Let the preschool games begin

My little girl has started preschool, and she loves it. LOVES it.

She's told me so every day since she started. (Apart from one afternoon of sorrow at not being old enough to go to school.)

It all kicked off with her choosing a leaf from the ground on our walk to her first day. "I'll give this to another kid," she declared. The gift was offered to one little girl, who looked away quickly. The next little girl to walk through the gate was the next potential recipient - and she accepted the offering with delight. Then Abbey tickled her. An immediate friendship was formed.

I love the way kids handle this stuff. While their parents stand around awkwardly smiling at other parents and not really knowing what to say or how to spark up new friendships, the little ones get straight to the point.

I tried to give my girl a kiss goodbye, and she maneuvered away from me as she painted. (She's in a kiss-hating stage, and to get one I have to kiss her while she sleeps.)

Later, as we walked along the path home, she chattered non-stop. "I painted, and then I played outside on the swing and in the sand and a boy told me I'm not a big girl so I said, 'No thanks I don't like that!' but he said it again so I told the teacher."

One big thing I've noticed is how her play has changed since she's started at kindergarten. Using her dolls and soft toys, she's playing lots of classroom-style games. The chatter of most imaginative play has been around figuring out what to do when someone does something she doesn't like, or being told what to do, or having to remember to wear her hat outside. It's her own way of sorting through this new routine in her mind.

It's a fascinating, and fun, next stage of her childhood. I can't wait to see how this year unfolds for her.