I've just realised that I haven't blogged about this. I've obviously been avoiding the issue. I can't believe that Noah is going to school.
His first day was last Wednesday (6th September). Doesn't he look cute? I was building myself up to having to drive him to school, Richard coming with me for emotional support, when Noah announces that no, I'm not driving him to school, he's going on the bus with 'the sisters' (his collective name for Katarina and Harriet). What?!?!?! I don't think so.
Because of where we live and where the catchment area school is (in a neighbouring village) it has been deemed too far and not safe for the children on our estate to walk to school. North Wiltshire District Council therefore provide a couple of mini buses which take the children to and from school. Which is great, at least most of the time. The downside is that I don't get the opportunity to chat at the gates with other parents, perhaps a good thing, and likewise don't get the opportunity to speak with the childrens teachers. I applied for Noah to have a place on the bus but didn't intend for him to actually start to take the bus until much later in the year, perhaps not even until he starts school full time in January. He obviously had other ideas. He is 'grown up' now, or so I'm informed, and should catch the bus.
This was a real conundrum for me. I've always maintained that I am raising adults, I am not raising children. I want my children to grow up in to caring, independent adults, who, even though they know we will always be there for them, won't be dependent on their parents to be able to make their way in life. Probably not a popular view of what a parent should do but it's ours. So on one hand if he feels he wants and is happy to take the bus then he should. On the other hand he is only just 4, he is the youngest in his class, in fact the whole school, and he's my baby. I'm not ready for him to grow up.
should I stop him? Is it right to stop him? I decided it wasn't, put
him on the bus with 'the sisters' and then promptly jumped in to the
car and followed the bus up to school! Besides wanting to make sure he
was really alright, I am a scrapbooker and I needed those lining up in
the playground shots.
He was fine. Why wouldn't he be? Katarina is a great big sister. She made sure he was buckled up on the bus, sat by him and helped him get off the other end. I'm glad we drove up though, and not only because of the look on his face when the bus pulled up in school, but because I wouldn't have wanted to miss this milestone. He was a little upset, bless him, and looked quite worried but just as he was getting off the bus he saw myself and Richard and his little face lit up. He was still feeling the enormity of it when it came time to line up in the playground.
The school decided this year to stagger the intake, 10 children on Wednesday, a different 10 children in on Thursday and another 10 children on Friday. It wasn't until the following Monday that all the children attended.
And Noah? He's still insisting on going on the bus. I've decided, after a few days of following in the car, that if he's happy with this then so should I be. Continuing to drive up to the school by myself is more about my feelings, my insecurities than it is about his. And so I've stopped. It's the beginnings of loosening the apron strings. My children are growing up and they are independent, they are confident (mostly, Harriet can sometimes be the exception) and that is ultimately how it should be.
I'll finish with a few more pictures of all the children, on the drive of how house before on the first day.
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