Summertime Blues

Joffre was so excited to come back to Peru, which made me happy. But since we've been here, he's been rather down in the mouth. The first week was brutal, with all manner of tantrums, definance, naughtiness, and nastiness. Then it got better, although we still have our moments. The biggest issue is this:

Preschoolers don't understand summer vacation.

See, for them, school isn't stress, it isn't tests and expectations and having to learn challenging and possibly boring concepts. It's playing, with a fun teacher who could host her own children's program, and hanging out with all your friends. Summer holidays aren't a break from school, for these kids; they're deprivation of Fun Times. I've talked to other mothers from the school, and all the kids feel the same, asking when school starts and when summer is over. I've been trying to get him together with his friends as much as possible, but a lot of them are away at the beach for the holidays.

The other thing that kids do a lot of here is "vacaciones utiles", or "useful vacations." This translates more accurately to "day camps." The trouble is, I don't think he'd like a day camp without anyone he knows in it, so I've been trying without success to piggyback on one of his friends' day camp. This isn't working as a) most of the day camps began at the start of January and are wrapping up, and b) those I've asked about their day camps are not pleased with them.

So, we keep setting up playdates, going to the park, we've been swimming, and we are waiting for his American buddy to get back from parts North. His school has said they will take him in their new four-year-olds class for the months of March and April, and frankly I can't wait.