The first day of school is a big deal, and while it’s easy to get swept up in the emotion of having your baby leave you for the first time I chose to look at things a little differently. Evan was initially scheduled to start pre-school in October 2020 when he was 16 months old (this is the youngest age his daycare allows). Nitin & I made the decision to hold back on sending Evan because of Covid. We pushed his start date 4 times, and with cases declining we finally decided to pull the trigger and send him this July. 

Nitin & I went back and forth quite a bit on when to send Evan to school. Did I really want to send him in July, right at the beginning of summer when everything is just starting to open up? What about the new variants? Selfishly, I would have loved to spend the summer going on daily outdoor adventures with Evan but the idea of him learning and socializing with kids his own age trumped my selfish wants. 

I’m also trying to be mindful of my own state of mind during this transition. All I’ve known the last two years is everything Evan, so instead of plaguing myself with mom guilt on sending my baby off to school while I return back to a quiet home, I’ve chosen to embrace this new stage. Evan gets to experience life outside of mama & dada, meet new people and enjoy amazing opportunities. Did I cry when Evan started daycare? Absolutely. I woke Nitin up crying at 3am the morning before his first day because I was a bit nervous, but the tears are few and far between because I know Evan is thriving in a loving, nurturing environment. I also remind myself of all the extra one-on-one time I got to enjoy with Evan, and how we can still go on evening/ weekend adventures, and of course you know this mama will be pulling Evan out of school to go berry picking (once he settles in of course; I promised Nitin I would wait at least one month).

A lot of you asked me on Instagram how the transition for Evan was. I’ll start off by saying I’ve never spent a night away from Evan, and since Covid took over our lives last year Nitin’s work travels have come to a halt. So for the last 17 months Evan, like most kids, has spent the majority of his time with myself & Nitin (when Nitin isn’t working). Evan is a super social kid so I didn’t have any concerns about him enjoying himself at school, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about his sleeping and eating. Evan currently falls asleep listening to Whitney Houston, Justin Bieber, Drake (no joke; he takes his music very seriously) and eats an extremely healthy diet. How is he going to fall asleep without his songs? What if he hates the food? Or worse, what if he loves the food at daycare and starts disliking the food at home? So far, neither seems to be an issue.

Preparing for School

Prior to Evan starting school I showed him videos from the school website so he became familiar with his new space. I also had him join Nitin & I on a video call with the school supervisor where she took us on a virtual tour of the classroom. The week leading up to his first day we talked here and there about school but we didn’t turn it into the focal point of every conversation.

Due to Covid, Evan isn’t allowed to bring a backpack to school. Instead, on the first day of school we sent a reusable bag filled with the below items. At the end of each week we’re given back Evan’s blanket & stuffy to be washed, and each day we provide the school with fresh diapers.

• Diapers (we use these ones).
• Change of clothes (I put together a pair of pants, shorts, long sleeve t, t-shirt, socks & hat, and I’ll re-stock the school with anything Evan comes home in).
• Diaper cream (we use this one).
• Sunscreen (I love this one).
• Blanket
• Hairbrush
• Stuffy for sleeping

I also recommend getting labels to put on your kids stuff. I ordered from Mabel’s Labels back in 2020 so the stickers have been sitting in our drawer just waiting to be used. They are washable and can be applied to pretty much anything (shoes, clothes, hairbrush, bag, sunscreen, etc).

Evan is attending school full-time but we are easing our way into full days. Over the first two weeks we’ve been slowly increasing the amount of time Evan spends at school. He is currently in his second week at daycare (today is day 8), and here is a look at how things are going so far:

Day 1 – On Evan’s first day of school (Friday July 2nd) he spent one hour there. Parents aren’t allowed in the school so Nitin & I were a bit curious how Evan would handle being dropped off at the door. One of his teachers met him at the door, told him he would get to play basketball and with trucks, and just like that he took her hand, went in and didn’t look back. I was so proud to see my little man marching into school with so much excitement. When Nitin & I picked him up he couldn’t stop talking about all the things he did and that alone made my heart burst with happiness. 

