The first day of school handholding thread

[Lily]

Glad to hear Daniel is doing so well! I think we're past the hardest of the settling-in - Izbiz runs off to play with his friends as soon as we get to the playground now. He's tired too, but more in a physical way now; I don't get so much of a feeling that he's emotionally drained, like he was in the first fortnight.

[Marrow]

We are normally on the 0811 bus to go swimming on a Saturday. Got a text at 7:22 this morning to say the lesson was cancelled. So we are watching My Neighbour Totoro, which is much more appropriate for the exhaustion level. She's loving it though.

Monday morning will be the first time she meets the whole class (60 places in a mixed nursery/reception space - R is nearly full but N not so much, so I guess about 45-50 kids in total, one of whom she knew a bit from nursery). And it'll be the first time she stays for lunch.

[WeepingWillow]

Hamster seems to be very happy. We get much more detailed reports than we ever did from mouse! Also loving the conversations between them about which bits of school dinner they chose. Hamster apparently eats everything, mouse leaves bits.

This week was their first whole week of whole days too. I think hamster is tired of being grown-up all day, she really wants babying at home, but seems to have plenty of actual energy left over. Though she has started trying to use "I'm too tired to talk" as an excuse not to answer me if she's done something she shouldn't! I think I asked her if she was tired a few too many times.

We have had the joy of class bear home already. There are 3 of them, and they only go home overnight so by my calculation this is going to be visiting every 2 weeks It'd better get used to entertaining itself. At least someone had the genius idea of each child having a separate little class bear diary, so we don't have to be self conscious about our lack of bear entertainment skills.

[ches]

J's daily reports are now positive -- amazing what happens when you stop trying to shoehorn a child into an ASD diagnosis and just address his need for support to settle in. T got a postcard home singing his praises... ready to learn, positive attitude, thoughtful to others... Yep, that one knows how to work the positive reinforcement feedback cycle.

[EnigmaFish]

Ches, it's a shame that you had to resort to a battle in order to adjust the teacher's way of thinking... but looking at the positives, you only had to have one meeting, one battle, to produce results.

[Brigitte]

So good to hear, ches!