Ladybug started her first morning of Preschool on September 5, 2013 We tossed around the idea of starting her in Junior Kindergarten, but decided it would be best to wait so she can start year one at the best school imaginable for her.
The day before she was to start Preschool, I received a phone call letting me know that for the next 3 + weeks there would be no teacher’s assistant for Ladybug. At first, I’ll admit, I was furious. Really! The day before school you call to tell me this?!? Then the teacher in me thought it would be a great opportunity to see first hand how the school is run. I could talk to the kids about Ladybug and encourage them to ask questions and feel comfortable with her. I suppose it was a blessing in disguise – the kids loved hearing about Ladybug’s Squiggles wheelchair and her Special Tomato Chair. There were several little ones who were immediately drawn to Ladybug and coloured pictures for her, wanted to sit next to her during circle or even just wanted to hold her hand to see her smile.
The Preschool is amazing, the teachers are great, the kids are incredible and the germs…..well….there is no escaping them.
Before school started I used to turn the opposite direction if there was someone coughing near Ladybug. I never left home without sanitizer or wipes because I knew how detrimental a simple common cold could be to my little bugs body. It took every fiber of my being to relax that first day when a little girl kept sneezing and then sharing her toys with Ladybug. My first instinct was to run for the wipes and wash her hands, but this is big girl school now. I had to put on a brave face and save the wipes until the morning was over.
As much as I and many other parents of medically fragile children would like to keep our kiddos in bubbles, there comes a time when I have to trust that her body will eventually build enough of an immunity to fight these bugs without needing to be admitted to the hospital. That being said – outside of school is back to my rules. If your kiddo is barking like a seal, has neon coloured substances running out of their nose, or has a temperature for any reason aside from teething – please cancel your visit or playdate until everyone is fully healthy. I may be brave when it comes to school because they have rules set in place about attendance if your child is sick, but you best believe mama bear will come out if you knowingly bring a sick child to my house.
3 a.m. the Saturday morning after her first two days of Preschool, I woke up to the frustratingly familiar sound of croup. Not a big deal – I was expecting it eventually. The usual course for Ladybug is: croup, then cold, then fever, then coughs up yucky stuff ,then gets better. Somewhere in this pattern things took a wrong turn and Ladybug ended up with Bronchitis and became quite sick.
It’s been over a week since this preschool germ started. One day I feel that she is kicking its butt, then the next feels like we’ve taken two steps back. However, if I know one thing it’s that Ladybug is one heck of a fighter and she will get through this bug and be stronger because of it. (Daddy-o…don’t worry she’ll build up enough immunity this year at Preschool to have a perfect attendance for year 1 of Elementary School)
Little Ladybug Hugs 