Kids’ lessons in life unlocked
What if she eats all her lunch at morning tea and saves nothing for lunchtime? (This happened).
Her older sister didn’t have the best first few weeks when she started school. A quiet soul, bit timid. No poop accidents like her old man, just the whole ‘‘kindy was way cooler’’ vibe and the discovery that her new place was scary.
School is scary. Big kids bumping into you. School bags that weigh eight times more than you do. Loud bell things that make no sense whatsoever.
The day came. Monday morning – I wasn’t sure who was more nervous, Alba, or the wife and I.
‘‘I’m gonna be able to read books today!’’ – at least Alba was calm. We’d done our parenting part.
Labelled the hat, bag, shoes, polo, skirt, etc.
Lunch was packed, water, sunscreen was on.
We made a big deal about how awesome she looked in her big girl uniform. (Big as in grown up, not because of her height thing).
8:30am – This was it. ‘‘When is it lunch?’’
She was more worried about food than the whole class of strangers.
A few apprehensive steps into the classroom. She hung her bag on a hook, unpacked her water bottle – there was a smile and then… she sat on Mum’s lap for 15 minutes and had a few tears. Ah well.
It wasn’t the dream – drop ’n’ go scenario, but at the 3pm pick up this five-year-old emerged full of smiles with ‘‘I’ve made lots of friends but forgot all the names’’.
Success. A happy first day at one of the scariest places in a five-year-old’s world. A massive sigh of relief from myself and flashbacks to my first day.
Burger rings, chasing Hayley Bullock, being told we now have to sit with arms and legs folded like some sort of pretzel, holding my hand up higher than anyone else and pooping my awesome-as Ninja Turtles pants.
Mrs Mitchell found me some bright blue ones from the lost property. It was pretty obvious to everyone else that I had had an accident. No-one wears a Ninja Turtles jumper and bag without the matching track pants.
First day of school is a bloody big deal and I’m glad to say that five days in, the dropoffs with Alba are pretty much hassle-free and she hasn’t pooped herself. Yet.
She was more worried about food than the whole class of strangers.