OT: First day of Kindergarten-warning-long

I left my daughter Julianna for her first day of Kindergarten this morning. It actually went very smoothly. She's been talking about school all summer-and really couldn't wait for it to start. She's speech delayed and was going to preschool 5 mornings a week up until last Dec. Then we moved to one of the places hit hard by Hurricane Rita-and the whole town was such a mess-and she never did start preschool here. It was kind of nice to have a little extra time with her before she was off to school for the long haul. Anyway-her 3 year old sister Ashlyn and I brought her to her classroom this morning-Julianna said "Bye Mom" and sat down at her chair and began coloring. That was that. [img]smile.gif[/img] I felt bad-because there were other little ones just crying for thier mommies-poor kids. [img]frown.gif[/img] Anyway-it just seems like such a long day for such a little girl-and I hope she makes it through ok. She'll turn 5 in 2 days (which is when she's getting her first 18" doll-Jess)-and she still seems so little to me to be gone for 7 hours. We go to church-and she comes home and crashes for 3 hours. lol I know she'll be fine and adjust-but the trouble came this morning when her little sister realized that she wasn't staying at school with Julianna. I had to take her out there kicking and screaming. She was trying to open the door on the drive home-and was just crying soooo... hard for about an hour and a half after we got home. I'd explained it to her over and over-about Julianna starting school again and that her and mommy will be doing special things together. Julianna used to get picked up by the bus and so Ashlyn never had to leave her at school. Now we live to close to school for bus service. It's a hard adjustment for Ashlyn-and I feel so bad. I just held her as she cried and cried for her sister-with huge tears rolling down her face. She'd get better for a second-and then think about it and just start crying again. As I mentioned before-when we moved here-things were still very damaged from the hurricane-and you could see the damage everywhere you looked. The girls referred to it all as damage from the "big bad wolf." Poor little Ashlyn (3 year old) has been saying this morning "No big bad wolf-don't get Julianna's Kindergarten school." [img]frown.gif[/img] She seems concerned about something happening to her at school. Anyway-thanks for listening/reading. I know she'll adjust-it just breaks my heart that she's so sad and worried. We did bake some cupcakes together this morning-and that cheered her up-and Julianna has a yummy treat to come home to. I saw so many mommies walking out of the school with their tissues. I was walking out of there with a toddler under my arm. [img]wink.gif[/img] I just hope she'll adjust soon-or I'm going to start every morning out with a migraine. Anyway-big week for us-Kindergarten, Birthday and Jess!! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Allison

<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ August 22, 2006 12:10 PM: Message edited by: 2liljellybeanz ]</font>

AWEEEEE!!!!! She misses her sister so much!!! [img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img]
I am sure things will get easier over time.
It does seem like kids have a long day at school doesn't it?

Oh, Your making want to cry again! LOL
My daughter started yesterday.
I feel so bad for your 3 year old. My 18 month old isn't old enough to get that upset, but still misses his sister and his brother though!
Hang in there! When I picked up my daughter yesterday, she had been having a great day!!
Better than me! lol

My daughter started kindergarten last year and it was all day too. She is my only child and I was a stay-at-home mom so you can image how hard I took it.

I was like your little girl. Cried all day long. My husband even helped get her on the bus because he knew how hard it would be for me.

I'm sure she will adjust. It's hard for them at that age to understand. Give her great big hugs for us and have her play with her dolls while big sissy is gone to take her mind off of it.

Lots of love your way...

As I said in my "School Lunch" post DD just started First Grade yesterday and it was her first day of school EVER because I homeschooled her for kindergarten. That said...I know EXACTLY what you are feeling today because I went through it yesterday. [img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img] DD did great and I was very brave also. I cried a bit as I walked her into her actual classroom but the "waterworks" as DS put it came after I got home.

Jillian was fine. She is very self-sufficient, independent and social so she was looking forward to school. She went to school with a smile and came home with an even BIGGER one.

I tried to keep super busy yesterday and it seemed to help, but I watched the clock a lot! Today has been better.

I hope things go well for your DD and that she will enjoy her year. I know your little one is missing her.

BTW, my best friend called twice to check on me yesterday. She said she KNEW Jillian would be fine, but she wanted to check on ME!! [img]graemlins/rainbow.gif[/img]

Be sure to let us know how your DD's day went.

Hugs from one Mom to another,
Glenda

Aww! [img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img] I'm sure Ashlyn will adjust to Julianna being away at school after a couple of weeks. If she keeps crying about Julianna being at school, remind her that she'll be going to Kindergarten soon, and she'll get to see Julianna everyday (if Kindergarten is in the same building as the other grades). Your daughters are too cute in your avatar! [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ August 22, 2006 01:14 PM: Message edited by: AGfanatic ]</font>

I bought my daughter the book "The Kissing Hand" before kindergarten. It came with little kiss stickers, she took one everyday for the first week, she cried once and the teacher took her in (without much sympathy)leaving me in the hallway crying! The teacher called that night to tell me she wasn't being mean, but it worked and never happened again. She won awards and was a terrific teacher, I actually had requested her. It was and still is a lot harder starting school for me than it is for her.

Awww, how sad for you and your 3yo. [img]graemlins/broken_heart.gif[/img] We did exactly the same thing yesterday. My 6yo's first day of Kindergarten was yesterday. She was all smiles and very excited but she also has two older sisters at the same school. My 4yo was really sad on the way home from dropping off her big sister...because we didn't have any Goldfish at home for snack like the Kindergarten class was having. [img]graemlins/whatever.gif[/img] It is really hitting her now that her playmate is no longer at home. She forgets and calls for her big sister to come play.

Know what is really hard? DH just called an hour ago after dropping off DS at student orientation for high school. DH was really upset, poor thing. Our baby's in high school! [img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img]

Quote:

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Originally posted by dalmatian101:
I bought my daughter the book "The Kissing Hand" before kindergarten. It came with little kiss stickers, she took one everyday for the first week, she cried once and the teacher took her in (without much sympathy)leaving me in the hallway crying! The teacher called that night to tell me she wasn't being mean, but it worked and never happened again. She won awards and was a terrific teacher, I actually had requested her. It was and still is a lot harder starting school for me than it is for her.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Being a retired First Grade teacher, I've had to hold several children in my arms crying while their Moms/Dads closed the door and walked away. From a teacher's stamdpoint it seems to work best, but as a Mom who had to be the parent walking away when DD started her three year old Sunday School class, I can say it is really hard! BUT...it worked with DD. She was teary for the first couple of Sundays as I dropped her off, but she adjusted fine.

Being on the "other side of the desk" if you know what I mean is something that will take me some time to get used to. LOL.

Thank you all for your well wishes. [img]wink.gif[/img] I think today is just one of those days you hope goes better tomorrow. Julianna had a great time at school I think-but was glad to see us. But-pick up was a nightmare. We live 1/2 mile from the school-and I was going to walk-but Ashlyn was asleep-so I let her sleep until the last minute. We went over-and it took us an hour to get her and get home. People were clogging everything up-and we sat at a standstill for 30 minutes-the whole time Ashlyn asking where her sister was-then a bus hit a truck two cars behind us-and the truck was stalled and couldn't move-and that closed the road off for me to get back home. Being somewhat new to the area-I had to hop on a random highway to try to find my way home. Sigh. But-here's the sweet thing. I sent Julianna 2 Hershey Kisses in her lunch for a treat. She was talking about them-and I asked if she liked them. She said "One for me-one for Ashlyn." I opened her lunch-and everything was gone except the two kisses that she'd saved to share with her sister. I love my girls! [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

Allison