Wednesday, September 16, 2015

It's Easier to Leave Than to be Left Behind

I knew that Sprout would miss The Bean when he started kindergarten. I didn't really realize how much she would miss him.

I've tried to have some fun activities planned with her. I've taken her to SkyZone (an indoor trampoline park), the Brickworks (an awesome nature preserve), the library and some really great parks around the city. Still, nearly everyday I get some variation of "Where's [The Bean]?", "I miss [The Bean]" and one time when we were driving home I heard the saddest little voice from the backseat of the car saying, "I'm ready to pick up [The Bean] from school now." Poor bug.

She's told me she doesn't have any friends, and when I list her friends she often asks me to call them so they can meet up with us. Sometimes it works out, but I do think she would rather have her brother around.

She actually cried when we dropped him off on the first day of school, sad that she wasn't going with him. I'm not sure why she had it in her head that she'd be going to kindergarten too, but she did. While she now understands that she won't be going to kindergarten until next fall, she often says, "But I can go to daycare." I think it's fair to say she doesn't like that she's been left behind.

At home she plays school. She asks me to write her notes for her lunchbox like I've been doing for her brother. I have to be the teacher and read her stories or direct her to different activities.

We're starting some programs in the next few weeks and I'm hoping that the routine and structure helps her out a bit. I'm also hoping that we make a few new friends for her. I think she'd like that.

It's been a bit bumpy, but The Bean seems to be adjusting well, overall. Day 2 was tougher than day one, and many mornings he will say that he doesn't want to go to school. However, he has made at least three new friends that he talks about often. The one friend even gave him a huge hug when I dropped him off one day last week. I liked seeing that. He won't give us a full run down of his days, but he is starting to sing some new songs and will give us little snippets of what's been going on over the course of the evening. He's usually pretty tired in the evenings and often a bit grumpy, I suspect because most days he hasn't been eating much of what I've packed. He can be impatient and snippy with Sprout, which makes me sad, because I know how much she misses him. Things seem to be getting better though. Hopefully by October we'll all have settled into a new routine and not be finding things quite so difficult.

6 comments:

  1. It's hard when their sibling is away. Can she maybe do preschool or something? I'm sure with programs, she'll keep busy. And it's only the 2nd week so she'll adjust. Sounds like everything is going well.

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  2. It's such a huge adjustment for everyone. I think you're right -- once you start a few programs, things will improve. Sprouts does a one-morning (or more) per week preschool program. What about something like that? (I know it isn't the most convenient)

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    1. We got into a couple of city programs for the fall term and are doing a nature program at the Brickworks as well. That'll leave us two mornings open per week, which I imagine we'll fill with friends/parks/errands/etc. I imagine we'll reevaluate in December and make plans for the winter term. Good to know there's a preschool program at Sprouts. She loves it there.

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  3. that sounds so tough! Both my younger boys get upset at the start of the school year when the bigger brother goes off to school. Oren still wanders around looking for his brothers behind doorways and such. Sounds like Sprout will find her own way with those city programs.

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  4. Aww, poor kiddo. It's an adjustment for everyone.

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  5. Poor gal. It is hard when they are so close. What a great time to spend quality time together and try out new activities like mentioned above. Sprout will sort it all out, I have faith in her! I love that she is recruiting you to play school with her at home. Guess you are "teaching" this year after all ;)

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