I seriously cannot believe that Ty starts preschool in less than a month. It's been this massive event in the distance for the better part of a year now, and all of a sudden it's a very real event in the very near future. It occurred to me today that not only does he need a new backpack, but a lunchbox, waterbottle, first day of school outfit...and of course I'm stressing out wondering what preschoolers are into, and whether a Thomas backpack is too "babyish", or if other 3 year old boys are in to much "tougher" characters...I'm so out of the preschool loop.
The past few months have been such a whirlwind of evaluations, reports, and meetings in preparation for the big transition. The kid has been evaluated by his early intervention team, by his preschool team, and by his speech therapist...more than once by each!...all of whom have analyzed every move he's made, every word out of his mouth, and every problem solving strategy he's used. It's exhausting. At some points it has taken every ounce of control not to jump out of my chair and remind Ty of how to do something that I know he is capable of doing. To his credit, he's been such a rockstar. The charm has been cranked to full force at every evaluation, and he has done lots of laughing in the process. Watching him sit and be tested for the fourth time in a month with a big smile on his face is a good reminder that he's the one at the center of all of this, and if he can do it with a good attitude, I can also!
The reports though...those little pieces of paper that analyze every miniscule aspect of your child...now those are not always easy to get through without a massive glass of wine and a little perspective. While I do think his evaluations have been pretty darn accurate in representing Ty's development to this point, you can't help but wonder if you could or should have worked a little harder on some skills. It's definitely not a rational thought, but it's there, and it comes out every time you sit and read one of those reports about your child. But, then you read what your child can do. You read every single skill that he has mastered, and your perspective instantly returns.
It's no secret that I am a massive planner, so it's probably not a surprise that since Ty was an infant, I've had a vision of what he would be doing by the time he entered school. Realizing that Ty has achieved all of the goals that I laid out three years ago (plus SO many more), is an awesome feeling. No, not all of his skills are on par with a typical 3-year old, but he has steadily progressed and grown at his pace, and has become an independent, curious, and determined learner...that is a boy to be proud of, for sure!
Next week I will meet with his team to develop his IEP, and in a few weeks I will be driving him to his first day of school...very hesitantly handing him over to the school district, who will walk him through his education for the next 15 years of his life...WOW. Stay tuned...new adventures are on the horizon!
No comments:
Post a Comment