Dropping The Kids Off At School

Dropping the kids off at school is a totally different experience in Badhoevedorp than it is in any town I have seen in the U.S. When I picture dropping the kids off at school in the U.S., I picture a soccer mom driving up to school and literally leaving the kids standing on the curb in front of the school to walk into school alone. Not so in Nederland.
One, kids here start school at different times. Groups 1-2 (4-6 year olds) start school at 8:40. Groups 3-8 (6-12/13 years old) start school at 8:25. So in a family like ours, and in a lot of families, that means we all go to school together - Hidde, Friso, Tessel, and me. We get there about 8:24 (lately 8:26. oops!) and mill around with every other family from the school. Almost all families have at least one parent that either walks/bikes their kids to school. Probably 5% of kids in the school come in a car, and I think some of them come in a taxi every day. Very strange! It's my favorite to see how many kids parents can fit on bikes. I think the most I have seen is 3, with the bakfiets: mom pedaling, two kids in the front in the big wheelbarrow looking container, one behind (where Americans traditionally have their kids on a bike). You can check it out by clicking on "bakfiets"at this website: http://www.fietsfabriek.nl/

The parents don't just walk their kids to the curb though. All the parents and all the kids come into the school yard, and the parents watch the kids line up with their classes. Then the parents stand and watch their kids going into the school, in lines, with all their classmates. Parents really only leave once their kid is safely in the doors of the building ("safely" implies that there is something dangerous lurking outside the building, but nothing could be further from the truth. it's absurd how safe it is in this village).
Once all the kids from Groups 3-8 have gone inside and their parents have left, I am left there with all the parents from Groups 1-2 and all their kids. Generally Tessel and I quickly go inside and put her backpack and lunch away. Then come back out and mill around for about 10 minutes doing nothing in the school yard. It's awesome. Particularly in the winter. And particuarly because almost none of the parents talk to me since I am only an au pair (though I don't really have much of a desire to talk at that point in the morning anyway...).

8:40 rolls around (sometimes 8:42 or 8:43, but never 8:39), and the teachers from Groups 1-2 start clapping their hands. This is the sign for all of the children and parents to immediately come as close to them as possible and start singing, clapping, and stomping our feet (true story. I have been awake for less than an hour at this point, have had zero coffee, and am expected to start singing in Dutch while clapping and stomping my feet). Then the kids line up and rush into school. Finally I can head home to my first cup of coffee.

I also really like to watch the late parents arrive as I am leaving. There are always some parents who only have kids in Groups 1-2. They usually show up some time between 8:35-8:45. This morning was the cutest thing I have seen in a while. Mom, huffing and puffing on the bike as she works to get there on time while little adorable 4 year old boy on the back of the bike calmly brushes his teeth. So wonderful. There are days when I re-fall in love with this country and think I can never leave it. Moments like that generally are the reason why. :)