With the worries about my son starting school now well behind me, and the school year in full swing, I am here to report that all is going well. Apart from an asthma flare-up the week before the school year started (and the panic associated with that!), my son William’s transition into school life has been, I am delighted to say, challenge free!
As the ‘experienced’ mums and dads of older school kids know, returning to school after the holidays can bring with it a new bout of asthma and allergies. For us, the start of the second term brought with it a germ sharing experiment in the classroom. Many kids have had a cough and with that William has needed his reliever on the odd occasion. But on the whole he has been quite good.
I wish I had known (or believed) how competent teachers are before school started. These guys have been around the block many times and really can be totally trusted with our precious little ones. They are trained not only in teaching them how to read and write but in keeping them safe. After all, I am pretty sure that having to call parents because one of their students has been sent to hospital with an asthma attack is on their worst nightmare list!
Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy with the somewhat obsessive preparation I did even if it wasn’t needed. Sometimes it isn’t about what is required, it is about getting yourself to a place where you feel confident enough to let go, even if it’s just a little. As the year progresses, this letting go process is getting easier and easier (thankfully!)
A friend asked me the other day what it is like having some time to myself now that both my boys are at school? Excuse me, I must have missed that memo – was there supposed to be time for me? What is that? Does it come in term 2 or maybe it’s later in the year? I’ll keep an eye out for it though as I’m sure it would be lovely.
It is really nice, though, having the space to gather my thoughts quietly, notwithstanding that life still goes on at a frantic pace. It’s not like the dishes, cleaning, cooking and washing (let alone my paid job) cease during school times. On the positive side, it is an absolutely liberating experience being able to schedule things on my day at home without having to factor in the needs of a 5-year-old.
A couple of parting words of advice to my fellow mums (and dads):
You can also check out these great resources:
Natalie B
Asthma Mum
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