That time my son proved me wrong

I recently wrote about my son’s Ryan first week of school? How I was worried for him and how my heart ached for him. How I felt bad because he cried every morning at drop off and at night before he fell asleep. How he didn’t know a single kid in his class. How I watched him pace alone at recess and see the sadness in his face. How I wanted to take his pain away but I couldn’t because I knew that only TIME could make it better.

Well… that’s exactly what happened! With TIME, Ryan found his groove. He made new friends in his class and found his tribe, and the support and guidance of his loving teacher. He found his way, on his own, within a week of starting school.

My friend and I were talking about this and she made a good point – imagine if an adult was put in that same situation. How many of us would willingly go somewhere new and different where we didn’t know a soul, and be happy about it? Most of us would bolt the other way before stepping a foot in the door. Except, we expect our kids, as young as 3, to do just that when they start school. No wonder the first few weeks are so hard on kids.

Back to Ryan… I’m so excited and happy to report that he’s in a good place right now at school. I still watch him at recess and he still looks a little “lost”, but maybe that’s just his preference. He doesn’t seem bothered by it so why should I be upset or worried about it. He’s happy to go to school in the mornings and he’s always happy when I pick him up at the end of the day. Really – what more could I ask for?

Proving it to me

Just to prove to me that everything is really okay, I received this wonderful e-mail from his teacher and it said:

Just wanted to let you know that the class voted today for a classmate that deserves the respect award. We engaged in some discussion around what respect looks and sounds like. I am pleased to say that “B” and Ryan were the names that most students thought should deserve the award.

The teachers also agreed!