That's my boy.

Well, Art has always gotten overwhelmed when he's in a space with new kids.  The more kids, the more overwhelmed.  The other day we had ECFE, a child/parent class.  The first 45 minutes is freeplay and then the moms go off and talk shop while the kids stay with some early childhood teachers.  Since Art didn't handle being left at preschool so well I was a little worried about how ECFE would go over.  Before we went in he said, "Will you not go away for a long time?  Only go away ONE time."  I guess that means a short time.  Anyway, they got the snacks out and that's when us mom's say goodbye and go off for an hour.  Art didn't cry. I saw him sitting in his chair with all the kids eating snacks.  When we all came back an hour later he was part of the circle time listening to a story. Lewis was standing up, of course, on the hands of one of the teachers.  Art immediately wanted to show me a shark puppet.  I was happy to see that he wasn't off alone in a corner or crying.  Then a teacher came up to me and told me he had been pretty sad.  I asked if he had cried and she said only a little after he got bumped on the head trying to pull down a toy.  Then I asked if he had played with any kids at all.  She said he mostly just sat in the his chair.  "The same chair for snack?"  "Yes.  For about 30, 45 minutes." 

That actually doesn't surprise me that much.  At the park he would do the same thing.  He would kind of stay close for about 45 minutes, slowly playing but mostly watching.  Finally he would get up the gumption to play with some kids and they would be on the way home.  We had a couple sad park visits like that when he ended up crying because he wanted to play some more with the kids.  But the teachers seemed a little sad for him, that he stayed in that seat so long.  I was a little sad for him, too, wondering what he was thinking all that time.  (He told me later that he was thinking of me.)

Then the lead teacher came up to me and asked, "What does Art like to do?"  Perhaps he thought that Art just didn't want to play with any of their things.  But they were also trying to lure him away with various activities and toys.  Apparently the puppets were the only thing that got him excited.

So, that's my boy.  He's such a vivacious little guy and fun loving person, he just gets stopped uo and stunned when he's in a room of kids.  Nothing that some more time in rooms of kids can't cure, I'm sure.  New, smaller class preschool starts in January.  Let's hope those kids help him feel safe and welcome.  And even if not, at least they won't be leaving after he's finally warmed up.