Being back at school makes kids grumpy
My poor four year olds were back at their idyllic village pre-school yesterday after a two (or was it three?) week Easter break. Each day I’ve picked them up at 3pm only to have both of them wailing, refusing to get in the car and generally melting at the tops of their voices with streams of tears plopping down their chins over nothing in particular. Pre-school, it would appear, is extremely exhausting.
I feel so mixed as I’ve loved being with them full time for the past couple of weeks and not having to get them dressed, supplied with a couple of packed lunches and out of the house by 8.30am but I also love working with Bealers and being involved in the business. It’s certainly quieter, more cerebral and people generally don’t screech at me or get toothpaste all over themselves in the office.
I’ve really really really missed the kids and keep finding myself thinking of calling them on the phone as if they were grown up friends.
Just before we broke up for Easter we got the happy letter confirming the twins had places for the reception class and could start in September. Given that there will only be 19 kids in the class, all of whom we know already from pre-school, the teachers seem nice and the school is just 2 minutes walk from our offices we have decided that we will not be home educating the children full time and they will be accepting places at the primary school. I’ll be able to work more hours and the kids will continue to be friends with the chums they have already made at school. For us it’s essentially free childcare that we will be subscribing to with the pleasant side effects of not having to take total responsibility for their primary education, make new friends etc.
I’m already slightly weepy at the thought of them going to school for five days a week whether they want to or not from September. I know I’ll feel strange not knowing the detail of what they have done, who thay have played with, was anyone nasty to them, were they naughty, embarrassed, happy, proud? This is strange for me to have these feelings given that I used to send them to full time childcare from the age of 7 months – 3 years for a job I didn’t particularly love.
This week I’m particularly aware of how much being at school obviously zaps them. They are shattered, hungry and miserable when we get home. Usually my kids are great, fun people to be around. They question a lot, we discover things together, I teach them things I know, we read, we laugh, they play. In sending them to school from September so I can concentrate on helping to run the business am I inviting stress and misery into their little lives?
My mum who was a reception teacher firmly believes that children need to learn about structure, routine, fitting in with the masses but I’m pretty sure she’s wrong.
Luckily through the pre-school I’ve made some top mates – other mummies who have small kids who get on well with E&M. They’re always being invited to parties, play-dates, chicken/cow feeding so another huge fringe benefit is these new friendships will continue and grow with the children staying at school.
May 1st, 2007 at 12:00 am
you sound like you still haven’t quite worked out in which direction there are more pros and cons yet…