Saturday, August 14, 2010

Back to School

Every where we look, we are inundated with back to school stuff. Advertisements on TV. Advertisements in the paper & online. Displays as soon as you enter the store.

Most parents are excited about the words back to school. The children have been fighting all summer. The children are bored. The parents are ready to send them off so they can relax, get their house back in order and do all the things that are hard to do with children around.

Not me.

MM starts school on Tuesday. I have a huge knot in my stomach. It is keeping me up at night with anxiety. Will this year be better? Will I have to fight as much? Will they follow the IEP? Will she eat while at school? Will she use the bathroom so she doesn't get sick? Will her meltdowns be as bad as they usually are when she starts back to school? Will she make any gains after doing so well this summer? Will the bus driver work out? Will she be able to keep up with her peers? Is this the year the kids start making fun of her or are mean to her?

Don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to getting a break. It will be nice to have most of my days off to do the things I need to without her in tow. She has also had a great summer (up until the last few weeks which I am sure is HER anxiety about the change coming up) and I have enjoyed working with her, helping her make some real gains.

BUT, I am not looking forward to all the BS of school that goes along with having a SNK.

To end on a good note, we met her teacher the other day. I am excited cause I think we might have a great fit. She has been a teacher for a long time and has spent the majority of her time in special education. She has taught a typical classroom for the last 4 years, with a Sp. Ed. child in the room each year. XXXXfingers crossedXXXX that this is MM's year!

5 comments:

angie said...

Best wishes to you and MM:). I am right there with you with the knot in my stomach! We also had a REALLY rough year last year.....horrible teacher who did NOTHING! I am hoping it is a good year for my Em as well:). Cheers to you....I wish we could have coffee together that first morning....or a margarita:)....whatever works, right? HA!

Colleen said...

good luck! Hope MM has a great fit with her new teacher. Mine will both have the same teachers who have been great, although Zach will also have a new reg. ed 1st grade teacher, but that is only part of the day. I think he is ready to go back and get back to the routine. I have noticed an increase in some headbanging the last couple of weeks...although I am wondering if it is needing the routine or the fact that he is getting lots of new teeth which is also causing some pain. Hmm the things you have to think about. For Kennedy I am always nervous not because of starting school, but typically the fall seems to bring not so healthy times...So I am crossing my fingers that she spent enough time at the hospital during the spring. Ok now I just overran your post with my own thoughts and fears. GOOD LUCK MM!!!

Nancy said...

Good luck!! I really hope this year is far better than last year. Will be thinking of you and MM tomorrow :)

Anonymous said...

Wishing you both the best school year yet!

Barbara

Ellen Seidman said...

Hello! I hope the start of school goes well, and like Barbara said, this is MM's best year ever.

SO, I sent you an email but haven't heard back—you won that Kodak camera on my blog! Email me at lovethatmax@gmail.com!

Ellen