How’s Hyzyd’s first day of school? | Adventures with Hyzyd and Beyond

Since last May, we already started talking about preschool to Hyzyd. We demystified the idea of preschool by bringing it into our daily conversation. We explained to Hyzyd how much fun he’s going to have and that the classroom is a place for fun and learning, with other kids and lots of toys and books. In fact, I brought him with me during our English Sembreak Class last October to make him comfortable with other kids and encourage healthy socialization. It’s also his chance to visit his first preschool classroom a few times before school starts to ease the entrance into unfamiliar territory.

I could totally relate to my son’s behavior. I enjoyed doing things alone.

While my learners are playing, my son is in other corner enjoying his “corn”. It’s his comfort food and here he’s imagining that he’s eating one..he..he…

my Hyzyd playing alone…

November 2, 2011. Hyzyd’s first day of class.

The first day of preschool has arrived and it’s time for your child to begin an educational journey that will last nearly two decades. The night before,I made sure my little one got to bed early so he’d wake up ready to go. Hyzyd woke up a bit earlier than usual . No, it’s so much earlier than usual! He’s already up and chatting nonstop at 5:30 am! He really had a happy disposition on that day! Before, he usually gets up around 7:00 , I mean I woke him up around this time to send him to his babysitter. On weekends, he get up around 7:30-8:30 am. He ate breakfast , cereal and milk, at 5:45 am, took a bath at 6:15 and get dressed at 6:30 am! His backpack is stuffed with snacks and extra clothing in case “accidents” happen for my just-potty-trained tot . He might not get to the toilet in time. No need for us to bring school supplies like crayons, paper , glue sticks and pencils because they’re all provided in school.

Hyzyd’s totally ready for school! I’m glad he wore the yellow “bib” and his new black school shoes. He refused them the first time I tried them on.

We arrived at school around 6:45 am. After I logged in, I brought him to my office and took a stroll around the school campus while trying to make him understand that he’s with me in school but he needs to be in his own classroom with a teacher and other kids while mommy’s having classes with other kids.

Around 7:15 am, I brought him to his classroom and got to meet his teacher , Teacher Paen. She already knew that she got an English-speaking student and glad that she’s ready for the challenge..he..he…Hyzyd was delighted to find lots of toys especially toy cars and trains!

The Leaving is the Hardest Part

As a preschool teacher I already had first-hand experience when it comes to saying goodbye. Rule number one? Do not remove your child from the classroom. It makes it that much harder to bring him back in. The child’s teacher and other assistants (in Hyzyd’s school there are 4) will be right by your side offering help and assistance. In my case, I’m tempted to sneak away on the first day when Hyzyd became distracted by another activity because I had a class and I needed to prepare my materials. When I bid goodbye, Hyzyd clung to me and asked me to wait for him. That really broke my heart. I don’t want to see him crying that’s why I sneak away which is totally wrong! My son felt betrayed for leaving him like that…I asked sorry when I picked him up. I let him understand that school is a place he goes to without mom or dad . Good for him because mom is just around the corner . So saying goodbye is part of the process.

On the next day and the following days ’till yesterday (Friday) I bid goodbye properly with a kiss and “I love you”. There are tears of course but he stops crying within five minutes after I left. I got a chance to observe him from a distance and find him happy either playing with his toy cars or quietly observing other kids playing.

In bidding goodbye, don’t ask if it’s OK for you to leave and don’t make promises like, “If you stay here at preschool, I’ll buy you some ice cream or toys when I pick you up.” This can reinforce the behavior if he keeps getting what he wants.

The Crying Game

The first thing we need to be prepared as parents who’s sending our kids for school for the first time is be prepared for some tears. It’s a scenario played out at preschools everywhere. A child, screaming, holding on to mom or dad’s legs for dear life, refusing to even look at the classroom, much less walk into it alone. Relax. It’s normal. Kids this age thrive on familiarity so when they are placed into a new situation, it’s common if they panic a little bit.

But still, I can’t help crying seeing my son crying on his first day while they line up for flag ceremony. I wanted to run and comfort him but I need to be strong for my son. It’s part of his growing up.

As parents, we need to be READY for our child to go to preschool. If you have any doubt or concerns, your child is going to pick up on it immediately. So on this big day, I tried to keep a bright smile on my face and stay positive. This helped set a great tone for Hyzyd and make him realize that going to preschool is something he can and should look forward to.

In any case, crying children is nothing new to a preschool teacher, for me as a preschool teacher. We have a process in place to deal with this very situation. In my school, we really require the parents to leave at 8:30 am after the flag ceremony. This really does work. Nine out of ten times, the child stops crying within five minutes of the parent leaving. I trusted my son’s teacher that she has my child’s best interest at heart!

Great accomplishment of Hyzyd’s on first week of class according to his teacher and the Preschool’s Dep. Head:

1. Eat lunch on his own. In our school, lunch for our preschoolers are catered so during lunchtime they gathered around and dine together. Most 3- years old feed themselves already but my Hyzyd won’t eat if you just leave him alone to feed himself using spoon. Maybe because he’s being babied by his babysitter…and me. He’s being fed for three days but yesterday (Friday) he decided to scoop his food using his spoon and ate vigorously! Seeing other kids feeding themselves inspired my Hyzyd to do the same! The feedback really made my day.

2. Very good boy. From a distance, I could see how behaved my baby was and he’s sooo like me – contented on being alone and enjoyed watching other children!

3. Smart boy. His teacher enjoyed his ABC song and number songs! He could name all the animals, shapes, fruits, vegetables and vehicles posted on their walls. His challenge this term is to learn them all in THAI!..he..he…

One thing that only concerns me is his INTENSE dislike in going to toilet. Can you believe that he could hold his urine for over 6 hours? You see, he’s not on diapers already. I let him pee before going to school and in between that he’s not peeing. He’ll only pee after I picked him up. I knew because the teacher told me that during their “peeing” session in the morning and afternoon , he said he won’t pee and wouldn’t want the teacher to take off his shorts. I could understand that because even for me I had hard time persuading Hyzyd to pee. I ‘m still trying every means I know to feel comfortable on telling me when to pee and poo…*sigh*…

Tip for the day: The more calm and assured you are about your choice to send your child to preschool, the more confident your child will be.

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