Showing posts with label Starting School. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Starting School. Show all posts

Sunday, 16 July 2017

A tonne of bricks...

"I'm going to ride a motorbike when I'm bigger!" That was it, a huge tonne of bricks dropping onto my chest. Obviously I didn't tell him that he probably wont. Unless he's a passenger. But even then, I probably wouldn't let him anyway. With "big school" becoming imminent as opposed to next year, or a few years, it's in less than two months, I have started to realise how Jacobs vision is going to start affecting his life more and more. Last night we were talking about our friends little girl who'd been to her school disco, Jacob said "I want to go to a school disco!" I said "Do you? Do you think you'll like it?" And he said "no, it will be too dark and loud. I won't like it." That's 2 heartbreaking realisations in 12 hours. No school discos, no riding a motorbike. What next? Obviously I know none of this is set in stone, and who knows what will be available to Jacob in the future, but for now, they're a no. And it isn't fair. 

Part of me cannot wait for Jacob to start big school, I know he will love it. But the anxiety I feel over him starting makes me want to keep him at home forever. Or at his preschool. Because I love them for how they've treated my baby boy and can't imagine anywhere looking after him the way they do. He got into the school I really wanted which was amazing. He has a huge Education and Healthcare Plan (EHCP) that the school, preschool and Jacobs Visual Impairment teacher put together along with Rich and Me and it covers absolutely everything from starting the day, to coat peg positions to where he will sit in the classroom. So I know they know all they need to know. And once Jacob starts, they will see his isn't what he seems on paper. On paper, I think he can be absolutely daunting. It isn't until you meet him that you realise how he doesn't actually let his sight or lack of, affect him. 

I know it's been a LONG time since I last wrote, Jacob is still stable. Our hospital appointments are 3 monthly at the moment and hopefully will only get further apart. We've had some behaviour troubles with Jacob but I think it's down to all the change going on, leaving school, starting big school. Alba is a lot more "involved" now so he absolutely tortures her and has become very protective of all of his stuff. Another tricky phase in life with two toddlers I'm sure. They have brief moments where they're the best of friends and it's absolutely lovely. But they are few and far between. We've also had chicken pox since the last post, but they both coped really well with it. Thank goodness! I will write again soon! 

A few photos from recently; 













Tuesday, 6 December 2016

Do they really have to grow up?

I had a really good cry tonight. I haven't cried properly in ages. Like, I cry at the Christmas adverts, and at that bit in Toy Story 3 where all of the toys are heading to their death in the furnace, but I haven't had a "proper cry" in ages. It all started with viewing a primary school... Jacob is due to start next September, and although I know it's been coming, apparently I hadn't actually, fully accepted that it was happening. Until tonight. Basically, I had my heart totally set on this one school, that I hadn't even viewed, but I have heard amazing things about it and their OFSTED report is also brilliant. But it turns out, none of that actually matters. Because when I walked in, it was such a crazy, tight, cluttered layout that all I could think of was how overwhelming and scary it was going to be for Jacob. And how many accident forms I would be filling out each week. Now, don't get me wrong, I know I've only viewed one school, and they may all be like this, but all I wanted to do was turn and run. And homeschool him. They have to just "get on with it" from the start, so you don't take them into the classroom on their first day, they just go, find their pegs, hang their stuff up and go. And then they go collect their school dinner, scrape their own plate, put their cutlery in one bowl and then pile their trays up. All totally acceptable. But I know Jacob won't be able to do this without help, and I know help will be available but I hadn't fully grasped the concept that this is when this disease was actually going to start affecting his life. It's obviously affected him his whole life, but I've always been there to hold his hand, to help him. I know how he likes certain things, how he does certain things, how he works things out because he can't see. And I honestly can't bear the thought of him going off on his own. I sound like he's leaving home, but I really didn't realise that this was when the visual impairment that the bastard cancer left behind was going to become an issue. Which is probably the most naive I have ever been. Except for that time I thought two babies would be a breeze...

I'm branching out now and planning on viewing schools I hadn't even considered because of where they are etc. But as Jacob will have a Health Care Plan in place when he starts, he gets more of a choice. It isn't decided on catchment area or siblings for him. So he kind of has the pick of the bunch, which I wasn't going to take advantage of, but think I may do now. Has anyone else had their heart set on a school, only to view it and be disappointed?

Why do our babies have to grow up?