The Kindergarten Mama Blues
We went school uniform shopping a few weeks ago, and gone is the cute smocked dress and bloomers that all of the Pre-K girls wear, because she’s a big girl now and big girls wear jumpers.
We went school supply shopping today, and she gets to pick out her own school bag this year because the Pre-K tote is not what the big kids use.
We now have a Kindergartener in our home. All summer she has talked about meeting her new teachers and all of the new exciting things that she will learn and get to do. She is super excited for the opportunity to join the school’s pep squad.
And don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled for her to enter this “big girl” chapter of her life. I am so excited to see Kindergarten through her eyes. But I am also super sad because this will be our last Kindergartener.
We are done having babies, and as the saying goes, “babies don’t keep.” And while I am happy that we can now sleep through the night and don’t have to change any more diapers, it’s kind of sad to think that my last little chick is growing into a beautiful bird right before my eyes.
Everyone tells you to soak it all up because time flies and your kids will be grown before you know it, but no one warned me how it would feel to experience these last firsts with my last baby.
And yes, we have many more firsts to come and many other milestones to meet but it doesn’t change the fact that she moves to the “big kid building” this year with her brother. There will be fewer classrooms and more students in her class. She will transition out of nap time (boy, don’t we wish we could get that time back?). She will get to go to extended care with her brother and not in the little school anymore.
I will happily watch as she keeps moving forward and I will always support her with a smile (and maybe some tears), but inside my heart will be breaking for what we will no longer have.
For now, I will continue to read to her before bed and hold her hand for as long as she will let me. I will take all the pictures and hugs because before we know it our little Kindergarteners will be grown and there won’t be any more back-to-school bashes or graduations.
“Kindergarten: where little hands have big ideas and hearts are full of wonder.” – Unknown
