Still Adjusting…..

I knew it wouldn’t be easy…but I never knew how hard it would be to make the move from babysitter to daycare.  I like to call it school.  Somehow that makes me feel better about the whole situation and since the place where my son now attends is also a private Christian school, I figure thats ok.  We’re in our third week at the new school and Cruz is slooooowwwwwly adjusting. 

My husband is, fortuantely for me, the one who has to drop him off everyday.  It’s a good thing, I don’t think I’d actually be able to pry him out of my arms when he’s crying and clinging like saran wrap.  That first day was really pretty easy.  Most likely because he had no idea what was coming.  My husband pulled up in front of the school, took him in and Cruz seemed curious about what was going on.  Then daddy tried to put him down and Cruz was having none of that!  The came the protruding lower lip….the wimpering…the tears…and the wailing!  According to his teacher, he wasn’t too bad for his first day.  He pretty much never left her side and wanted her to hold him all day.  Day two was much worse..now he’s familiar with where’s he going and as soon as they pulled up in front of the school, the pouting and tears began.  On this day he’s still stuck to the teacher like glue and won’t even go on the playground without his security blanket and stuffed bear (which when holding them both together are bigger than he is).  By day three, just putting on his shoes in the morning makes him cry.  This continues to this day.

I get to be the “savior”.  I’m the parent who picks him up.  I actually have to wait a few hours after I get off work to get him, otherwise I’ll be interrupting his nap.  The first day when I went in, he saw me and started bawling.  This continued through the first week.  The second week wasn’t as bad, he was more “thrilled to see me”.  On Monday of this week when I peeked in his classroom, he was actually playing on the ground with a toy along with another little girl.  SHOCK!!!!  I couldn’t believe it.  Maybe we had turned a corner?...but no.  On Tuesday as I’m walking down the hall, I hear him screaming, “I want my mommy!“ in the most pitiful little voice I’d recognize anywhere.  And even more heartbreaking to me is that the teacher was busy with another child and no one seemed to be listening to him.  Now, I know this is no big deal, they each have eight 2 year olds to look after.  And I’m sure she would’ve turned around at any moment to deal with his tears.  But as a mom, to see this for only a split second, tears at my heart.  Of course as soon as he saw me, the crying stopped and by the time we made it to the car, he was laughing.

I don’t know if there will be an actual “day” when all the sudden he’s excited about “school” and wants to go.  If I remember correctly I pretty much didn’t want to go to school for 16 years!  But it’s getting easier….for him, not necessarily on me!