Its 2 PM now....I have finished all my household activities. I am already done with my GYM. I have finished cooking lunch, evening snacks and even base work for dinner. Laid back in the couch with OLYMPICS in TV. So what you all feel....Oh! Anu, you lucky girl. You have so much time and looks relaxed. BTW where is your naughty handsome?. Sighs....My little brat is few blocks away me. Making new friends, Learning new things, Trying to be on his own, and playing all day. YES, cant believe my toddler is ready for his pre-school.
I miss his constant running around the house, trying to pull all "not to touch things", my screams "Shravan, don't do this, don't do that", the all-time quacking on the TV (He is glued to his Mr. Donald Duck Uncle these days, more dearer than mama and papa :( ), floor packed with building blocks and railway tracks, cooking something or the other for my poor eater with rich appetite,
Its been a week now. I had taken a few time earlier to his pre-school as they have a open park to play for non-schoolers. He used to thoroughly enjoy the place. The ambiance, the colors, the toys, the cafeteria makes him feels like he is on his own fairytale land with his fairy god-mother watching and helping him all the time. So every time I kept telling him this is going to be his pre-school, he was always excited and ready to jump in and have fun.
DAY 1: 8AM: Time to wake up. My lazy toddler is used to the luxury of extended night sleep till 10-10.30 AM in the morning. A tired tone inside the blanket calling "Amma, is night over? Daddy left to office? What have you prepared for me?". Then the snuggling, giggling and playing inside the blanket for next 15-20 minutes to freshen up for the busy day. But on day 1, we had to shake, squeeze and scream to bring him from his dreamland. He pretends as though he is very tired and says "Amma, I need to sleep more!!!". You can guess Mrs. Senti Mom's reaction (No marks for guessing...People who know me, know what would have happened :) ). So things begin right from there. You can imagine the tough time we had brushing, pushing milk, bathing, dressing this lazy toddler in the next 1 hour. Oh yeah!!! You need to spare few minutes for him to catch up his Uncle Donald in TV. All said and done, Yes we are now ready for school. (With no breakfast!!!).
10AM: Time to start.On mark, we reached his fairytale land. As usual he runs inside and starts to play and never bothered to wish good morning to all the kind ladies (his teachers) who came to wish him good morning and wanted to hug and kiss. So in the mean time we finished all our paper work and his dad was ready to leave to work. He sees him getting ready to leave "Pappa, you are going to office? Bye". So we assumed he is just doing fine and things will be the same when I leave.
11AM: Time for Lunch. He never wanted to come inside and have food. All he wanted was just play, play and play. With great difficulty his teacher brings him inside. He gives one of his nasty look at her, screams at her, doesn't want her to hold him, doesn't want to sit in a place. So I step in trying to make him calm and feed something. He is still a little brat!. So, no Lunch as well except for bites of pasta.
11.30AM: Time to go out for play. The kids need to change their shoes, wear jackets, wear school reflector on top, hold hands with other kid, walk quietly and cautiously to the park. I dont want to change shoes. Its not cold, I dont want my sweaters, I dont like the reflector its orange in color, its big in size, I will not hold his hands, I dont want to walk, I want to run. Typical toddler!!!!. Kudos to his teacher trying her level best with such a soft tone and kind actions which did no magic on my kid :(.
12.00PM: What is generally a five minutes walk, ended in 15 minutes with him crying screaming all the time and his teacher not buying his sympathy just kept saying "shhhhhhhhhh" "shhhhhhhhhh" and "shhhhhhhhhh". We reached the park. He was a happy boy there. We played all the time with constant check whether I am still around. But he had a nice time. He made his teacher draw a big dinosaur in the sand, made another teacher run all through the ground playing "catch me if you can", went on a stroll around the entire length of the park, inspecting the place, seeing new things, building conversation with his teacher, walking quietly holding her hands.He did prove he can be nice and quite as well which gave me little hopes.
1.30PM: Back to school. He was not all that bad. He did agree to wear his reflector seeing all the other kids wearing though constantly complaining its big for him (Oh my tiny toddler!! Its a one-size fit all types) and oh yeah he did agree to hold his friend Abhinav's hands this time. Both had a nice happy walk back to school playing with car names and car colors. I could see some smile on his teacher's face which made me feel comfortable that I am handing over to him in safe hands :)
2PM: Time for Fruits. Did I tell you, how choosey and finicky he is about fruits. He is not a good fruit eater. Once again, he didn't agree to sit with other kids and eat his fruit, he didn't want to wait for his turn, he didn't like the fruit they gave (Its Apples and he does like. But today its a big NO!!) , he didn't want them with skin, he didn't like the way they cut, but he managed to eat one piece sitting beside me, the hungry kid :).
2.30PM: Time to go home.Taking him back home is even more challenging than taking him into school. My tummy is full, My mummy is around, My teacher is all smile at me, My fellow class mates are out playing with me trying to make some conversations (that's the really best part!!!! Engo-Norsk-Tamil style :))....do I really care what is the time and where next?.
P:S. Its been 10 days now. Things have really changed. He is got hang of his routine. My boys leave home around 8.45AM with all smiles and my junior waves happily saying "mama, I will go and come, you study for your exam and come and pick me in the evening", then a tight HUG and soft kiss. Now tell me, which is more tough on moms....these sentiment bye's or those screaming bye's......whatever it is I Miss my Son so badly for those 5 hours :(.
P:S. Its been 10 days now. Things have really changed. He is got hang of his routine. My boys leave home around 8.45AM with all smiles and my junior waves happily saying "mama, I will go and come, you study for your exam and come and pick me in the evening", then a tight HUG and soft kiss. Now tell me, which is more tough on moms....these sentiment bye's or those screaming bye's......whatever it is I Miss my Son so badly for those 5 hours :(.
Hey anu, really nice narrative. a great insight too on Norway way of schooling!!! :)
ReplyDeleteHey Gayathri....long time no see :) Thanks mam. Schooling here is so much of fun for Shravan...its all day play, play and just play....so he thinks that's what it is going to be always!!! I am not shattering his dreams for the next 2-3 years :))
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