Tuesday is a big day. My baby is going to kindergarten.
I really thought I was ready. There are so many benefits to kindergarten. No more daycare, a full day of learning and playing and hopefully my daughter going to bed earlier.
My daughter has always loved school. From her first day as a 3 year old walking into preschool to the entire summer anticipating kindergarten, she is ready to learn and have fun.
We have gone over how this year is different. She will be at school for seven hours instead of three, she will be at school every day instead of only four and she will eat lunch at school, an area of concern for mom.
During tax-free weekend, we headed to the store and bought all of the supplies she needs along with some snazzy new clothes for the coming year. I was still feeling pretty good about everything. She was happy and looking forward to the new adventure, and I know she is ready.
My fears started to creep in when I found out who her teacher is. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure she is a great teacher who will do amazing things with my daughter. The problem is I don’t know her.
For the past two years, I have known my daughter’s teacher outside of the classroom for more than 15 years each. I was unbelievably comfortable dropping her off every day, knowing the loving environment she would be entering.
Now I am kind of in the unknown. I met her teacher during a parents meeting prior to the start of the school year. I was unable to attend the full meeting so our interaction was brief.
Now I have to send my tiny 5 year old there for a full day, every day and she has to eat lunch there. All of my positives have now turned into fears.
What if she doesn’t like the food and is hungry all day? Some of her friends for the past couple years are in the other class, what if she doesn’t meet anyone new? What if she doesn’t click with her teacher or class and she comes home crying?
History shows my daughter is great at making friends and responds well to authority figures. She has only come home crying once or twice and was typically because she fell while walking out of the school.
School lunch is the area I am most interested in. When around me, she is a picky eater on a steady diet of chicken nuggets, scrambled eggs and macaroni and cheese. At school, she is going to have to eat what is given to her, so I hope she learns to expand her palate and not be hungry all day.
As I go to drop her off, outside and not in her classroom per the instructions, I know I will get a little choked up, since as I am writing this, tears are coming to my eyes. I am so excited for her to start this adventure and just hope the year is as great as she hopes it will be.
Contact Jamee A. Pierson
at jpierson@newtondailynews.com