I am home schooling my First Grader & my Kindergartener. (signs from here) This will be our second year home schooling. I'm nervous and excited all at the same time.
Reading on FaceBook all my friends' chikdren starting school how they cried or tried to hold back the tears or were so sad to see them go. I never really got it. I didn't really understand why they were crying. Until today.
We joined a co-op. a community of home schoolers & you can choose classes that another parent teachers. My kids are both taking Science. Today my first grader went to her class first. Dropping her off was easy. She didn't need to tell me bye. She was too busy settling in for me to get a picture of her. I took the younger two and they played on the playground.
My Kindergartener was different. All last week & all today he kept telling me he was scared. I reminded him that his friend would be there. I told him that I could stay in the class if he needed me to. He said he did. We go to pick up Malayna and it's his turn. He's squeezing my hand, very nervous, he doesn't want to go. We wait for his friend to get there. I take him in the class. Find a seat (they're at a table). I tell him I will wait in the hallway until he doesn't need me (it's a window door) & I told him that we would be at the playground. He knew where that was - not far from class. He's fine with that. So I stood outside watching him. The teacher handed out the homework to put in their notebook, it looked like he was getting red in the face almost about to cry, because he couldn't open his 3 ring binder. It overwhelmed me... I realize this is the feeling!!! The feeling of "I can't protect my kid from fear & frustration." I wanted to walk into the class & help him open his book. I didn't. He gets it open. He listens to the teacher talk. He glances out the door, sees me, smiles & waves. I smile & wave back and walk away while he's watching. I wanted to turn back to see if he was ok with that .... I didn't. After I picked him up he said "that was fun!!!" YAY!!! Success :) although he did say he was bored a little. That's a different story :)
