I was so nervous about sending Braden off to school this year. We knew it was the right decision and he was excited about going, but for the first few days I thought several times a day about pulling him out and homeschooling again. Then I pinched myself and remembered how HARD it was and how NOT fun it was for either of us. Yes, he learned the things he needed to learn and we did have bits of fun here and there, but it was just so so hard on both of us.
Things have been going pretty well so far. He comes home everyday, excited to tell us about the things he's learned, the friends he's made, the funny things his teacher says, and about the girls that chase him around the playground at recess (ALREADY?!). I almost cried the day he came home and recited the Pledge of Allegiance to me. Wow, he sounded so grown up and sure of himself.
Back to School night was tonight and Bob and I were able to attend while his mom watched the kids for us. We were very impressed. The night wasn't about Braden, but about the class as a whole and the things they're learning, but we heard and saw several signs that he is doing just fine there. We looked through his papers on his desk - loved the stories he's writing, the pictures he's drawing, his first "love" note from the girl that sits next to him (complete with at least a dozen red and purple hearts...), the sentence in his planner telling his teacher that he wants to be a "Plc Ovsr" when he grows up.
As the teacher walked around the room we got to see bits and pieces of Braden there too. He was one of 3 kids chosen to write something on a card that was hung on the wall. (I asked him when we got home how he was chosen and he demonstrated how to "raise a quiet hand".) He was chosen at the end of the day today to sit in a special desk, the "dynamite desk", tomorrow. The teacher pointed it out as "currently Braden's desk". We walked to the back of the room to find his cubby where we were able to look at his recent book choices and a paper that he'd been working on and obviously got bored at the end and had just started coloring instead of filling out the worksheet.
There are still a lot of things that I don't like about public school and some of the experiences he's already having there, but for now he seems to be doing just fine and I am just fine with that.
2 comments:
I am so glad you were able to get some peace. I don't know how I will do when we send Emily to school. I am already so nervous about it and think how fun it would be to home school her. Then I think of your experience and another friends and decide against it. Besides, she really likes social interaction.
I almost cried reading this! I was thinking the other day about how I was there when he was born and mom and I stood outside the door and we both cried when we heard his first cry. So much has happened since then and it's hard for me to be so far away when my baby is growing up like that! I absolutely love that he got a love note and it's in his desk! AAHHH!! Why can't they stay babies forever!!!
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