Never understood those parents who cried on the first day of kindergarten. What is there to cry about? For seven hours, your kid becomes someone else’s problem. What is there not celebrate? Shopping with one less whiny kid. Housecleaning without PB&J hands undoing your work. Daytime television that has nothing to do with a purple dinosaur or a yellow bird. Plus, it isn’t too bad for the kid either. Reading, writing, cooperation, and self-expression through finger painting – those first crucial steps in their education that will lead them through high school graduation and onto college, finally giving you the space for that sewing room you always wanted. Kindergarten is just a good deal all around.
If I would have had a blog when my first two children went to kindergarten, I would have definitely made fun of those parental cry babies. But, this time around with my third child, kindergarten did not feel like a party. Keeping him at home seemed like a much better option, but he did not agree. He was kindergarten bound despite my reluctance. With his backpack firmly in place, he marched into the classroom covered in primary colors. As he proudly started his public education, I snapped photographs without a tear in my eye. Then, his teacher handed me a cotton ball with a piece of paper attached that said:
…As you hold this cotton ball in your hand, the softness will help you to recall the gentle spirit of your child. After you wiped your tears, take a deep breath and smile knowing that together we will both work to help your child grow to the best of their ability…
I sobbed all day until I retrieved my child from school.
He hugged me and said, “Kindergarten is awesome. It was the greatest day ever!”
