School Excursion

Well, we had our first school excursion this week, a walk to the local shops approx 500meteres from the school, to talk to the shopkeepers and see how to pay for things and stuff like that. The school asked for parent volunteers, and after explaining to the teacher that "Literally, Jonathan's life will be in the hands of whoever walks with him," I was put in his group.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of routine about the excursion, it was difficult for him to understand what was going on. Usually, I drop him to school, and then he doesn't see me again till the middle of the day when it time to go home or go to Special Ed Classes. On the day of the excursion, I dropped him off, took his sister to day care then came back. He didn't see me for a while as they were busy getting ready to go... once he did actually see me, then we had some troubles.

Firstly he wanted to go to the car.. we tried to explain we were walking but that didn't make sense, then we said we will go shops.. and he was happy with that, but couldn't understand why we couldn't go in the car.

He walked, begrudgingly, complaining, crying and distressed halfway up the first street and got a piece of the [GF and CF Free] chocolate bribe. He kinda calmed a little, then continued walking and sobbing to the traffic lights, we went round the corner and part way up the next street and then decided it was too much for him... he was just so out of sorts and out of routine/comfort zone.

So we went back to the car and drove the 500m to the shops, he kept crying and was uncertain until he saw the other kids and the teacher aide... after a minute or so we got out of the car and joined his group. We went in 2 shops and looked at what they sold, the other kids drew things, and we had some money to hand to the shopkeeper to buy some food to take back for morning tea.

He got a little more distressed in one of the shops coz we were there a while, but after more bribe food we went and sat outside for a minute. We drove back to the school and had morning tea there.

If he was just a little older, I may have been able to explain it better to him and he may have understood better, if I had met him at the shops that may have been better... but I know him and his complete lack of understanding about roads, and wasn't willing to let him walk with someone else just yet. But you know what.. he went... he got to go on an excursion with his schoolmates, and that's a wonderful thing.