Upon arrival, she excitedly ran to meet her friends on the front grass. All us parents talked about our expectations and our fears, while the children enjoyed playing tag.
The double doors opened...
We walked inside.
At this point, my daughter didn't know what to expect. At 4 years old, she has never been anywhere without me (other than with my parents on some rare days). I was there to help her through difficult situations, or calm her worries, fears, and anything she needed. I was her rock.
She said her goodbyes with grace and ease.
...It would appear I was more nervous than she was.
The next few days went wonderfully. She was excited and in complete aww of the idea of school.
After those few days passed, the novelty was wearing thin and she started to become more weary. She broke down and didn't want to return to school.
Sadly, she still loved the idea of school and wanted to continue, just wanted me nearby.
Being the type of parent that I was/am, there wasn't any way I was going to force my daughter to return to a situation that wasn't mandatory and made her feel this insecure. So, I devised a plan with the staff, who were absolutely wonderful and beyond helpful, to allow her the room to become secure within her environment again.
Within a month, she was back on track.
...Without a hiccup.
She was back to playing tag on that front grass again.
Fast forward 8 months later, that same walkway where she was hesitant and uneasy, she hopped and skipped her way through those double doors to her final day. She gathered with her friends and they held hands before her goodbyes, saying, "I'll see you later alligator."
Then she walked out with her class to the stage and sang her farewell songs without any hesitation or tears.
This little girl started off as a secure child within her home environment, to then be placed into a situation that wasn't familiar and created doubt. I am grateful that the preschool she attended allowed me the room to recreate an environment that worked for her, otherwise, she wouldn't have ever returned and felt the grandiose moment she experienced on graduation day.
She not only accomplished something great, she created great memories. She made friends, had parties, was invited to parties, had parades, concerts, and a great education. She also learned how to cope on her own, without mommy, and that is a lesson that will prove to be beneficial for years to come.
On the final day, her teachers gave her congratulations and commended her outstanding growth over the school year. Her teacher said she would do beautifully in kindergarten and wished her the best of luck.
My daughter felt proud and she held an ear to ear smile for the entire day.
I owe a lot to that preschool, because they were the ones who set the foundation for my daughter's future school experiences. If I would have been a parent with a sink or swim mentality, yes she would have attended school, but it wouldn't have been on her terms with a secure environment. It would have been beyond stressful, with lots of crying and agitation. Then, I believe, she would have continued to have off days and regrets. However, once my daughter was back on track, I never heard her say she didn't want to go to school. In fact, she complained that school was only 3 days a week.
When she looks back upon her days, she'll think of all the fun she had with her friends and learning... She won't think of stress and anxiety that would have been created, had she been forced to be dropped off and cry until she couldn't cry anymore.
Now, she is incredibly eager to attend kindergarten and I believe she'll do wonderfully, mainly, because she had such an amazing preschool experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment