As most of you know my 2 1/2 year old son attends a barnehage five minutes walk from our house. He's happy there although very attached to the teacher and assistant in his own little department of seven kids. At the same age, his sisters were like, ' Right Mom, who needs you? I'm off to play with my friends. See ya'. My son makes it very clear every day that he not only needs me, but also his dad and sisters (at least he seems to always want to know where they are, and never bores of the answers: 'office' and school').
So yesterday I was a bit surprised by a note from the barnehage telling us that in honour of the little kiddies moving into a big kiddies group after the summer, they are planning a sleepover next week at the barnehage for the (still in my opinion) very little kiddies, all of whom turn three some time this year. I did play with accepting the offer for a moment but really when I thought about it for a moment more, there's no way baby boy is ready to sleep away from home, even if it's only down the road. I'm not ready either, but that's another story.
While I do wonder about the lunacy of offering to give up a decent, normal night's sleep in a bed to entertain a bunch of diaper-wearing under-threes, sleep with them on mattresses on the floor at one's workplace, then face them all in the morning and feed them breakfast before starting another day's work, I honestly appreciate the dedication inherent in the proposal.
They were very good about it when I declined the offer this morning whilst expressing my gratitude for their lunacy. The staff seemed surprised though that baby boy hasn't slept away from us before, as in with grandparents and other relatives. The other kids in his group are doing the sleepover it seems. My son doesn't even know what a sleepover is and my attempts to explain it have failed miserably.
His sisters, on the other, are always begging to sleep at other people's houses. Anyone's house except their own, in fact. Unfortunately the barnehage aren't interested in having two enthusiastic assistants for a night. Shame.
5 comments:
Ah - aren't they just so precious when they are sleeping. Yes, the independence thing does start early in Norway.....will take a little 'mind shift' for me to get used to it again.
Too me this is utter lunacy!! I have never heard of it but I am assuming by Carolines comment that is may be usual practise in Norway?
There is *no way* I would let my little guy do a sleep over yet. And he certainly would not want to.
Yes, I have to admit that the only reason I even contemplated the sleepover was to fit in and not stand out as 'the foreigner'. But really, I couldn't do it. It's interesting that some parents can and from Caroline's comment, I gather this isn't so unusual here in Norway. I continue to learn :-)
I agree. It just sounds like way too much work... i dont see how what you do with them at this age makes much difference.. honestly they don't remember half of it anyway.
Anne - you're right. They don't remember anything at this age.
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