Getting back to reality

Alice started nursery again last week. Emily started "in-schooling" this week. Discussing this with one of the teachers last week it was mentioned that it will soon be "back to reality" time for me - returning to work... Mixed feelings...

In-Schooling

This is the process of familiarisation for the children, to get used to the new environment, people, routines and the parents disappearing. Each nursery has their own way of doing it - some taking 2-3 days and some taking 2-3 weeks.

Emily's nursery will take about 2 weeks (maybe slightly more or less, depending on progress.) The routine is a gradual introduction - we'll be there no more than 1 hour per day for the first week. Then it will gradually step up so that by the end of the second week Emily can hopefully be there the whole day.

Tuesday 25-08-09

Today was Emily's first day - just 30 minutes - enough for her to get a taste of things and for me to get the schedule for the next 2 weeks - the expected time it will take before she's there without me.

It was just her, some of the teachers and me for the first day. The other children and parents will be together from the second day.

It started very quietly - at first just sitting on my knee and didn't want to do anything.

My thoughts beforehand had been that it would be easier for Emily than it had been for Alice because she was already familiar with parts of nursery. But, of course, that's being familiar with Alice's parts of nursery - Emily is in a different department and so nearly everything is new.

It is familiar for me - being the department that Alice started in - called Tromben, meaning tornado - quite apt for the way the children can be... The other departments are Stormen (Storm), Orkanen (Hurricane) and Virvelvinden (Whirlwind) - Alice's current department -

again very fitting!

Emily was coaxed into life by a toy sheep and then a fish tank - empty as the fish hadn't arrived. After a while she got a bit more lively but still being a little subdued compared to her normal self - could have been tired (she slept for 2.5 hours after lunch.)

It was only as we were leaving (her saying "hej då" (bye) in a very sweet voice) that we saw another room full of plastic cutlery and plates that she dived in and wanted to play.

Pillow Case

On Monday Alice's pillow case (right) was returned - she hasn't used it in a long time at nursery

and now she's just started the final year. The pillow case is for their sleeping - something made by the parents usually with things that the children will relate to.

Alice was a big mumin fan when she was smaller, hence the design on the pillow case. I did a few practice drawings and this picture of mumin mamma was fairly straightforward - and it was popular.

Mumin is still on in the household now and again. Emily is picking up the theme tune - occasionally singing along to the "ma-mamma-ma, pa-pa-pappa...". Now mentioning mumin to Emily triggers the singing...

Now it will be time to make one for Emily. It's either going to be Upsy Daisy (or 'daisy' as Emily says) or Pippi Långstrump. Daisy is easier, so we'll see....

Wednesday 26-08-09

Second day and an hour for Emily. Five new children all together with 6 parents sat around a small table trying to be "passive" - boring to the kids, so that they get involved with the toys and teachers. We didn't succeed in being passive all of the time.

Emily wanted to sit with me quite a bit in the beginning - again everything new (children and parents) and this is to be expected.

This is the third time I've done the in-schooling but I don't think of myself as an expert. I'm preparing myself that this time will be different from the other times - children are unpredictable...