanted to rush in, scoop him in my arms and hold his hand while I pointed out the cubbies and new friends. But all I could do was stand there and watch from the playground window silently urging him to do as instructed. When I left they had gathered for story time on the circle mat and at least he was making his way over and looking at the books on the carpet. Books always cheer him up! But anyway, I had a terrible night with Juliet and was a complete overtired/hormonal/emotional wreck, just anxious to hear how the rest of the day went. 

According to Forest, it went fantastic! He was buzzing with excitement and told me there were no lows the first day, just highs- especially getting to go to the library and read the new pigeon book by Mo Willems. 

I told him he seemed nervous when he went into the classroom and he quickly responded "It's normal to be a little nervous on your first day." He seems like he has an AMAZING teacher- I can tell by the way he describes his day and how he interacts with other kids. "If I don't want someone to chase me on the playground, I can just say 'I don't want to play that game right now' and then they'll stop." He's had issues with being assertive in the past so it sounds like he has a teacher who can model and walk through that process with him, which is exactly what he needed for his Kindergarten year! 

He also needs to know that it's ok to make mistakes. After the first day he said Ms. Whitman told him one thing that he did that was against the rules (he didn't want to say what), but said that "It's ok. It was my first day. No one expects me to know all the rules right away." In preK when he inadvertently broke a rule he'd have a meltdown and say he was just the worst kid ever and couldn't do anything right. He's uber sensitive and slightly dramatic. But clearly showing some positive signs that he's maturing! 

The second morning went much more smoothly. He found his best friend right away and when the bell rang he made sure he was the first one in line to go to class. He didn't even have time to tell his momma goodbye. I stalked him through the window so I'd at least get to wave and blow him a kiss, and when he spotted me he was all smiles and big waves. But his teacher said maybe not to do that anymore in case it causes separation issues. Fair enough!

I'm feeling good about Kindergarten and hopefully his teacher reports that things are going well too. She really seems like a great fit for him. We are praying for a gentle and fun learning environment where he can continue to mature emotionally and socially before the big 1st grade next year. We love you Forest and are so proud of you!