4 years ago, Truett went to preschool for the first time. He stood at the door with a look that can only be described as absolute terror, with tears streaming down his sad baby face as I kissed him goodbye. That first day of school didn’t go very well at all.
Right up to that point, I was there for him every minute of every day. We were a team and we did everything together. I was there for his first step, his first words, the first time he fell and scraped his knee. Our world was all about playgrounds, mid-morning grocery runs, snuggles in bed, books at nap time, walks in the park, and I was there for all of it.
It took us both some time to adjust to a life with preschool in the picture. I was sad too because I felt like I was sending him off on a grand adventure that I couldn’t be a part of.
Everyday, I would tell him I missed him and ask about his day. How fun was school today? Missed mommy? Did you make new friends? What was your favourite moment of the day? He’d reply with a “ok, yes, yes, nothing.” Sometimes, he’d say, “I had fun.”
At first, the teachers told us he was painfully shy and a bit of a loner. His best friend was the only other quiet boy in class and their idea of being best friends was playing with toys alone within the vicinity of each other. They would sit near each other and hang out alone.
Over the past 4 years, he’s become this sweet, self-assured little man. When I picked him up from school last week, his friends yelled “BYE TRUETT!!” and he yelled bye right back with ease and confidence, giving one of them a bro hug before running off with his backpack. After school these days, he’d tell me about funny conversations he had with his friends, the crazy stuff they did and all the fun he had, and I’d listen with so much pride because I was listening to a boy who just 4 years ago, would hide in corners and close his eyes so others couldn’t see him.
In a few months, he’ll be graduating from preschool and heading off for new adventures in Primary 1. I couldn’t be happier for him.
I told him he’s grown to be a really fine young man and he said “I’m a young gentleman, mom!”
Yes. Yes, you are.
3 Comments
So heart-warming how he’s grown through kindy!
Sending them to P1 seems like it might be to a bigger badder world. Ah well, we will pray!
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I know!!! It’s like another huge adventure! I remember crying on my first day of P1 because everything was so new and scary. Hope they have an easier time adjusting :)
That’s a very professional looking gown. The story about him morphing from painfully shy to having a lot of friends is heartening as my girl is exactly like him when he first started – idea of friend is someone who leaves her alone and doesn’t bully her.
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