Friday, September 11, 2009

Day 3 (or, I really hate rainy days)

It has been raining since early yesterday evening. I almost sent Alex to school in his rain boots. I hate the rain. I am so much more easily discouraged when the sun is not shining.

I am really having a tough day. I just wrote a long email to the preschool director at Miranda's new school where she starts class on Monday.

[Here in NJ, the state and the feds pay for therapy until the age of 3, when the children are turned over to their individual township's care. So, Miranda isn't eligible to start at the public school until October 30th, her third birthday. So, Tomorrow's Hope Preschool has graciously said they would take her in their 2 1/2 year old class until November. So that is what we are doing.]

In the process of writing the email, I realized what the source of my panic is. I have become accustomed to protecting the world from my children, instead of the reverse, because they do not behave or react in ways typical to other children. Tell Alex no (for a perfectly good reason) and he'll slam himself into the nearest wall. Tell Miranda no (for an equally good reason) and she'll throw whatever is handy straight at you (including furniture).

So, how do I protect the other kids in Miranda's class from her? Yes, there is a perfectly wonderful teacher and another perfectly wonderful aide (2 adults in the classroom) who's jobs include protecting the children from each other. But do they know how to restrain her effectively? Or is Miranda going to use the skills she's learned in therapy for the past 15 months as well as many hours in the church nursery (God bless Miss Brynn, Miss Beth, Miss Rachel, Miss Sarah, Miss Kim--who am I forgetting?!) and behave herself in a relatively normal manner?

I think you can gather from my abject terror that I don't trust her to be a good girl and not beat up the other students. But it is possible that I am wrong.

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