It’s been 2 years in waiting literally for our 3 year old son to attend kindergarten. He’s been on the waiting list to attend a French/Australian kindergarten since he was 1 years old.
The decision to send him this year to a 3 year old kindergarten and not next year was solely based on when he would be accepted to attend. When the time came for him to go, I started to doubt my decision.
The anticipation and anxieties I had for him attending the kindergarten felt like it was myself starting a new school. All those feelings and questions rushed through my mind as I tossed and turned through a sleepless night. Will he cry non stop? Will they know to take him to the toilet if he doesn’t ask? What if another child hits hit or snatches his toys? Who will be there to watch out for him? Questions after questions streamed through my mind that night.
When his dad finally had him all dressed and packed to go to kindergarten, I couldn’t help but shed a tear or two. This was it, the end of that stage in my life where he stayed home with me. It was sad but just the beginning of his educational life.
When I went to pick him up a couple of hours later, I was happy to see that he was fine and amongst other little 3 year olds eating their morning tea. It was a strange feeling, seeing him part of a larger group of kids for the first time, without his mother or father.
I guess the adjustment to kindergarten hasn’t been as long and hard as I had anticipated. It’s only taken him 3 sessions to know that he is in a safe environment that he can enjoy, that he is dropped off and will be picked up. But I still worry every morning when he’s at kindergarten, I wonder if it will ever stop? Or will I continue to worry when he’s at primary school, then at high school…
