Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Back to school

Tomorrow will be Joseph's first day of school.  We're having a little challenge there: Joseph is officially three weeks too young to start kindergarten.  Joseph also already taught himself to read.  Does subtraction and addition.  And has started on multiplication and division. Luckily his new school is very supportive.  He will start in Pre K, and then will after a few weeks do the Kindergarten readiness test and hopefully transition.  I am not worried.  He will be the youngest in his class, true, but not much more than by a month, or a few weeks.

My main worry is with Michael.  He will start in two weeks at preschool for three half days.  The same preschool that Joseph went to.  It's a small, wonderfully supportive Christian school.  But I am still going to send a two and a half year old who can not answer to the question: "What's your name?" to preschool.  I am scared.  But I will be honest, I NEED the break. I need someone else to take a few hours to activate him and distract him from the trains that have become an obsession and play games.  And talk to him.  That will leave me full of energy and inspiration I hope for the other days.  My brain is just about to glitch out from "Yay! That train is Emily.  Emily goes UNDER the bridge. Oooh.. here is the conductor. He says "hello" can you say hello?"  (No reply).  I am grateful he is verbal, but I am so longing for a bit of two way conversation.    Yesterday.. he was giggling hysterically at the 500 the time he watched Curious George trainmaster.  And when daddy said: "it's not THAT silly Michael."  He actually said "It's funny!" A  reply?  A comment?  At least he identified the situation.

I so do not want to think that way "at least he did this.. or that.."  But for now.. that is what it will take.  At least... it could be worse.  I can not help but look around me at everyone with healthy children and think "it could also be so much better".

2 comments:

MamaBirdEmma said...

It is good for him to go to pre-school! It will give you all time to be refreshed and the teachers will likely give you some strategies for helping Michael at home!

Ciska said...

I'm sorry to read about the loss of your father. My condolences.
I volunteer at a school nearby for children with autism and visual / auditive disabilities. For the last three years, I've spent time each week with 'K', a boy who is (now) 17. He has pretty severe autism, but is smart, will be able to get a job in a year or two and I can honestly say K is the sweetest boy I've ever met. Yes, he likes structure and is uncomfortable in new situations, he has problems with reading peoples emotions and sometimes just doesn't 'get' things. But K's biggest "disability" is that he is very naive, doesn't quite know how to distinguish the line between reality and fiction. It's what makes him so incredibly sweet. As I said, K is an amazing young man. My father also has autism. He has a family, a stable job (he's a teacher!), volunteers at church ... They have learned so much about autism these last ten - twenty years. If I walk into K's classroom, I can't help but notice that these young men and ladies are wonderful people. They're kind, they have a huge sense of justice, they are smart and they're fighters, they work incredibly hard for things we find easy and just don't give up. Michael will get there. You will get there!
You said Michael is obsessed with trains. Have you heard about the transporters? I've heard a lot of positive things about those DVD's. Maybe it could help Michael? Their website is http://www.thetransporters.com/