After tucking our grumpy sleepy babes into bed we heard a little voice calling us back into his room. Monkey wanted us to know how unhappy he was about naptime at preschool and it made him angry that the teacher makes him lay down. Understandable seeing as his naps hit the road at our house well over a year ago.
We sat and talked about how he needed to obey the rules of the school and one of those rules is to rest for a bit at the end of the day. The teacher told us that the kids can have comfort items with them so we showed him his soft pillow, flannel blanket and cool new nap mat sheet, and I let him choose a book to look at during rest time. Typical comfort items around here are books and small plastic toys, so we thought we'd try the book first.
I let his teacher know that I had packed his comfort item in his bag and that it was a book. She promptly told me that books were not allowed as comfort items. I just kind of stared at her and because I am 9 months pregnant and coping skills aren't great I thought I was going to bawl right there. "But. That's his comfort item..." She said sorry, but the other children aren't allowed to have books, so he can't have a book. I told her (hopefully not snottily, but I can't be sure) that he would likely cry again today, then. She assured me that was fine, they would work with him.
Before I left I told him that his book wasn't allowed and I could tell he was bothered by it, but was torn between reacting to the news now or running off to play. He choose to go play, and I know when he asks for his book come naptime and she says no, it will feel like hearing it for the first time. And something tells me that when we introduce a small toy as his comfort item it won't be met with enthusiasm by the powers that be. Hopefully I won't cry about it, lol!
Man. It's tough being four. And being the ridiculously pregnant mother of said four year old.
Oh and the pic is of the latest embroidery I did for the girls room.