One Month In

We've made it through the first month of Kindergarten and I'll be the first to admit there was a bit of a learning curve.  For me, that is.  Seriously, being the parent of school-aged children is no joke.  Besides being told time goes by even faster once kids get into school, nobody warned me.  Maybe everyone thought a former teacher would know what to expect?!?!  Regardless, here's what we've experienced in the last month:

1. Don't go all rogue when you're taking important papers out of folders.  You've got to make sure you keep each kid's papers separate so you can send them back to the right teacher. Trust me or you'll be taking pictures of said forms, messaging your friends and asking them to help you figure out which teacher sent them home.  Maybe this is a twin-mom problem, but still . . . lesson #1

2. Lunch making is serious business.  You might as well get yourself a PhD in healthy foods that are appealing to children that can fit in a lunch box and sit there for hours prior to consumption before attempting this task.  Don't forget you've got to pack a snack, too.  Also, while we're talking lunches, should you decide to write a note on a napkin on day #1, you'll be expected to write a note every day for the rest of the year.  What did I get myself into?!?!

3. Waiting for the bus is not so easy, either.  Here's the thing, 5 year olds don't really care that there are only a set amount of minutes between waking up and that yellow thing rolling up to our driveway.  We no longer have 25 minutes to eat a piece of toast or the luxury to finish it later.  It's quite stressful worrying about your child having an empty stomach halfway through the morning. Also, having to meet the bus at the end of the driveway in the afternoon is tricky.  Sometimes that thing shows up at 3:30, sometimes it's 3:55 . . . your guess is as good as mine.  The real trouble we run into is when Eliana decides she needs to go back inside to use the restroom.  I can't go with her in case the bus comes, so she's on her own.  That may, or may not, result in her running out of the house, with her pants at her feet, yelling that she needs to be wiped.  We live on a well-traveled street, by the way. 

Waiting for the bus during a downpour

4.  Not knowing what your children are doing or experiencing throughout their day, takes some getting used to. Are they behaving? Are they making friends? Are they eating their lunch? Are they enjoying school?  Are they being cared for?  Letting go is good, but it's not always easy.

5. I am incredibly grateful for teachers who allow parents to volunteer and a husband who knows how important it is for me to do so.  When I'm helping children find books in the library, there is joy.  When I'm cutting out over 1,000 laminated tags, there is joy (blisters, but joy).  When I'm helping students complete classwork, there is joy. When I'm compiling stacks of Scholastic Book orders, there is joy.  When I am collaborating with other parents to plan class parties, there is joy.  When I am figuring out where the paper jam is in the copy machine, there is joy.   The former teacher in me is loving the opportunities having children in school is providing.  At the same time, it's allowing me to check-in with my girls, form relationships with their teachers and witness all the great things that are happening in our schools, everyday. 

They've got school spirit