Day 2 – Evan’s second day was on Monday July 5th, and again he did one hour. He was excited to play with the toys at school, and walked right in again. He did have some tears when they headed outside for play time but we were told this is normal as they transition from one environment. Overall, a very successful day two for Evan.

Day 3 – On our way to school on Tuesday Evan kept saying “no school, no school” but as soon as we got there he grabbed his teacher’s hand and went inside. He spent two hours at school on Tuesday and also got to enjoy a morning snack with his friends which he gobbled up. He had a couple tears during the transition from inside to outside but other than that another great day. The teachers did mention that Evan wasn’t drinking too much water. I was quite surprised because he drinks a lot of water at home, and aside from his Ripple beverage he doesn’t drink anything else. When we got home Nitin & I spoke with Evan about making sure he drinks his water at school. The one benefit of sending Evan when he’s a bit older is that it’s easier to communicate with him. He drinks from an open cup at home but he also has a water bottle he uses regularly, so I asked the school to keep encouraging water throughout the day. I’ve also been trying to give Evan an open cup more than this water bottle for consistency.

Day 4 – Wednesday was Evan’s first full morning at school. He started with the “no school” protest before we were leaving our house, but I know he enjoys himself at school so I don’t get discouraged when he says he doesn’t want to go. He was a bit hesitant to go inside the school but I love how his teachers always know what to say to make the morning transition a smooth one. He stayed from 8:30am – 12:15pm, and enjoyed his first lunch at school. Evan is a great eater but I still had some nerves about him not enjoying the food. I was happy to hear he had two servings of lunch, no tears and a great day!

Day 5 + Day 6 – On Thursday and Friday Evan continued staying at school for the entire morning (8:30am – 12:15pm). By Friday he was drinking more water at school and adjusting well to his new routine. He’s been eating all his snacks and lunch (he must be going through a growth spurt right now because he is eating a LOT of food) and already learning how to spell his name. Guys, my heart!

Day 7 – This Monday was a tough drop-off. Evan usually wakes up between 6:30am – 7:00am, but slept in until 8:00am on Monday. As a result, our morning routine was a bit rushed as we were trying to get Evan to school before his snack and circle time. For the first time, Evan started crying in the car as we turned into his school. He was quite upset and when I took him to the door for drop-off his favourite teacher wasn’t there. A teacher from another classroom took Evan in …crying. My heart hurt. I asked if his favourite teacher could come out and get him and I was told he should get used to going in with different people. Fair point, but the mama in me was still irritated. It was only Evan’s second Monday at school so I picked up my phone and called the school before I left the parking lot to make sure Evan was ok. His teacher told me he had no tears and was getting settled in. I was a little uneasy for the rest of the morning, but in true Evan fashion he came bouncing out of daycare with the biggest smile and tons of stories.

Day 8 – Evan’s school recommended we start him napping on a Tuesday. Evan has only ever slept in a bassinet or crib, so of course I was a bit worried about this change. We talked to him in the morning about sleeping at school, and he was super excited to take his blanket and bunny with him. He cried again when we turned into the school yesterday and went in (still crying) with the same teacher from the day before. Unlike the previous day however, I didn’t call the school right away because …well, I’m learning! I know Evan is in a safe, loving environment and if there were any issues I would be contacted. Sleep time at Evan’s school starts at 12:30pm. I waited until 1pm to call the school to see how Evan was doing. No answer. I paced for 30 minutes, called again and was pleasantly surprised – ok, more like insanely shocked – to learn that Evan fell asleep within 15 minutes. Um, what?! The kid who tosses and turns for an hour before settling down at home fell asleep in 15 minutes? He slept for an hour which is apparently great for a first sleep day. 

Overall, Evan starting pre-school has been such a positive experience so far. Today Evan will be sleeping at school for the second time and I’ll keep you guys updated on my stories with how the day goes.

In terms of what we looked for when selecting a pre-school, aside from the obvious (cleanliness, staff qualifications), the following were extremely important to us:

• Small teacher-student ratio
• Loving, nurturing environment
• Organic menu
• Variety of learning activities
• Good referrals

If I missed your question on Instagram or you have a new one, I’d love to hear from you below!

xo,

Kiki (Kiran)