Yes I know it's not a HUGE thing in the big scheme of things - but for us this is truly momentous.
It is a massive milestone - we have reached the age of entering school (they will be 5 in March, just before the end of term 1) and everyone is still alive and intact and most importantly thriving.
Not a tear was shed yesterday - by them or by me - there was no need for tears, if there were to be any it would be happy ones that we have come so far, not sad tears - this is the next step in their journey of life, the one where they start to form their own path.
As parents our natural instinct is to want to protect them forever, there comes a moment where we have to relinquish some of that protection and trust another human being will care for them as well as we do.
They sat in the hall yesterday, waiting for their name to be read out, knowing for months beforehand that they would be going in separate classes (it is school policy but is also our preference - it's hard enough for them being identical twins where people often refer to them as 'the twins' and cannot get their names right, let alone placing them in a classroom where sub-consciously they will be compared to each other, that and well frankly neither of our singleton children will have a 'buddy' when they start school and it's just a further extension of us wanting them to be completely individual rather than a 'unit' as such - that said we do respect friend's decisions to have their multiples in the same class - their children, their choice) - holding hands and gazing excitedly forward - Lily (twin 2) name was called first, she turned to Isabelle (twin 1), gave her a hug and said 'see you at lunchtime' and off she went to the front of the line, and starting chatting to the children around her like she had known them forever.
Isabelle was then called in the next class (apparently they wanted to lessen the emotional impact on us as parents by doing one after the other) and off she went - both waved as they walked out with their respective classes and that was that - no tears, no looking back.
When I went to pick them up last night I found that they had opened the doors between the rooms at lunchtime due to the heat - the techers were surprised they didn't want to play with each other - I wasn't -they knew the other was there and that was enough - they are focusing on making their own friends, and for me that shows how far we have come - that they are so confident that they don't *need* their sibling by their side constantly - such a fine line betwee nurturing the twin bond and it being an all consuming desire that they *must* be together because 'they are twins'.
Onto the next step - and thank the powers that be scrunchies come in different colours and you can pin ribbon to hats :)
0 comments:
Post a Comment