First Day of School

Oh, here's my big girl in front of her Montessori preschool on the first official day of school. Last week the school sent home a letter stating that parents were to drop off and leave immediately as "a quick goodbye is the best way to avoid a teary situation." So, attempting to be very nonchalant about the whole thing, I took her to the door, gave her a quick kiss and handed her off to a waiting teacher.
The second I turned my back the tears started, then the sobbing and the reaching for me. Fighting back my own tears, I held Zoe close and walked back to the car as quickly as a could. You have to drive by the front of the school to get out the parking lot and as I did I saw a forlorn little pink figure in the window watching my car slowly drive away. The teacher tells me it took her about a minute and a half to distract her. All the teacher had to say was "Athena, your friends are waiting for you at circle time. Why don't you go and find a place to sit down?" and she immediately and very matter-of-factly said "My friends are waiting for me!" and ran into the next room.

One part of the Monetessori philosophy that I love is the "child-centric" learning where the child is allowed to select their activities based on interest. Athena was, of course, drawn to the music room and spent her morning engaged in musical activities like listening to head phones and playing instruments. When it was time to pick her up, she was happy as can be and I had a heck of a time getting her to come home with me. I was able to do so by promising we would come back tomorrow.