Got the kids up early today and headed in for second phase of acclimating to preschool: mom leaving!
On the drive there I prepped them all. Showed them the big tub of cookies they'd get to pick from when they got back in the car. Talked about all the fun they had yesterday. Cheered and whoo-hooed our way into the building.
...and it worked! James went right in with no tears. The girls were instantly mingling with their "friends". Very peaceful and smooth.
I grocery shopped without kids--a miracle! Got done in half the time as I've completely lost all ability to estimate how long errands should take without toddler delays anymore.
Went to pick them up and, another miracle, they were all happy to leave! No tears! No chaos!
I swear this preschool teacher, who has been a preschool teacher for 21 years, is an actual saint. She has this lovely calm-but-firm demeanor that just makes kids instantly comply with her every request without even the thought of protest. As if, of course, they were just about to start picking up their toys and it really was their idea anyway and they'd love to do this thing she suggested.
We were home by 11:00. Kate went down for a nap after lunch as she clearly needed it but James and Jane stayed up. I did get them started to bed at 6:30 instead of 7:00 without much protest, though.
Jane has to be tired. She had dance class this afternoon and then hit another grocery store for other few items I couldn't find at the first store today.
(Yes, I am stocking up in case, a) our area gets quarantined for coronavirus, or b) prices skyrocket and there are true shortages due to supply chain issues from China, or c) the totally unlikely event that one of us actually contracts it. Not that I'm truly worried, but the thought of any disaster magnified by 5 kids, three of whom are under five, is just not something I'm willing to make bets on. Best case scenario--I'm just pre-buying a month's worth of groceries that we'll use up eventually. If this all blows over we'll simply be free of the hassle and expense of shopping for the month of June!
The only unusual thing I stocked up on was juice, gatorade, pedialyte, and upset tummy medications. I cannot bear the thought of all seven of us getting the gastrointestinal version of this without the ability to go to the store. Oh yeah, and TP, too! But just the normal amount; not Costco-crazy!)
Tomorrow the kids have to be there at the true start time of 8am and they go right to mass. I'm going to drop them off, then hide out in the back of the church to watch. I simply want to know what goes on during a kiddie mass for schoolkids. They stay till just before lunch.
Tomorrow's hours will be 8am to 11:30am. Today's hours were 8:30 to 10:30. Monday's visit was 9:45 to 10:30. I know I'm being super cautious about this phase in but I've seen too many school kids jump into school too quickly and about a week later they crash--tears, illness, behaviors, etc. It's only Day Two but I feel good that nobody seems too stressed so far.
Small moment--on the drive in to school Jane was over-the-top exclaiming that she LOOOVVVED something small while bouncing her body all over in her carseat. I understand now that this is how she expresses anxiety. She doesn't act fearful. She goes into hyper-people-pleasing mode. Just something to take note of and be thoughtful about finding ways to teach an appropriate coping strategy for.
On the drive there I prepped them all. Showed them the big tub of cookies they'd get to pick from when they got back in the car. Talked about all the fun they had yesterday. Cheered and whoo-hooed our way into the building.
...and it worked! James went right in with no tears. The girls were instantly mingling with their "friends". Very peaceful and smooth.
I grocery shopped without kids--a miracle! Got done in half the time as I've completely lost all ability to estimate how long errands should take without toddler delays anymore.
Went to pick them up and, another miracle, they were all happy to leave! No tears! No chaos!
I swear this preschool teacher, who has been a preschool teacher for 21 years, is an actual saint. She has this lovely calm-but-firm demeanor that just makes kids instantly comply with her every request without even the thought of protest. As if, of course, they were just about to start picking up their toys and it really was their idea anyway and they'd love to do this thing she suggested.
We were home by 11:00. Kate went down for a nap after lunch as she clearly needed it but James and Jane stayed up. I did get them started to bed at 6:30 instead of 7:00 without much protest, though.
Jane has to be tired. She had dance class this afternoon and then hit another grocery store for other few items I couldn't find at the first store today.
(Yes, I am stocking up in case, a) our area gets quarantined for coronavirus, or b) prices skyrocket and there are true shortages due to supply chain issues from China, or c) the totally unlikely event that one of us actually contracts it. Not that I'm truly worried, but the thought of any disaster magnified by 5 kids, three of whom are under five, is just not something I'm willing to make bets on. Best case scenario--I'm just pre-buying a month's worth of groceries that we'll use up eventually. If this all blows over we'll simply be free of the hassle and expense of shopping for the month of June!
The only unusual thing I stocked up on was juice, gatorade, pedialyte, and upset tummy medications. I cannot bear the thought of all seven of us getting the gastrointestinal version of this without the ability to go to the store. Oh yeah, and TP, too! But just the normal amount; not Costco-crazy!)
Tomorrow the kids have to be there at the true start time of 8am and they go right to mass. I'm going to drop them off, then hide out in the back of the church to watch. I simply want to know what goes on during a kiddie mass for schoolkids. They stay till just before lunch.
Tomorrow's hours will be 8am to 11:30am. Today's hours were 8:30 to 10:30. Monday's visit was 9:45 to 10:30. I know I'm being super cautious about this phase in but I've seen too many school kids jump into school too quickly and about a week later they crash--tears, illness, behaviors, etc. It's only Day Two but I feel good that nobody seems too stressed so far.
Small moment--on the drive in to school Jane was over-the-top exclaiming that she LOOOVVVED something small while bouncing her body all over in her carseat. I understand now that this is how she expresses anxiety. She doesn't act fearful. She goes into hyper-people-pleasing mode. Just something to take note of and be thoughtful about finding ways to teach an appropriate coping strategy for.
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