Javo goes to school

Javo turned four years old last April--with that comes another milestone--the beginning of school. Although he has been going to "school" this past year with his speech and occupational therapists, this is his first year in formal school.

When I first brought him to the school of our choice last April, his face held a mix of emotions. Excitement at the thought of going to a new school and anxiety at the thought of being left alone. I had informed him that we would take him to school and then pick him up when he was done--that we would not wait in school.

Seeing his reaction, I found various ways to introduce to him the concept of school--through the children's books at home on going to school and pointing out how all his cousins went to school by themselves. I would talk to him about school every now and then and would get the same reaction--excitement and anxiety.

The week before classes began, I still had the same reaction from him. But suddenly a few days before we started he told me, "I will go to school by myself. No papi and no mommy." I was so happy about that attitude reversal but was still prepared to stay in case he changed his mind.

The day of school arrived. He could not wait till his class began and so he was ready at 8am for his 11am class. I told him that we would bring him in that day because his bag was heavy with the school requirements. We ate a heavy merienda at 10am and left for school at 1030am. True enough, after a few minutes in the school premises and trying the different playground equipment, he bids us goodbye.

What is a mom to do except go away as requested. So Martin and I left him in the capable hands of his teacher. I left happy that he had chosen to be left on his own and felt like crying because he was growing up so fast. My independent toddler is now an independent preschooler.

We went back to school early so that we would be there when his class came out. They came out in a straight line single file. My boy was all smiles and clearly enjoyed his first day in school! This is just the beginning of what I hope would be a great experience for him.