For the first time since Felix has been in nursery we were able to go and look around the setting and find out in person how he’s been getting on. This time last year we enrolled him in nursery willing to pay for two sessions a week because we were worried about what the long term impact of covid would have on his social skills. When the pandemic hit Felix was 18 months old and no longer allowed to see family and friends. It was such a crucial age for him. It was heart-breaking when we would go out for our walks and see him try to interact with other people and have to keep him away. We made the decision that preschool would be a good option for him even if we could only afford the minimum of a couple of sessions a week. I followed a recommendation for a preschool in my town because it had a great outside area and forest school aspect which I felt would really benefit Felix.
Now Felix has been in the setting for a year, he’s changed rooms from the baby room up to Hedgehogs and is finally beginning to talk about friendships he’s made. I’m really proud of how much he’s developed with the assistance of preschool and it’s something he absolutely loves attending. We now are able to qualify for the 15 hours of funding which has really helped our childcare costs as it was becoming quite expensive however it really helped him which made it worth it. During our chat with his keyworker last night they told us when Felix started he mostly only played alongside other children but for the last few months he has gradually been interacting with other children and has made some friends which is all I really wanted for him.
His language has really improved too in the last year and you can have an interesting conversation with him. He is very chatty most of the time and still talks with a bit of a made up language which no one seems to understand but him. I think at times he can get a little frustrated because he can’t quite get his point across but he is becoming more and more coherent. I love watching him play as he creates his own imaginary world with his toys and is becoming more and more expressive. His next step at nursery is to listen to instructions better because there are times when he is very defiant. A lot of this is working out his own frustrations and not wanting to do what he is told because he is already doing what he wants to do. I have seen him turn on the fake crying to get what he wants which I can often deter with distractions. I think this is all typical toddler/preschooler behaviour of testing his boundaries and becoming his own person and I have to admit I am finding it a lot easier to deal with than I did with his older sister. Maybe it’s because I’m older now.
We have another 18 months of Felix at home before he will be starting school full time so I want to make the most of this time. I love seeing him develop into his own person. Having spent half his life in a strange position with the pandemic I am glad we are able to give him some normality with nursery and I’m pleased he’s getting on so well. The next thing to tackle soon would be potty training which I’m apprehensive about but I think he’s ready for it and having the support of nursery I think it’s the right time for him.
