School is back in session! Parents everywhere are in turn cheering and crying. I, like many other parents out there in the metro, am faced with the reality that even though I’m thrilled that school is starting again, it’s a tough transition.
Often it’s tougher for the parents than the kids. It’s a big deal to send our kids off to school, entrust the teachers and their peers as they all work together to make another successful year. To watch those kids get older, day by day. Those children that were once our little babies.
My kids are entering fourth and second grade and I can’t help but look at them and wonder, where did the time go?
It doesn’t help that the first day of school often coincides with my youngest child’s birthday which offers even more time for reflection. I think back to how old my son seemed at her age, and how young she seems in comparison. I’m excited for her and the things that second grade will bring; after all, I know the lay of the land, having an older child.
And speaking of him, I saw my son walk into his fourth grade classroom and he looks so small! The rest of the class just seemed to tower over him. Of course, that’s a trick of the eye that altered the perception of an already emotionally fragile mom, but I feared leaving him in the care of this teacher, with all of those big kids who would surely railroad over him.
Of course, when I picked them up after school, they were both brimming with stories to tell. So excited to meet their new teachers, get back into the familiar routine that is shaken up with a few new procedures in their new grades. They’re getting the hang of it.
And I’m sure that by holiday break, I’ll have the hang of it, too.