Meet the Teacher Day with my Difficult Toddler

To manage my sanity, I decided to enroll Kyler in a Mother’s Day Out program one day a week.  We recently moved to Texas from Florida so I don’t have any family or friends to help out if I need to go to the doctor or run errands.  Baby Daddy and I thought that the Mother’s Day Out program would be a good way for Kyler to interact with other children and for me to get a little relief.

Today was Meet the Teacher Day at Kyler’s new school.  We were all prepared with our “impress the teacher” outfits.   I was on time, my child looked adorable, and we were ready to meet the teachers…  I’m always very anxious during outings with Kyler because he is so temperamental.  I don’t know why but he is always the one to not want to be in a stroller, or not want to be held, or not want to be set down.  It’s so embarrassing but I am persistant to try over and over to get him out and about hoping that one day he’ll behave in public. 

When we found his classroom, there were already several other children and parents standing around talking to the teachers.  My anxiety level was increasing as Kyler started to fuss…I cautiously took him out of his stroller and encouraged him to play on the floor with the other children and toys.  Whew, he did it.  Ok, now it’s time to meet his teachers.  I told myself that I would NOT tell his teachers about his presumed speech delay because I worried about them labeling him.  My big mouth, however, spouted it out immediately as I introduced myself to one of the nice ladies.  Much to my surprise, she comforted me by explaining that her daughter had a speech delay as a child and that she was very aware of how to work with children in need.  I was relieved…until I read that she is the teacher on the two days that Kyler is NOT in school.  GREAT, on to meeting the other teachers….

Meanwhile, Kyler was playing fairly well.  He was noisier than the other children with his grunts and “Aaahh” sounds but having fun.  So, the teachers informed us that there was a parent meeting in the auditorium and that we could leave our children in the classrooms with them if we felt comfortable.  Kyler appeared to be having a good time so I snuck out.  Twenty mintues later, after the meeting ended, I was headed down the hall to pick up my child.  I was feeling great…accomplished even.  We had successfully handled a day out in public and having him at Mother’s Day Out was going to be a good thing…….

Oh no.  I hear screaming.  Recognizable screaming.  Children’s screams sound similar – right?  Some poor child is not happy.  The closer I was to Kyler’s room the more sure I was that the scream I heard belonged to my son.  Indeed it did.  He was fine when I left him; I know he was.  Surely, she’s going to tell me that he was fine the entire time until just now.  NOPE.  I rescued the poor teacher and took Kyler into my arms.  He was crying so hard that he could barely breathe.    I apologized profusely to the teacher.  She said that he was fine for a few minutes after I left and then just lost it and they were never able to console him.  She said, “Oh, don’t worry about it.  It will take them a few times to adjust.  If we can’t handle him and he continues to cry, we’ll call you.”

Why do I have this feeling that the $200 non-refundable registration fee is money flushed down the toilet???

As soon as I got him out of his classroom, I realized that I had forgotten to give him his juice.  If you know anything about me, it is that I am scheduled.  Predictable.  This child of mine was as scheduled as can be and needs his juice or other meal right on time.  How could I’ve forgotten to leave them with his juice??  I hurriedly found it in his bag and gave it to him.  And he was calm……….

Well, one day down but many more to come.  I’ll write about his first real day of school which is not until next Wednesday.