Quarters

Rowan (and his mommy) officially survived the first full week of kindergarten. On Thursday I thought I was very brilliant. I decided that Rowan needed something to keep his brain busy at school, and distracted from his homesickness. I decided he needed a job. When Fuller was in kindergarten he was PAINFULLY shy, so I offered him a shiny quarter for each classmates name that he learned. Though the purpose was different, I thought this job might be just the thing for Rowan. Over lunch on Thursday I presented the plan to him, and he seemed very excited about the quarters. In fact he gave me a few names before we left for school and he was off to a good start. When we got to school and lined up he started to tear up and get a little weepy again. I pointed out to him that this would be a great time to learn some new names, since parents would be telling their kids goodbye. He stopped being sad and started listening intently. By the time his class was headed down the hallway he had a couple more quarters happily jingling in his backpack. For the first time all week I could go home and relax. When I went to pick him up he looked a little like he had been crying, but he said he only cried at the end because after the bell rang it was taking to long for me to walk to his class, and he thought I wasn't coming.
Today unfortunately he had no interest in earning any quarters, and had a very sad, sobbing, tearful goodbye. Poor Mrs H., I think she's going to get tired of leading my pitiful son by the hand! But, when I picked him up he was all smiles and had lots of exciting things to say. He said he didn't cry at all once they got to class. So maybe progress is being made. It's just two steps forward, one step back.