I hope Gab stops crying.

Gab is crying again. I can hear him from the waiting area. He was okay when I brought him to the class last Monday. But a classmate snatched the toy that he was playing with and that’s when the crying started. Gab is not used to playing with other kids. He plays with me and mommy never snatches his toys. I even give him more toys. (I wonder if I should have tried snatching some of his toys before.. just for the sake of explaining to him that sharing is also fun. Perhaps I’ll do that with my next baby or maybe Gab will do that for me.)

The playgroup is okay. It’s a two hour session from Mondays thru Fridays. Classes start at nine in the morning. When they enter the room, temperature is taken and they are asked to wash their hands with sanitizer. Then they will put their bags and water bottles on a table where everyone else leaves their things. Next comes play time until ten. Keeping the toys end their playtime and then they will be asked to line up to wash their hands with water as preparation for their eating time. When they go back to their seats, they are told to put their hands on their lap while food is given to them on their own plates. Teacher asks them not to touch the plate until they are told to do so. I guess its discipline and patience training, eh?
After eating time, they are told to put away their plates and then singing and watching starts.

So far, those are the activities that they have. I’m not sure when they will start doing other activities. All I know is that they are training the kids for now to remain in the classroom and learn how to follow instructions and get used to being left by their moms or grandmas or nannies. I hope that Gab will be over his crying and looking for mommy problem by the time they start with another set of activities.

Can you share your experience when you sent your toddler to school or playgroup the first time?

Gab is a school boy on Monday!

I can't believe Gab has grown up this much. He's two years and more than two months now and he's going to be a school boy on Monday!!!

Well, it's not really formal school. I enrolled Gab to join the playgroup at the next block. It's a lot of play and a little academics. I'm so excited to see Gab interact with the other kids. I am so excited to find more progress in the way he plays and does things and talks and a lot of other developments that moms and dads see in their ever fast growing kids.

At first, I was doubting if Gab is ready to be sent to this playgroup. But as the days go by, I'm becoming more and more certain that it's the right thing to do. Check this out!

After finding the right size, he did not want to take off the uniform anymore so he played and went home on it.

Thanks to my friends who always share tips on how they raise their kids. Thanks to the people who support us in playing a very tough but exciting role as parents to Gab.