Starting Preschool

Well the time has come, and E has started preschool. No longer spending every waking (and non-waking...) hour with me, she's off on her own to make new friends & start new adventures.

After such a successful preschool induction session I had expected her to skip through the door and not even give me a backwards glance.

Alas, this was not to be the case.

We had some leg-clinging, some tears and the pleading for me to stay. I eventually had to bite the bullet and prise her off my leg, but I waited outside around the corner so that I could hear and after only a few minutes she had calmed down and stopped crying. It has been much the same for the rest of her first week, but I have taken the 'plaster' approach - rip it off and it doesn't hurt for long, as it were.

I am assured that she settles quickly and is fine for the rest of the time, it's that goodbye that is the killer. I know it will take some time and adjustment as she has only ever been with me since day one.
She doesn't go anywhere with other people (apart from the odd playdate with my nieces or nephew), and is exceptionally rarely babysat by anyone other than my niece or in-laws so staying & playing with new people is a big thing for her, but I am certain she will get used to it soon enough. She tells me when I pick her up "I cried for a little bit but then I stopped", and then she tells me about all the things she has done so I know that she enjoys it, and that she is learning to be independent.

This morning she willingly took her own coat & bag to the hooks and put her reading bag in the box by herself so we are definitely making progress. I had to put her water bottle on the trolley, but we'll work on that!

Another big first for her this week has been her very first swimming lesson, sans mummy. I was a bit concerned that we would be heading for leg clinging territory again once she realised I would not be getting in the pool with her, but my little duckling has taken to the water just as well as I had hoped that she would. We bought some pink Zoggs swimming goggles with strawberries on as a treat for her first lesson that she chose on the way in, and soon she was flinging herself off of the side into the pool, and happily swimming across the little pool on her tummy and back with the aid of her noodle thingy alongside her classmates.

So a week of firsts for my little lady, and while some have gone more smoothly than others I know that things can only get better. Soon enough she won't need me anymore, so it is quite nice that she misses me when I am not with her and I'll enjoy the adulation while it lasts!