And we’re turning the page to a new chapter: first days at school

Oh my God, what a whirlwind…?! And yes, I’m still trying to catch my breath, but we’re already rolling through the first week. You know how it is. In the first week of August, I didn’t understand what was wrong with me, but by the second week, I could feel the stomach knots and the flood of questions growing in direct proportion to the approaching school start. I know, I’m terrible—and if there were a ranking for overcomplicating kid-related issues, my name would be at the top. But starting first grade, no matter how you look at it, is terrifying for a mom. (And the university scheduled our consultation week for that zero week, so Ruben and I started the first week of school together—imagine that… First kid going to school, add a mom spinning out of control, finishing her last semester at university, juggling practical classes and two jobs. No comment.)

Ruben, on the other hand, took it all very casually, and honestly, he could hardly wait to go to school because he had truly outgrown kindergarten, and the changes only sharpened over the summer. Even last school year, when he was still in kindergarten but the parent-teacher meeting for the upcoming year was already held, he decided he wanted to participate in a performance at the opening ceremony (though he later changed his mind and didn’t). That worked out perfectly. Since our school wasn’t the one in our district (and actually, his kindergarten wasn’t either), no one from his kindergarten went to that school whom he knew, so the rehearsals for the opening ceremony were a great chance to make friends before sitting in the classroom. Plus, we could start training ourselves for the early school mornings after summer (and actually even after kindergarten, which started at 9 am), because the rehearsals were scheduled for 8 am by the teachers.

Basically, as is often the case, my fears turned out to be unfounded (like whether he’d make friends, be able to sit quietly, stick to the morning rush routine, blah blah blah…), and this little guy surprised me once again. He handled Monday’s early start with ease (unlike me—I only managed to fall asleep around eleven, and since I get up earlier than him to prepare breakfast and all that, I’m dead tired by noon and crave intravenous coffee three times a day). After we arrived at school, he sat down at an empty desk and waited for the other kids, looked around at where we put things, and once everything was settled, he asked, “When are you going to work? Because I’m ready to start learning.” So we said goodbye, I cried on the street, and the day we’d prepared for a month began: his very first independent day in the classroom.

Since then, he comes home every day with a thousand stories, excited about what awaits him the next day, praising the food, telling me about his afternoon free time and lessons as if he’s been doing this forever. I’m blown away by the teachers and how they handle the kids (and the parents). They’re relaxed, easygoing, but at the same time clear and firm, and I notice this system is bringing out the very best in Ruben. Of course, it’s still early days in the semester, and the kids have a lot to get used to, but I couldn’t have dreamed of a better start.

Check out our first trip to the opening ceremony rehearsals by bike (after route planning and traffic rule talks), and a quick snapshot from the first day of school:

Dated: Sept 5, 2018