From Tears to Triumph

When Davis started preschool this year, it took him a few weeks to realize he liked it. Week 1...He went to school but was a little reluctant as to if he REALLY wanted to be there. Week 2...Davis caught on to the horrible concept of leaving his mom. And that's when He decided that whatever it took to stay home from preshool, he was going to try it. I kept on keeping on, trying each and everyday to get him to school. This consisted of carrying him into the school screaming and kicking. But I figured if I want him to learn anything, he's got to go to school. WELL IT ONLY GOT WORSE BEFORE IT GOT BETTER. Week 3...Included me carrying him on his bus and forcing him into the booster seat, with the help of the bus assistant. It took both of us to hold him in the seat in order to buckle him. Week 3...Davis' Aunt Marisa came to pick him up for Mrs. Tracy's preschool, hoping that it would be an easier transition for him to leave Aunt Marisa than mom. That kind of worked, but there were still tears. Week 3...Grammy Jensen came over EVERY afternoon, after he got home from preschool, and played games with him to reward him for making it through the day. That helped a little too, but yes, there were still tears and fits each morning before school.
Week 3 also included Davis sprinting as fast as he could away from me in the school parking lot, running towards home. So yes, there I was, in all my glory was sprinting to catch my 4 year old in front of the kindergarten playground. To Davis' credit, he almost made it 1/2 way home before I caught up to him. It was a VERY LONG, VERY HARD 3 weeks and at times I was sure one of us was not going to make it out of it.
But I persisted and persisted. I tried to teach my 4 year old how to calm himself down, teaching him "deep breath in, deep breath out and all the scared feelings will go away. That seemed to help a little. I think the realization came when I explained to Davis that if he didn't go to preschool this year that was fine, he could stay home with me and baby Hayes, but then he would not get to go to Kindergarten next year because he'd have to take preschool again.
The next day, not one tear. He walked right up to the bus and got on. He did do his "breathing technique" quite a few times to get ready to leave mom, but again...not one tear. Both the bus driver and I were AMAZED!! We had to pick our jaws up off the ground. The following day, same thing, as he walked up to Mrs. Tracy's, not one tear. Lots and lots of breath's in and out, but no tears. Mrs. Tracy was as equally as impressed as I and the bus driver were.
Now, 2 weeks later Davis is doing GREAT. No tears, EVER!! And EVERYDAY, as soon as he gets up in the morning he asks,"Is today my new school (Mrs. Tracy's) or my old school?(Developmental preschool at the school)" He is always so excited. I am grateful for WONDERFUL teachers who put up with me and my crying child. They are probably used to crying kids but those 3 weeks were super hard on me, so I assume it would be hard on them too. Now, that it has passed, I have to say I am so proud of Davis for making it through!!And maybe a little proud of myself for putting up with him!!












PRESCHOOL UPDATE...11/30-the other day Hayes was in his swing crying while I was trying to finish something up that I had been working on. As I came into the Family room, Davis was standing next to the swing, where Hayes was, saying,"Hayes, it's ok...just take a deep breath in and and a deep breath out like this (Davis then demonstrated for his 6 month old brother) and all the tears will go away." I thought that was just so cute, I had to post!! At least I know he learned something useful from his beginning of the year, preschool jitters:)