Kindergarten and raising a threenager

 

Everybody kept saying how hard it is to have a baby, but no one mentioned the part that comes after that. Raising a child comes with so many joys, but at the same time so much work – all the sickdays, constantly testing everything, doing and saying the opposite, pushing every button that ever existed and not to forget – that never ending babble about everything and anything while jumping on one leg (the Duracell bunny got nothing on a three year old).

Don’t get me wrong, being a parent is awesome (hey, we even got a second child so it’s not all bad), it’s just that it’s now that the parenting begins – keeping a baby fed and happy is nothing compared to keeping a toddler satisfied, actually, this toddler has a demand list longer than Beyonce’s.

 

Felix started kindergarten a couple of weeks ago and so far I’m so happy about it. Changing from “little kindergarten” (vuggestuen) into the real deal couldn’t have come sooner and I’m amazed on how much he has grown in these few weeks.

The whole “I can do it myself”-part is definitely kicking in and it’s so much fun seeing him do things I’ve never seen him doing on his own before or that I didn’t expect (or ever asked) him to do. It’s tough on him at the same time, the struggle of leaving the small kid phase and entering a bigger world, with rules and boundaries alongside with the freedom that comes with it.

On day two of kindergarten, he started going entire days without his diaper. He’s not totally off it, but I’m so happy that they are helping and cheering him on while he goes (on his own) on those tiny people toilets they have over there.

 

And my most favourite part of him starting kindergarten – the sleeping. He stopped napping immediately and since they keep a full schedule of activities (it’s a kindergarten with a athletic focus) he’s completely done when he gets home in the afternoons. He actually falls asleep in the sofa and he sleeps the entire night through – Is this really my child?!

Now, we do have a baby so the whole sleeping-at-night part for us grownups haven’t changed but now I know, in three years time I will finally get to sleep again!

Kindergarten didn’t only come with good things.. spending the days with older kids also means that he’s picking up some not-so-fun words.. really trying to keep my cool when being called a poop-pooper or when he throws the F word around.. getting a small taste of how those teen years will be like.

I’m not only proud of him, but also of us, I’m proud that we’ve raised this little funny, social and energetic boy and that all of those hard days and nights of the baby-phase was worth it in the end. The look on his face when he achieves something new, or hard or something he’s never done before (like those scary scissors, drawing a circle with stick arms and legs, or even pouring water into his own glass) makes my mom-heart so happy.