1) Life is ever changing. In case you forget, take a look at photos of you or your kids when they were born and on their first day of school, only 5 short years later.
2) Just because you receive a post card showing the bus stop time, that doesn’t mean that is the time the bus is going to show up.
3) Waiting 30 minutes at the bus stop is exciting only for the first 10.
4) The first day of kindergarten is often more stressful for the parents than for the kids.
5) Sometimes, it is more stressful for the kids.
6) If you have two kids and you get one excited about riding the bus, you need to make sure to explain to the younger child why they can’t ride the bus.
1 (child getting to do something) + 1 (child not getting to do something) = 2 (hours of screaming)
7) The invention of digital cameras in addition to nervous parents makes for an impromptu anxiety-party outside of the kindergarten classroom on the first day of school.8) Six hours isn’t as long as it might seem, particularly when there are things to get accomplished.
9) Exhaustion is contagious. A day at kindergarten exhausts not only the kindergartener, but all family members surrounding the student.
10) Cranberry-Orange Muffins can temporarily solve almost any problem.
11) You can learn more about your child’s day at school by listening to his conversation with grandmothers than by asking him about his day.
12) Life goes on the next day. And the next. All we can do is enjoy the beautiful flow of it and try to be present for it all.
This is one of the most beautiful things I've ever read. Thanks for sharing it... I feel slightly more prepared for next year!
ReplyDeleteAs I read this I said, OH YAH! And unfortunatley #11 is true even in the 5th grade. BUT! I have found that if you sit with them once the light is out at bed time, they could talk to you for an hour about what they did all day. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you both! Brooke, no worries...it was easier than I thought it was going to be. Andrea, excellent point. I also had someone suggest asking them to tell you five things about their day (instead of "how was your day?") - it works!
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