Olivia does not like change.
At all.
So the fact that there were about….let’s see….a million and one changes last week regarding school did not start the year off so well.
This mom is exhausted from worry, from dealing, from everything regarding the first week of school.
It started off two weeks ago with our decision to try ADD medication with Olivia. We have been resisting and resisting for years and finally decided to give it a try. The final push was being at the national conference this year and listening to the other parents talk about how much of a difference it has made with their child. So we did it.
She started off feeling crappy. Then got over that and seemed fine…but no change behavior-wise. We didn’t up her dose seeing as it was the first week of school…and I’m glad I didn’t given what rough start she had.
We started with two separate, one-hour sessions with her special ed teacher, Mrs. G, the two days before school started. It was rough. The school went under major construction over the spring and summer and it looks quite a bit different. Mrs. G’s room is in a different wing and brand-new. Olivia couldn’t handle it. Plus, there was still some construction going on and that drives her insane. Not good.
The first day of school was ok. She cried a little halfway through the day because she was tired and missed me and wanted to go home. But that was it. I was relieved.
Enter Day 2. She’s a little unsure about being there, she missed me, she wants to go home and THEN goes out for lunch recess and they are emptying the dumpsters. It’s super loud. She hates super loud noises. So she freaks out. She refuses to go out for the other recess that day.
Day 3 there’s a new kindergartener in town. He’s non-verbal so he yells and makes loud noises and screams. She is terrified of him. So she pinches, she hits, she freaks out. He also rides her bus. As if that isn’t bad enough, she refuses to go out to lunch recess again. They finally get her outside and have her calm and…wait for it…the monthly tornado siren goes off.
Nice.
She freaks out, of course, and refuses to go out for afternoon recess. Can you blame her? Guess who’s going in tomorrow for lunch and to try to get her out for recess? Yep, you got it. This is why I work from home.
On top of all of this, her best friend no longer goes to her school. She is, thankfully for her, allowed to go to her home school with her brother and cousins. But Olivia misses her. Now Olivia is the only girl in her grade in Mrs. G’s room; she also now has to share an aide with 2 boys instead of her BFF. Man!!
All week I’ve been driving myself crazy trying to decide if she’s just having a hard time adjusting to all of these changes, if it’s the medication, if it’s being a pre-teen, if it’s just adjusting to the school year while trying to keep my patience with this sweet little girl of mine who is acting like a monster when she gets home because she’s been under so much stress.
Sigh.
It’s been a rough start to the school year. I have my fingers crossed that it will only get better from here.
Right?
Elastamom's Excerpts 
Oh, the poor thing. I really hope she (and you) are able to have a better week this week!
So much to handle so early in the school year. I hope Olivia’s second week is much less stressful, and that your lunch with her tomorrow is a success.
Oh Olivia… So much for her to handle! Thank goodness she has fabulous parents who long ago decided on the importance of one of them always being available for her. I hope things start to look up for her and that this darn construction ends soon!
It will get better! I promise you! 🙂 Hang in there and I know we’ll figure out something to help her adjust better. I do feel so bad for her though! Poor thing!
Good luck with getting Olivia out to recess. Gracie hates loud noises too, and she never forgets when she was scared by something loud.
I hope things go better for her this week. Maybe just having you at the school for a little while will help her.
Also, I understand about not wanting to start ADD medication. We started Gracie on some meds this year and it has helped. Good luck with getting the medications figured out and I hope you can find one that works well for Olivia.
So hard when it is a tough early start. Hope this upcoming week is much better. Sending positive vibes your way.
Poor Olivia! That is a lot of changes!!! I hope things settle down for her!!! Good luck tomorrow!
Oh my God! Poor Olivia! As a hater of loud noises myself, I can completely relate. That siren would have sent me over the top, too. ((hugs)) to both of you and she is so lucky to have you there today, encouraging her to step outside.
WOW….that’s ALOT going on for one little girl. I hope things ease up for her more and more as the days go on. Kaia started Grade 1 today and I’m so nervous about how she will do going all day everyday, not to mention no play time like in Kindergarten. We’ve had a laid back, easy going summer and now she’s back into structure and more rules, I’m sure we’ll hit some bumps.
Oh boy, it’s got to get better! Any one of those issues could have been cause for difficulty, but all together? Poor Olivia!
Janine had a pretty good first day of 1st grade today, as far as I can tell. The little boy with DS who seems to have a crush on her and throws his shoes at her on the bus, didn’t. She was all smiles at the end of the day.
I am also thinking of trying the attention meds at some point. I have heard some success stories, but the other kind as well. We’ll see.
Yes. It will absolutely get better – if only because all of us out here in Blog World are going to will it so!
Gosh, all of that would be hard for anybody. It sounds like she is actually doing pretty well at handling all of that! Keeping my fingers crossed for a great year full of growth!
Oh! I’m so sorry. I always feel the start of school is so tentative with kids. Hang in there. She’ll come around and things will settle. 🙂
I don’t know what to say or how to help as I am far from there. But, my return to the classroom has got me thinking really hard about my little guy’s future. A lot of what you mentioned have been my fears. But, I’m pretty sure it’s just the newness of everything. Olivia has been doing so well up until now, she will adjust (maybe even as early as next week) and things will be her new normal for the rest of the year. Adjustments are hard for all the kids (teachers too!) Good luck and don’t give up!
Oh, poor Olivia! I don’t blame her, that is a tough week. I can’t believe the tornado siren went off. Once she gets over the learning curve of all of these changes, things will get better, I know it will! She is a strong girl!