School days

So, if you know me and have spoken to me since January, you would probably know that we went through quite a bumpy patch at the beginning of the year.  Jethro started school at a preschool called Lilliput.  He was really looking forward to it and we all had butterflies in our tummies as the day dawned.  

Our sleepy head on his first day of school

Our excited sleepy head wakes up and is ready to go!!

Much to our frustration and dismay, our little fighter pilot started complaining and crying and clinging every time he had to go to school.  Now, if he was three and doing it, I would say, okay, he'll get over it, but he is not.  He is five years old!  I heard that little voice in my head saying that maybe there is something to it.  Maybe he is not just full of nonsense.

Our big boy goes to school, gotta have some photies!

Such a handsome cricketer!

Showing off his new school bag

So excited!

First day!  Standing in line! 

 I tried to assess the situation, tried to find out if there was anything bothering him at school.  He told me that he didn't have any friends at school and that nobody was nice to him.  It broke my heart to see my bubbly child driven to such a sad state.  He also told me that one of the teachers shouted at him for playing in the toddler area.  That made me really mad!  I find it unacceptable that a teacher should shout at any child in the first place, but I especially find it unacceptable when that child just started school and does not know the rules of that school!  I watched Jethro doing his best to make a friend, sharing his water, telling a possible candidate friend something funny but these 5 year olds did their utmost best to ignore and exclude him.  Makes a mother's blood boil!!!  These kids aren't bullies in your face but something that I call, passive aggressive.  They don't do the normal things that you could get in trouble for but boy, they don't go out of their way to make someone feel welcome! 


I even tried to set up a play date with candidate friends but by the time the parents responded, it was too late.  One of the stories is quite funny.  I asked Jethro if he would like to have a play date with one of the friends from his school.  He replied saying:  "Yes, Jamie* On-and-off."  I was very curios about this peculiar surname but that's all I could get out of Jethro.  When I located Jamie* On-and-off at school, I realised that his surname was not On-and-off but in fact, Adendorff.  So, at least we had a laugh.


Jethro's second week (and last week) at Lilliput consisted of:  

• Tuesday:  Clinging to mom and crying.
• Wednesday:  Some more clinging to mom and crying non-stop.  Would not let mom go.  Mom ended up back at home with said child.
• Thursday:  Will not get out of car.  Principal tries to get him out.  A good friend tries to get him out!  To no avail.  Mom physically removes child from car.  Child clinging to car door.  Child making himself stiff in order for Mom to struggle to carry him.  Child clinging to schools outer door posts, child clinging to schools inner door posts.  Principal takes child from exhausted, frazzled mother!!
• Friday:  Mom forces Dad to take child to school.  Dad handles it better but child is still sad by the time Mom comes to fetch him.
• Monday:  Child refuses to go to school.  Child locks himself in the bathroom.  Child refuses to come out!!  

And that was it for me!  We gave it a good shot but it just did not work out.  Jethro was begging me to stay at home and be home-schooled and it sounded like a great option to me.  


Alas, we decided to give the little farm school a try.  They've always been on the top of my list but because of logistics, we decided on a school closer to home.  The farm school allowed us to try them out for three days.  And after three days, our little man was settled and hoping for six day school weeks and making friends and loving life!  Wow, what an incredible difference!  We just received his first school rapport and he is a shining star with lovely friends.  Thank you Melkbosstrand Private School!  We are so blessed to be part of this amazing school!


So, other mommies out there, that little voice is there for a reason and your child's happiness is so much more important than convenience.  When my child is not happy, I am not happy.  And when he is happy, I am the proudest mommy on this big blue earth!!


Here are some pics of his happy first term journey!

Jethro wants to be an archaeologist when he grows up.  He had to get dressed up for Career day and they even had a real-life Fire Engine with real Firemen come to visit their school that day!

Logistics was a bit of a toughie as I still had little Micah whose nap times fell smack bang in the middle of Jethro's pick up time.  This meant a lot of Micah's midday naps were spent in his car seat in front of the school or I had to wake him up after an hours worth of sleeping, which was not enough!  We decided to check out the bus transport to school and he travels either to or from school once a day.  He loves this too and begs me to go with the BIG bus in the morning!  

The theme for one of the weeks was all about Queen Esther and the boys and girls got to dress up as Kings, Queens, Princesses, Knights, etc, etc!  They all had a ball and even Micah wanted his cheeks painted!  I guess he could have passed as the jester.  

Hope you all have a blessed week and that back to school week won't be too much of a craziness :)