Thursday 7 February 2013

Tiny's First Day of School


Tiny was so freaking excited about starting Kindergarten. She was pumped. 

She rose early in the morning, got dressed, we brushed her hair to get the world's biggest knot out, did cute pigtails, packed morning tea and lunch, and then off we went. 

She was so excited she ran the length of the block to the school gate. 

Once we passed the school gate, a look of worry clouded her little face. I could see the nerves kick in, and I felt them too. I spotted some familiar faces and quickly pointed them out to her. Immediately the tension dissipated and she relaxed a little.

We walked hand in hand to her classroom (which was the Doctor's Kindy classroom) and despite the crowd of parents, found a spot at a table. The girl sitting next to her was playing and we discovered her name was Lily - Tiny's favourite name. I started chatting to her mum and the girls played, cautiously. Tiny spotted someone from daycare - and then declared: "You can go now."

De javu. I think this happened when the Doctor started school. 

So I left, after standing at the classroom door and spying on Tiny for a wee while. I didn't want to leave my wee Tiny. It hurt my heart. Finally I walked down the stairs and off into the playground where I ran into a friend, broke down - and told her not to talk to me and not to be nice to me.

I chatted a bit with some other mums, and then left the playground for the day.

In the afternoon I arrived early, got the world's best park (there's a lot of world's best here, right?), and mentally prepared myself for seeing my tiny Tiny walk out for the first time. I gathered with the other parents, and out they came - schoolbags bigger than their bodies, hats covering their faces rendering them unrecognisable unless you crouched down really low. 

I could see Tiny's shoulders. Slumped. She looked down. Once the bell rang, and she spotted me, she lit up, but only temporarily. We held hands, collected the Doctor and then she said: "This didn't turn out how I expected it."

We talked a bit and she concluded that her teacher had been cranky at the class because some children had gone missing. We talked about it a bit, I told her the first day is always the hardest and that I hoped the second day was better for her. She was so depleted. Poor Tiny.  

After devoutly wearing her school uniform all holidays, I had hopes Kindy would be amazing for her. She'd be a duck to water. 

I know it's early days, but I feel sad for my babe. Why was that teacher cranky? Why on the first day of 13 years of school? 

Second day of school and Tiny told me "it was better, but not much". 

15 comments:

Catherine said...

"not what I expected" pretty much summed up our curly-haired girl's first day too... it is day 6 now, and things are definitely getting better. Hope Tiny's days keep improving too xxx

kellie montgomery said...

Oh no .... that's heartbreaking. Kellie xx

Lindy in Brisbane said...

Teachers have such a massive influence on our children's lives. I hope she loses her cranky pants pronto.

Megan.K. said...

Oh little sweetheart. They are so little and sensitive. I'm sure she will settle in and get her bearings... In her own time. Poo to the cranky teacher though, that's not ok.
We had a great start to kindy, do I'm a but sad first grade hasn't been as smooth. It can be so hard for us mamas not knowing how to make it all better.
xx

Megan.K. said...

"So I am a bit"
(Phone typing... Always so interesting :)
x

Corinne said...

Oh it sounds exactly my little one's first day last year. So full of expectation and then, well, it didn't quite live up to it all. She declared she wanted to go back to preschool. After about 2 weeks she LOVED it and everything changed. Then I moved her to the other side of the world and turned her little world upside down again, but that's another story.
I hope Tiny starts to love it soon, I'm sure she will.

Cat_BeLoverly said...

That's made me sad, let alone how it's making you all feel. I hope things, including the crankola teacher's mood, improve very quickly. x

Norbyah Nolasco said...

here's hoping that it gets better for her really soon. (and of course, for you).

Ceridwen said...

That takes me back to my first day of school. But, I went on to love every day. I hope it gets better for her too. It is heartbreaking seeing them out on their own and not having all that they hope for, but she sounds like a very bright, feisty gal who will find her way. Lots of talking to you will help and it is great that she could tell you exactly how she felt and what happened. She obviously has a top mama and papa. Talk with her teacher if thing don't get better. Fingers crossed they do!

Small Catalogue said...

Oh, Lexi. I'm so sad for Tiny. What an awful way to start school. Big hugs to you all. I know it is of no consolation, but my small doesn't love school very much either.

Sam said...

Oh, this broke my heart to read. Poor Tiny!!

I remember my 1st day at school. My sister who was in Y3 told me how to carry my bag like a cool kid, how to stand in the playground, which teachers were nice etc.

I probably failed miserably because I hated Kindergarten. There was a girl who chronically wet her pants every day and I always seemed to touch it, sit in her puddle on the carpet by accident etc. Such a random memory but it has stuck with me for 25 years!

Hang in there Tiny (and Mama), it's still early days. xx

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Jess said...

Oh dear poor Tiny, so heartbreaking xo

Kate Moore said...

Gah! I feel deflated for her. Lordy, did it get any better? I hope you're having a nice calm weekend to prepare for coming weeks.

Nicole said...

How terrible that that was her first experience of school! I was totally chuffed that my daughter was elated after her first day of school and know I would have been bummed if she had come home with a negative story like that. Hopefully the teacher lightens up a bit.