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School Days

Posted On : July 31, 2008 12:31 AM | Posted By : Yemi
Related Categories: Family, Buchela



I enjoyed school from an early age. I don't remember not wanting to go.

Sure, I never liked doing homework or studying. I was just like every other kid in that respect.

I liked school because that was where my friends were.

It was simple as that.

Hubby on the other hand doesn't recall ever being all that fond of school.

He didn't have a negative experience but his was also not as positive as mine.

It is possible that both of us are suffering from selective memories of the opposite spectrum.

Maybe I am editing out all the negative feelings I might have had.

Maybe he is recalling emotions from days when school wasn't all that exciting.

Whatever it is, we had to discuss our notions of school when we found out that, in September, almost all the kids (his age) from Buchela's play group will go to school.

Kids start early here in China. For about a year and half now, he has been attending his play group.

It has been fantastic for him.

Everyday he went with Ady and played with his friends for a little over two hours. Along the way, he became very close to the kids in the group. If we don't put him in, he will miss out on playing with his friends.

Also, I need sometime to work. So far, I have mostly been working when Dinbit naps and Buchela is out of the house in the mornings.

Having both at home would be a huge distraction.

For these reasons, we have decided to go ahead and send him to school in September.

I have been really nervous about the whole thing.

So, before September arrives, I decided to enroll him in a different school for a month.





Unlike his real school, this one allows me to tag along which means I can monitor his progress and make sure that he is okay.

He also gets to learn basic Chinese before his real school begins.

Yesterday was his first day.

Watching him hurt.

New adults, new kids, new environment.

I could see it was a scary experience for him.

It took everything I had in me to not grab him by the hand and run away... never ever looking back.

But we stayed.

C'est la vie.























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oh's Gravatar he looks so sad but still cute.
the last pic is that white teacher?
# Posted By oh | 7/31/08 7:09 AM
Mamitu's Gravatar He is going to get used to it, don't worry. He is going to be a real international kid.
# Posted By Mamitu | 7/31/08 7:31 AM
oromay's Gravatar hey yemi i am almost near to tears by this post. first day at school for buchela. sooooooooo great!!! and i really feel u. it is difficult for u to see him hurt by his first incounter with new adults,kids and the environment. but u go girl!!....u did it. wedefit belulet yileyilet...wedefit wedefit......this is for buchi....
i also have no visible recollection of my first days at school...how pity!!
# Posted By oromay | 7/31/08 7:50 AM
Mimi's Gravatar Yemi - wiiiyyyyyy Buchiye :( he looks so sad..I can just imagine how hard it must have been for you to watch him..kids adopt to their environment very fast, so
don't worry too much...so this is a strictly Chinese school? isn't there an International school you can enroll him? so he doesn't feel out of place? :) the look on his face,
anjeten belaw :( I hope he'll be happy and grow up loving school like you.. :)
# Posted By Mimi | 7/31/08 8:36 AM
EWA's Gravatar Gosh, your pictures definately caputured the moment very
well. From picture to picture you can tell his progress....
"Kess be kess enkulale beguerewa tihedaleche"....Love your
blog
# Posted By EWA | 7/31/08 9:12 AM
abyssinia's Gravatar Poor Buchela! He looked so sad and out a place at first, sitting around the table. But I think he was okay during the play time.

BTW, their classroom is very clean and organized...which is good!
# Posted By abyssinia | 7/31/08 12:01 PM
Yolanda's Gravatar Awww those first few pictures broke my heart with his sweet little sad face, but it looks like he'll start enjoying himself in no time.
# Posted By Yolanda | 7/31/08 1:56 PM
Mamitu's Gravatar Come to think of it we do send our kids to school early here too, we just have a fancy name for it. We call it day care some even go when they are 6 weeks old.
# Posted By Mamitu | 7/31/08 2:58 PM
Nancy's Gravatar Awh. I got teary reading this.

Our baby is going to school in September - though we are all ready - it will be a transition of sadness as we must let our baby go on to another phase...without us.
# Posted By Nancy | 7/31/08 3:05 PM
Addis's Gravatar Yes, all those first time experiences, they are sad and sweet at the same time. Don't worry Buchi will be just fine. Next thing you know, he will have so much fun and wants you to leave the room. It broke my heart the first time my daughter waved back at me without making a fuss. Hang in there the separation will be harder on you than him for a while.
# Posted By Addis | 7/31/08 3:49 PM
feven's Gravatar i vividly remember my first day of school like it was yesterday .Mrs kenchen ;ed me to my class and sat me in the front row .We leart numbers on that day .One of the girls were mean to me but we grew to be friends later on .sorry be mezebareqe but i even remember what i had for snack and how afraid i was that the other kids will make fun of my snack .
buchela will be just fine . I sat in my car and cried my heart out the first time i dropped my daughter off to day care .she was only two .I prayed "dear god i am leaving her to you and not to them ."
# Posted By feven | 7/31/08 8:35 PM
Helen's Gravatar Feven, Mrs Kenchen.LOl.....INS Alumni? every time I hear her name my check hurts remember how she used to have those long nails men!!! Yemi, you will be fine I remember my cousins first day to school his mom and dad were so scared...but, the dude accustomed to his new environment in no time I am sure buchela will be fine.
# Posted By Helen | 8/1/08 6:19 AM
andrew's Gravatar he looks sad but it is reminiscent of every childs first day including me,it takes time the difference is my mother actually did take me away after day uno due to too much sobbing so i went to school one year later when i had already developed jealousy for not being in school all day and after that the rest was a breeze...he will make it but that sulk reminds me of his auntie E so u must be shutting out the negative aspects of ur initial school experiences
# Posted By andrew | 8/2/08 10:22 AM
Selam's Gravatar Growing pains. Part of the growing up process and facing the mean doggy dog world. Look at the bright side, if you can make it, so can he:-)
# Posted By Selam | 8/2/08 11:30 AM
feven's Gravatar helen yes INS alumini :) i do remember the nails and the perfume as well .What a small world !
# Posted By feven | 8/3/08 11:13 AM
Yemi's Gravatar Hey all,

I have been out of town ... just got around to responding to the comments,

OH, yes, she is Russian and supposed to be teaching English.

All of you, thanks for the reassurance. I need it.

Feven, lol... I remember my own first day of school too but not as vividly as yours. I just remember being enchanted by the swings:)

Helen and Feven, can't believe you two went to the same school. How cool is that!
# Posted By Yemi | 8/6/08 6:29 AM
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