This evening we had our back to school conference with Teddy’s new teacher. We knew going back to school was going to be hard with him, but he seemed to have embraced it the last few weeks so we were hoping we would start the year off well. But when we pulled into the parking lot, Teddy lost it in a way I haven’t seen in a very long time. He was sobbing so hard and very obviously was terrified. As we stood over him on the sidewalk, my husband and I just looked at each other and had no idea what to do. We knew we had to get him into the school and calmed down or Thursday morning, the actual first day of school, was going to be even worse. But all of our talks and hugs and pleas weren’t getting through at all. Jesse ended up carrying him in over his shoulder while he kicked and screamed and then we had to do the whole thing all over again when he bolted back outside. But just then, his teacher from last year showed up carrying the stuffed octopus he bought her for her birthday and within 30 seconds, she had him calmed down. He started talking about octopuses and sharks and swimming and all the fun things he did over the summer and he was able to transition that excitement over to his new teacher and classroom. By the time we left the school, he was grinning ear to ear and said he’s not scared anymore and he can’t wait until Thursday! Teachers are so special and do not get enough credit for how much they truly care for our kids. They are miracle workers who do so much more than teach reading and math. I think 2nd grade is going to be the best year yet for Teddy and I am so grateful for the support system we have to help make that happen!

Posted by Meghan at 2022-08-30 00:47:51 UTC