Looking Back: Timmy's First Days of School

Looking back to the days when Timmy started school....

Timmy first joined Pra-Playgroup at TK Sang Timur.
It was a 1 hour session, three times a week.
Prior to the 'The'day, I took him to the school to familiarize him with the surrounding environment. Let him entered the class room, where he'll be learning. It was only the 2 of us...

During the first semester, mothers could join the kids in the classroom, and Timmy was fine, as he could see me in class.

However, during the second semester, the mothers must wait outside the classroom, and Timmy had a hard time separating from me. He cried real loud and refused to let go off my hands and to go into the class room.

The teachers told me that I should leave him with them, and he'll be okay soon.
I took a moment to convince Timmy that I love him and I will be waiting for him outside and will see him again after school.

But it was not successful, he cried...real loud...and used his power to get himself off the teachers, holding on to me very tightly...while screaming: "Mama....Mama...Nooo..." with his arms stretched out towards me.

It was heart breaking...I felt so bad and worried.
He would have felt the same thing too. Perhaps the thought of being away from me scares him.

Minutes later the teachers managed to calm him down.


***
July 2009, Timmy started joining Pahoa Kindergarten.

http://graciahelen.blogspot.com/2009/07/first-day-of-school.html

First week was okay, because I could still joined him into the class, i.e. sitting close to him.

However, as the first week period is over, the mothers must stay outside the gate. This was the tough period for both of us...We needed to cope with the separation anxiety again.

Every morning, as we walked towards the school gate, Timmy would refuse to come in...
holding on with all the power that he has... and this happened every day!

I needed to persuade him how fun it is at school, that he gets to learn new things, meet new friends, and can even teach me by the time he came home.

Even all the other mothers and securities could recognize me that I'm Timmy's mom...

I pray that God will be with him and hope he could make it and happy with school one day...

In the class room, I slowly regress, from sitting next to him, to sitting behind the class, to waiting outside the class room, to waiting downstairs outside the gate.

The teachers told me that when they lock the door, Timmy would cry real loud, and grabbed a chair to open the lock. The school had to purposely change the lock to a higher position because of him.

I was looking forward to the moment when Timmy loves school and meeting his friends... For the moment, I will just reassure him how much we love him...


During the second semester, after the long holiday, sometimes he could still refuse to go into the gate. However, when I approached the gate, and told him that if you don't want to go, then I will, he would quickly run and said: "Mom, no. This is my school. Not your school."

But after he passed through the gate, he's a happy go lucky boy already. Happily went up the stairs to his class room.


Now that he's in Kindergarten B (K2), he usually runs through the gate, passes through the teachers, runs to the stairs. He supposed to say good morning to the teachers, got his temperature checked and wash his hands with the antibacterial liquid. Well, oh well.

Ah...bitter sweet of parenthood.