First Day of School, Take Two!

So, after the traumatic school experience last fall, K is starting a new school this coming September.  It's a smaller school of only 20+ students (in the whole school!) in one room, plus a small outdoor area, 3 teachers, and a few of her friends from Stroller Strides.  We are so excited for her to start her new school and are hoping and praying for a positive introduction to school with all of her friends there.  As such, we decided to ease into school with the summer program.  K will go 3 days a week for 4 hours during 3 different weeks this summer just to get a little bit of school experience under her belt before the school year starts.

In the last few months, when her friends were at school and we were at Stroller Strides, K repeatedly asked to go to school with them.  This made me so happy!  So, as we have been discussing school the last few weeks, K has told us how excited she was to go to school with her besties, Keaton and Abby.  This morning when we woke up, she was still excited!  There were no tantrums or refusals to get dressed, brush teeth, or eat breakfast.  Such an improvement so far!

On the way to school, K again told me how excited she was with exclamation in her voice!  "Mama, I'm so et-sik-ed!"  Me, too, sweetie!

We were almost there when she said, "Mama, I want to go to Stroller Strides today.  I don't want to go to school."  My heart sank.  I told her we were going to school and to think of all of the fun things she would do there with her friends.  "Mama, I want to stay home today.  I'm tired.  I don't want to go to school."  I told her again how much fun she would have and asked her what she would like to do at school.  In talking with her friends about her new school, she knew that they would have dress-up clothes, and a lemonade stand.  One of her favorite games at home is to play store.  K then said, "I want to play store with Keaton!" 

When we got to school, K was quiet, but there were no tears.  We were the first ones there and we said hi to her teachers.  Then she saw it: right inside the door was a grocery store stand a cash register!  And then her friend Keaton showed up.  She immediately asked Keaton to play store and was really happy. 

School starts at 9:00, but a lot of the moms and dads were sticking around a little bit since it was the first day.  I did too.  At 9:05, K said, "Mama, I think it's time for you to go bye-bye now."  I said, "Ok, honey."  I gave her a kiss and with that, I felt confident and comfortable to leave her at her new school.  What a difference a year, and the right school, make!

She put her lunch box on a hook, and even smiled for pictures!

Here is the grocery store and the cash register...so exciting!

And then her besties showed up to seal the deal!  Even though Wyatt doesn't get to stay at school yet, he gets to play for a few minutes each morning.  He will be going to school next year with K and Keaton!