This is a picture of Ryan, back in September, on his first day of nursery school (also his 4th birthday). The silly grin on his face (and the fact that he has his backpack on his front) shows me just how nervous he actually was. I had no idea what to expect from him on that first day. Would he cry? Would he hold on to my leg and not want to let go? He has always proven to be slow to warm up, especially in new situations. Turns out, he did hold on to my hand on the way into the classroom. I got him settled with a few other kids at one of the tables where they were playing with play-doh, and I gave him a hug and a kiss and made my exit. On my way out the door, I turned around and took one last look before leaving the room. Ryan looked at me nervously, and I said "I'll see you in a little while.", and I left. When I went to pick him up that day, the teacher told me that he was definitely one of the more quiet kids in the class. For some reason, I felt I needed to explain that he was an observer, that he liked to see other kids do things before trying them himself. I received more of the same feedback throughout that first week. They told me that their "hallway activity" that month was the water table, and Ryan didn't want to wear a smock (and therefore couldn't play with the water table). I thought for sure they would blame it on some kind of sensory issue, or try and make like it was a big deal. They didn't, but once again, I felt I needed to explain that he would warm up, eventually.
I continued walking Ryan into his classroom until about January. I decided it was time for him to make the entrance by himself. He had made it a game to hide behind my leg and wait for the teachers to acknowledge him. I watched him grow more and more confident with each day forward.
In February, we had a parent/teacher conference. Ryan got glowing reports. His teachers said that he is a joy to have in the class, and that he had really come out of his shell. They mentioned how he had gone from a quiet and shy little boy to an outgoing friend to his classmates. "Yay!", I thought. "They finally got to see the Ryan I was hoping they would see!"
Fast forward to the present. Last week, upon picking Ryan up from school, I asked him how was his day at school? He told me it was good, but that he had been put in time out. Me: "Ryan, why did you have to go into time out?" Ryan: "Well, I was being too loud." Me: "Oh, and did the teacher ask you to quiet down and you weren't listening?" Ryan: "Yes, Mom." "Are you mad at me?" Me: "Well, Ryan, I'm not mad at you, but I am disappointed to hear that you were in time out." We then talked about what choices he could make in the future when faced with a similar situation, and he gave the appropriate answers. Ironic, huh? He went from being one of the quietest kids in his class, to being one of the loudest! I say that, because when I confronted his teacher (who never told me about the time out), she said that her son is the same way...loud. I told her I was glad to see that he was feeling comfortable. ;)
I now can't believe that the school year has come and gone. I have struggled recently with the decision of whether or not to send Ryan on to Kindergarten in the fall, or to keep him in preschool for one more year. Part of me feels like another year of nursery school is just me wanting to hold him back and keep him little, but another part of me thinks that given the choice, I would rather have Ryan be one of the older kids in his class, as opposed to one of the youngest. I honestly think he could go either way and be fine, but ultimately, we have made the decision to send him back to nursery school for another year. The class he was in this year was mostly 3 year olds (something I misunderstood when signing him up for the class last summer). The class he will attend next year is the ReadyK class. The class meets 3 days a week, just like his class this year, but in addition to that, he will also attend the "Literacy Option" that meets Tuesdays and Thursdays. So, he will be going 5 mornings a week. I feel that it will be a good chance for him to get used to going to school every day, and that if he can get some extra one on one attention in the area of early reading...it can't hurt, right? I have never ever heard a parent say that they regret delaying the start of Kindergarten, I have only ever heard the opposite from parents who wish they would have waited one more year. So, our decision is made.
I both mourn and rejoice in the fact that my little baby boy is becoming a big boy. It is exciting for me to look back and see how far he has come in this school year. I really can't believe that the shy, quiet little boy that gave me that nervous look on that first day of school is the same boy that barely even looks over his shoulder at me (though he did come back and give me a hug this morning) when he walks into the classroom. It excites me to see his personality coming out, and to see him try new things with confidence.
Man, I love this kid!
