My sweet little bubble grew from a toddler to a preschooler in 2020. I saw two different perspective of a toddler’s life last year. The sweet little darling who listened to everything I told and the daring threenager who questioned everything I told.
First Playschool
Little lakki started her playschool in January 2020 at Little Millennium in Chennai. She cried for a whole week, threw tantrums that she did not want to go to school. By Pongal 2020, she was all set for her school rides! So, she cried a whole week, got fever the next, then got ready to go to school herself.
Just two months of school in Chennai, but she enjoyed it so much that it became a routine for her. She participated in a dance on their annual day before she bid farewell to her school. It was a warm farewell from her teachers and the entire school community.
In just two months, hardly 45 days, she managed to get bit by a classmate and also managed a group dance performance on stage.
Travel amidst Corona
My daughter and I managed to board the last flight from Chennai and enter UK right before the National Lockdown all over the globe. I didn’t really understand the intensity when I booked my tickets. A week before our travel, the situation was petrifying for me since I had to travel with my little girl.
I couldn’t cancel the tickets nor could I postpone it. So, I was left with just one choice, to go ahead and travel. As much as I was frightened, I was also keen to go ahead and travel. I did not want to miss this final chance to travel.
With both of us running temperature just before a week, my travel was doubtful. The tight medical checks happening in Dubai made me worried and a couple of good souls even warned that we might be deported.
When we reached Dubai, the airport was almost empty. The fear of getting deported was running high when I stepped down in the Dubai International Airport. Looks like I might never get tired of telling this story, so I’d write a separate blog post for this!
Anyway, I am still thankful for reaching UK with my little girl sound and safe. I was petrified throughout the journey.
Travel with a Toddler
My last travel was easy peasy since my little girl obliged to everything I told her and best of all slept during most part of the journey. This time, I had to keep my droopy eyes open to ensure she had not walked down the aisle since we had an empty seat next to mine.
After a long time, I was awake for more than 24 hours! My daughter was awake for 3.5 hours of the journey from Chennai to Dubai. Then dozed off when we were about to land! The same thing happened when we got near the destination airport too. When I got up to buckle her up in my sling, almost 4-5 people asked me if she slept and adviced me to take her safely! That much ruckus!
I woke her when we came to collect our baggage. The moment we met my husband, I realized how much easy we felt. The first thing I did was transfer her to her dad, leave everything there and run to the Bathroom! Phew! 5 minutes of relaxation!
Lockdown Chronicles
We entered national lockdown in a week’s time of our arrival. Somewhere inside me the fear of getting deported(a fear I had amidst Corona) was ruled out.
The change was super big. My daughter who wandered the streets, parks and shops with her grandfather just a couple of weeks before was now confined within four walls. Since she was thrilled to be with her father again, she did not complain initially. It took just a few video calls for her to ask her grandfather to come here and stay with her.
With winter almost wrapping the cold, Spring was about to begin, but the new chills made us shiver for almost a month since our arrival. As we welcomed Spring, we settled better in our new home.
We were lucky to live in a community filled with kids and summer was warm with all at home. Mostly the kids stayed out since it was a closed community and had nice fun. My daughter was lucky enough to meet lots of kids which was actually impossible back at our Chennai home.
Oh yes, we were scared initially to let the kids play with each other. However, we couldn’t let them stay confined within four walls for longer either. We joined them as most of the parents worked from home in 2020.
Toddler to Preschooler Birthday Drama
In May, when my toddler moved to a preschooler phase, things took a new direction. This was the first birthday we celebrated with calls from all over the globe. We had a birthday party call for the first time and it was funny.
We enjoyed baking a whole lot of goodies last year. As a toddler, she managed to offer some help in kitchen, but as a preschooler she ruled the kitchen much better.
She got her first Masha bicycle and pedelled her way with her friends. The time we spent scribbling with sidewalk chalks and taking sunbaths every morning still stays fresh on my mind. We would take turns or snuggle right by the balcony door with a large glass of warm water or lemon water.
Father-Daughter Duo
The one pleasure I enjoyed being with my husband was the father-daughter bonding with each other. It was such an endearing thing to watch. My husband had fit a baby cycle seat for my daughter in his bicycle and both of them enjoyed their daily cycling together.
At times, it looked like a circus to me. Still, she followed his every instruction and they both had so much fun. I joined them once on a travel to their usual park. She was instructing her father to wait for me as I pedalled with them. I enjoyed the journey to the park and it was fantastic exercise.
The daughter helped her father while he cooked, they even washed their clothes together sometimes. While the father mopped the floor, the daughter stood on the mop head and enjoyed her time. While the father and daughter danced like no one was watching, I was busy recording the fun.
There was a time when my husband’s phone was filled with photos of bikes. Now, I am surprised to find that he has so many videos of the time they spend together. It is like a dream come true, I enjoy watching these two together!
School Time
We were glad the government pushed the schools to open in September 2020. My daughter was excited right from the time the school opened. In fact, when I started from Chennai, I had a plan to put her in a playschool right after her birthday. However, getting a glimpse of the schools here felt wonderful.
Her father dropped her at school in the morning and I bring her back from school. I used to take the buggy with me since it took almost 12-15 minutes to reach her school by walk. For almost a month and a half, she enjoyed resting in her buggy with a snack.
There came a day when she was ready to walk the entire way herself leaving me surprised. Even though, the actual journey took 20-25 minutes, there is not a moment where I felt the necessity to urge her to walk fast unless she wanted to use the loo.
The schools closed in December for Christmas holidays with all of us bidding Merry Christmas wishes to teachers! With children, teachers and parents eagerly waiting to start the term in January, we got the first highlight of 2021.
Second wave has reached its peak and we are going to continue with homelearning for 6 weeks now!
More about the Threenager
You can read more about my toddler to preschooler chronicles here. If you are interested to do some activities, go on and read this.
That’s it folks! The transititon from a toddler to a preschooler is not easy on her or me. Still, we have chosen to learn with one mistake at a time, one step at a time and one day at time!