Schools re-opened in July here. This year, he began Primary at the montessari school he attended. I withheld him from attending school in the first week, for fear of covid spread, but relented later and began sending him to school. When we spoke about going to school, each day he would reason, 'Amma, let us wait and watch how the situation progresses', 'Lets wait for a couple of more days', 'I am reading a book, it will delay my sleeping time and I won't be able to wake up early in the morning. so, let's postpone going to school by a couple of more days'. This continued, until one day, choiceless, he had to go. The day before the school, he should have felt the jitters etc., that he kept telling that he isn't able to sleep and feeling very anxious about school. It took a while to calm him down and help him sleep. At school, he was at his behavioural best. His teacher complimented, 'He didnot show one iota of feeling that it was his first day in school'. Back with his best friends, camaraderie and fun. They spend their lunchtimes birdwatching, drawing, reading and bustimes with drawing and coloring, making new friends. What a fun growing up!
Primary meant full days at school, with a 30min lunch break and 2 snack breaks. We had trained him with stuffed parathas and layered dosai, mini idlis etc so he can have a variety for lunch. On the first day, when we sought for his choice of lunch, he went, "Can you please pack something that is lunchlike? With rice etc?" I was stunned, as I always thought he isn't a fan of rice :)
We usually pack fruits for snacks. Often, we also pack home baked cakes and cookies. Two of his friends are cake lovers. The first day he took cake as a snack, he came home and said that his friends love cake, and would like to share. The school has strictly mandated 'no sharing of food' owing to covid, and we reasoned so. He obliged. This week, he said, 'My friends can't resist my cake. So, I shared with them'. When asked he did so in the presence of teacher, pat came the reply: 'Oh, when the teacher is not looking, I pass a piece of cake under the table'. So, today, while packing, dad suggested he take two small pieces of cake for his friends. On goes the little weasel, 'If I share a big piece, teacher will come to know, and will scold me' Ha ha ha. Undercover operations start as early as 6yrs!
