It’s Day Care Mum, But Not as We Know It
After three weeks off to play in the backyard with the tractor Santa delivered (and put together on Christmas Eve with very dodgy instructions), Noah was thrust back into the twice-weekly ritual of attending day care. We had to repack his daybed sheets, find his nappies (just in case, as he is now toilet trained), find extra clothes and pack his special day care bag. His baby brother, Ethan, watched on with confusion, wondering where his playmate of the past three weeks was headed.
This year Noah is a “Possum”, after graduating from the “Koala” room following his Christmas concert last year. The Possum room is a transitional one between the toddlers and the pre-schoolers – that in-between stage where children start participating in more structured activities, like learning to write their names. Noah jumped out of the car after his first day back on Tuesday and came running into my office, full of excitement about his day. But when I asked him what he’d done during the day, all I got was “I did playing in the sandpit”. I was expecting big things from my Possum, especially considering he was a “big boy now”, as he keeps telling us. His second day was Friday, and I think I hit upon the reason for the lack of talking earlier in the week. Noah told me he wasn’t playing in the sandpit as much now (his favourite place) and I made a smart comment about how life wasn’t always fun and games, and then I realised the structured play and learning experience was something he would have to warm up to. After a cuddle with my “big boy” yesterday we started talking about names and I said his full name was “Noah Baker-Dowdell”. He looked at me for a second and then puffed up his chest and said, “My name is O, H, A, N”. I smiled and said he was close. He then said he was, “nearly four”, counting the first three fingers proficiently, and then holding up a fourth awkwardly. I was my turn for the proud chest puff, when I saw he was learning to spell and count. These were lessons we’d touched on at home, but had obviously been solidified at day care. After my initial surprise at seeing Noah do and say things we hadn’t taught him (it’s hard at first when it dawns on you that they learn from others), I realised this was going to be a big year of learning for my little man as he is prepared for the life ahead of him. How are the school/day care preparations going in your household? ___________________________________ Johanna Baker-Dowdell is mum to two boys – Noah and Ethan – and combines looking after them with her work as a blogger, journalist, writer and public relations consultant. She owns and manages Strawberry Communications which started small in the third bedroom, but has grown into its own office space (in the converted garage). Add Comment |
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Last Tuesday saw our house in more than its usual state of disorganisation – it was Noah’s first day back at day care and we had got out of the routine.
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