In mid-July the Maxis had their Maxi Ausflug (outing) and übernachtung (overnight) at the Kindergarten! This was a very big deal for the kids--and for the moms...or at least for this mom! ;-) As I've talked about before, the start of 1st grade in Germany is very important and really celebrated. The übernachtung is an experience the kids look forward to all year as a way to celebrate the end of 3 years of Kindergarten together. It's a way of showing how grown up they have become and gaining more independence.
We brought the kids to school at 3pm and helped them set up their sleeping area. I have to say--it was really hard for me to walk away from the school that day and let him go, but it did make me think how healthy it is to start letting our kids separate from us bit by bit as they grow--if we start now, then maybe we won't be one of those helicopter parents calling professors in college about changing a grade!
Drew did great and really enjoyed the whole experience. When I picked him up the next morning, he and his classmates were all sitting in a circle outside, singing songs as his teacher played the guitar. He was full of stories about how they rode the train to a grill site, went on a "Schnitzeljagd" (giant's treasure hunt), roasted hot dogs and marshmallows, ate ice cream at the school, and had chocolate milk and cereal for breakfast.
Our boy is getting so big.
Please check back regularly--I have had a lot of blog posts in my "Drafts" for awhile now and am going to be posting new ones all this week. Thanks!
I'm proud of all of you!! Big steps. I love how you're letting go, Kelly, I know it's hard.
ReplyDelete