One of the outcomes of the CPSE evaluation is that Dante needs help transitioning and separating from his parents. The therapists and evaluators strongly suggested a highly structured school environment where he was away from us, with his peers and had to take direction from other adults. Our job was to find the school and they would provide the specialist at the school to work one on one with Dante. Wow - how cool - and all for free!
So Monday I called all the schools on our list to see if there's an opening in January. Surprisingly, several of them had openings - two of which we really liked. Village Kids School on 14th and 8th Ave, right near my work. I liked this one a lot, BUT, for 3 year olds they require five days a week from 9-1pm and we were hoping or three days. The other school, International Children's Workshop, was our number one choice, and one we didn't get into when we applied last Summer. How awesome that Dante would now go to our #1 choice. We were invited for a play date yesterday and from the get go - Dante was difficult. Everything is a struggle and confrontation: getting dressed, eating, washing face, putting away toys, going outside, staying inside, putting on shoes, EVERYTHING. There's nothing he does with a smile or without a protest or resistance. Don't get it!
We dragged him out of the house and to the open house, only for him to have a complete meltdown in the lobby. He refused to go in, and whaled, cried, stamped his feet and screamed when we tried to take him in "I don't want to go to school". Then he'd kind of calm down and let us take his hand and pull him one step closer to the school and sure enough "WHAAA" until the director came over and basically told us to leave. What a nightmare and disappointment. I couldn't even look at him I was so angry at his behavior.
Where does he get this insecurity and resistance to try anything new. Even on our trip, he didn't want to do anything outside the box. Just play with his cars, trains, listen to Dante music and watch TV whenever he could. Once we got him out he reluctantly enjoyed whatever we were doing - but time and time again, he protests any little bit of change and it's very frustrating.
Both Rahav and I are exploratory adventurous individuals who do our best to foster that in our children. Is this how Dante is going to be forever, is it a phase, a characteristic of a 3 year old and younger? Looking back, he's been resistance to change since he was a baby. Does this mean he's always going to be a cautious boy and always want everything to be the same and predictable? I hope not - life is so much more enriching and fun when you brace he unexpected and seek out new and adventurous opportunities.
