I still remember waiting anxiously in my Grandma’s living room…
I’d stare at the clock waiting for my parents to return. The termly Parents Evenings at my Primary school are etched into my mind. I dreaded them – not enough to stop me eating the neverending supply of fizzy drinks and cookies which always seemed abundant at my grandparents’ (I was nervous – not a grown up) – but I hardly enjoyed them.
My parents always returned with suitable grins on their faces that told me I should never have worried and to be honest I was fortunate enough to know that my parents’ approval was not entirely dependent on my educational success. But, I think they were as nervous as I was and I probably picked up on that… I remember my Dad wearing a suit; attire usually reserved for weddings and funerals. And my primary school seemed strangely intent on fostering fear to anyone who dared enter it, parent and child alike…yep.
A term-and-a-half in, my eldest son’s experience of school could not be more different than my own. He loves it. I mean, he LOVES it. Whenever I pick him up and ask him how his day went he tells me ‘it was the best day ever’… every time.
So when Faith, Adlai, Koa and I waited outside Caterpillar classroom for his parents’ evening (which actually takes place in the afternoon – and yes, the kids come too now), I didn’t feel nervous – I felt thankful that Adlai doesn’t have to experience the same anxiety that used to cause me a serious sugar rush. When we were called in, we heard all about the brilliant funtivities that are apparently learning in disguise and how well Adlai is doing at them all. And the grin of pride I remember from my parents was now etched in an uncontrollable way across my own face.
