I’m spending the week doing the only possible thing I could be doing right now—gushing about how in the world we’re taking this little face to kindergarten tomorrow.
I always thought I would be so ready for this day. After all, five years is a long time. And Trenton and I earned every single day.
But as it turns out, sending your baby to school is just as scary as everyone says. It’s the worst with your first child, right?
Naturally, I worry about how he’ll handle being dropped off and how he’ll make friendships among 25+ kids he doesn’t know. I also worry about how his teacher will treat him—if she’ll see him with even a glimmer of the pride and love that I see him with.
Additionally, I’m embarking on a minimum of 18 years of schooling as a mom. (Calculated from now to the time Quinn graduates.) For some reason, elementary schools make me a bit uneasy. (Maybe it’s because I was a shy kid?) I have no interest in being involved in the PTA (sorry to my teacher-mom and PTA-president-sister!), but I wonder if I’ll feel obligated to. I’m pathetic with paperwork, which I know is about to double. I dread fundraisers. I’m saying goodbye to five years of a delightfully flexible schedule.
Not to mention, I’m entering the homework years!
I know many of you school moms are busy with the exact same things I’m doing this week. But if you get a second, please feel free to leave this first-timer some advice in the form of a comment. 🙂 I could use it! Thanks, and good luck with the start of school, whenever it finds you!
No wisdom to offer here, but I did want to say best wishes to Trenton (and to the whole family) for his first day of kindergarten. I think he’ll love it and do well.
Thanks, Leigh! I really miss you!
Now you can spend more quality time with your other kiddos. I hope C does well without his playmate/partner in crime!
Best of luck! My oldest was such a handful for five years but I cried, too, dropping him off. I am not a crier! It really surprised me.
I also spent a few years feeling guilty that I didn’t want to volunteer. (Though there are ways to help out without being too much of a stress or time commitment: volunteering to bring paper products for the Halloween party, for instance.)
There is a neat dynamic to having just the littles at home to focus on. Seeing my middle child as the older brother and not the shadow was something I cherished. (Now he is off at school too … sigh.)
Best of luck. It will be okay. 🙂
Thanks, Beth! I hope kindergarten teachers all expect the moms to cry. 🙂 I think the idea of leaving our kids for several hours every single day just draws out that response in us, even if we’re not expecting it! 🙂
I’m the same way about volunteering – not sure how I’ll feel about it or how much I’ll be able to offer, considering I have other little kids at home to take care of.
Oh well, like you said, it’ll all be okay!
I feel the exact same way. I am filled with pride every morning I drop Ben off and he gives me a kiss and walks through those doors like he could care less he’s leaving me behind. And I am so worried that his teacher won’t see him and appreciate him the way I do. I’m sure our boys will both be just fine and Trenton will thrive in Kindergarten! Good luck! This was day 4 for us and I miss him like crazy.
Oh my, thanks, Katie! The image of you sending Ben through those doors every day (and soon, me doing the same) brought tears to my eyes! I’m glad to hear Ben is going in confidently, though! Hopefully Trenton will too.
hello! I felt the very same way when I dropped my babies off….there just seems to be something very foreign and wrong about protecting them for 5 years and then dropping them off to a kinda stranger.
I was not one of the moms that did cartwheels in the parking lot. I cried that our innocent childhood days were done….
but he loved school and even though some of the later ones didn’t ( I had one that cried everynight for 3 months…), I realized that I needed to embrace the time at home with the next one coming up. And my game face of enthusiasm had to be strong for my crier.
Also, ditto on the feelings of being a room mom. NO WORRIES…there are plenty of them out there and I would not do it until my last baby went and I had the time.
So cry some and miss them. It is okay…it will get a bit easier as the days go. Hang in there mom!
Hi Alane! Sorry I’m a bit late responding, but I really wanted to say thanks for the encouragement. I literally shared your words with my husband today as we were dropping him off. I said that after all those years of shaping and protecting him, it just felt kind of wrong to leave him with so many people we don’t know! He was nervous but did really well overall! And as of tonight as we tucked him in, he seemed pretty darn excited to go back tomorrow. (You are an amazing mama for helping one through those long three months of crying at night!)
I’m going to cherish my two at home a little bit more, now that I know how fast it does go. Have a great night, Alane, and thanks again!
It was one if the hardest things I had to do as a mom…leaving Presley at Kindergarten that first day. Even after a whole month, I still can not put into words all of the emotions I felt. I think part of it is mourning a stage of life, and genuinely realizing as a mother you will have less and less of an influence on your children. This comment box is not big enough to explain the feeling!!!
All I can say is just let yourself have a good cry. I still get really emotional thinking about Presley in Kindergarten!! This growing up business is hard on a mom.
Thanks so much, Jamie! I kept thinking today about what you had said in this comment. It really is hard to express, but mourning the end of that stage and realizing how much more influence others will have—I think those two really hit the nail on the head.
Missed you at the park today! I wanted to commiserate! 🙂
I’m hoping to avoid all of this by homeschooling! 🙂 Of course, that comes with its own set of challenges. Good luck, Trenton! And good luck, Erica! You’re doing a great job.
Haha, understandable! I’m definitely not cut out for homeschooling. But I figure that even if these steps are hard, they’re pretty much inevitable and healthy for his growth. Today is day three, and he is doing great! He tells me afterward with some much pride about each new friend he made that day. He’s up to three new, official friends now—one per day! 🙂 Cute little guy.
The pride that comes from these moments (and a million others, which I’m sure you’re already starting to experience) is what makes parenting awesome! Great to hear from you, Jennie!
I don’t have any experience with this {as we’re taking the homeschooling route, for now anyway}, but I do remember how anxious I was about leaving my little baby at daycare for the first time. Ugh! It took everything in me not to run back into the room, scoop him up, and take him back home. But, I couldn’t. For you, your little one is going to experience so many joys and learn so many new things. You’re momma heart with feel less anxious as the days pass and you’ll find your groove. Enjoy these paperwork-and-homework filled years, as you’ll be watching him graduate soon enough. You’re a good mama, Erica!
Thanks, Alana! It is so true that they’ll be heading off to college before we know it. Now THAT is a scary thought! But it makes me want to treasure today even more, so thanks for the reminder. Hope you had a great long weekend!