Kyle Goes to School!

So my baby boy is officially a preschooler!

One of the things that I was bummed about when we found out that we were moving was that Kyle was going to lose his spot in the school district run Preschool. This preschool was very affordable compared to what private preschools charged. Around here at our new place, people put their kids on preschool waiting lists before the kids turn one year old, so the chances of Kyle getting into an affordable preschool was not looking good.

So when we get here, I start calling around. I can find space at Preschools, but I am getting ridiculous quotes most of them were anywhere from $106-119 per week for part time two days a week. Eight hours total per week. That comes out to be roughly $13-15 per hour. Well, I thought that was just a bit too pricey for us. I had resigned to the fact that Kyle was just not going to be going to preschool and next year would have to go right into Kindergarten without any kind of social prep. Of all my kids, Kyle is the most clingy to me and the slowest to warm up. He is constantly attached to me in social settings, such as picking up Kevin and Kaela from school or at family parties where there are lots of unfamiliar Aunties, Uncles and cousins. Not to mention all the Lolos and Lolas.

Anyway, I see an ad for a preschool that is run by the Parks and Recreation department. It isn't an academic program but rather a social program. Perfect! This is exactly what Kyle needs. So of course when I call the first week of September to inquire, there is no space available, but if we wanted to be on the waiting list, we could come by and have a tour. So, I tell Kyle that we are going to look at a school that he might be going to. He is very excited so I have to explain to him that there isn't a space for him and that we were only going to look. Kyle says, "Maybe we can ask a kid to move over so I can have a spot to sit." Too cute. I had to explain to him that I didn't mean that kind of spot.

SoO, we get to the school, and he is all excited. But, as soon as the door opens for us to go inside, he immediately super glues himself to me and won't let go. I try to encourage him to play with stuff while I talk to the teacher, but he just isn't having it. He wont talk to the teacher or to any other kids. He doesn't utter one word the whole time we are there. So, now I am totally worried that he won't do well at parting at school and if he did get a spot, he would be crying every morning.

So, the teacher is nice, the school is nice and on we go to the waiting list. I'm thinking that he'll never get in. BUT, not two weeks later, the new session is starting and they have an opening or two. So, we go back to fill out the paperwork and to pay the tuition, VERY affordable at what works out to be $5.50 an hour. Kyle still does not want to talk to anyone and is definitely not straying from my side. The teacher explains to me that when Kyle starts it'll be fine. There will be tears, but they are experts at handling it. Some kids cry for a week every morning, others cry everyday for the whole year. I thought, "Great. That'll be Kyle."

So, Kyle starts that following Monday, the 17th. One of the forms I fill out is a list of Kyle's favorites and one of the things that was asked was his favorite color. I wrote down blue. So, the teacher reads the list and knows from the times she's met Kyle that he would have to be coaxed into letting go of my hand. Let me back track here a bit... the weekend before he started school, we went to pick out a lunch box and a water bottle. I had run through different situations with Kyle on what to do at school. What if you have to go to the bathroom? Tell the teacher. What if a kid is being mean? Tell the teacher. So, he knows he is going to school Monday and is very excited about and he is talking all about how he is going to be in Preschool. Totally looking forward to it.

We get to school and yes, he is attached. And no, he won't say a word. So back to the list. The teacher reads that his favorite color is Blue and totally gets him with that. "Kyle, we need to get you a cubby (a container where they keep their stuff). What's your favorite color?" Silence. "Is it blue?" she asks. Kyle gets a big smile on his face and nods. She takes his hand and leads him away. He waves at me. Whew, he's going to do fine. But, McKenna is now following them. "Kenna come here. We are going home. Only Kyle is going to school." So, McKenna crumples to the floor and cries. The teachers thought it was cute. She was upset because she didn't want to leave her brother. Um no, not cute. Baby crying!

So, one last thing about this list. They had asked if there was anything in particular to know about Kyle. Well, they wouldn't have guessed this because Kyle appears at first glance to be extremely shy. When he is comfortable, he is LOUD. He is my loudest child. When I went to pick him up from this first day, I could hear him through the door. When I saw his teacher, I say, "I see he warmed up." "Um, yeah he did!" she says with a disbelieving look on her face. He is now in his second week. He loves it. The teachers never would've guessed he was the same kid they met before school started.