This year, a number of my momma friends are sending their littles to Kindergarten (many for the first time) so since some of them I’ve known and loved since they were born, I feel like I’m sending them off to Kindergarten too! ???? You may want to grab a tissue…

Dear Kindergarten Momma,

The day has come for you to send your baby off to Kindergarten and you are feeling so many emotions! Whatever you are feeling is important, valid and deserves to be recognized by you and those around you.

First, sadness that you will miss having them around the house as your shadow. You can’t believe they have grown up so fast. It seemed as though those early days living in the daze in the newborn stage would never end. The big emotions that welled up in them as a toddler felt like too much to handle.

You are feeling a lot of fear (especially with what is happening in our world). As you prepare for their first year of school (beyond pre-k and parents day out), you have a lot of questions.

• Will they be kind and others be kind to them?
• Will they eat their lunch and wear their mask?
• Will they feel included in the classroom?
• Have I taught them important skills like kindness, acceptance and respect?
• What if they need extra educational support?
• Will they make it to the right bus on the way home or find me in the car line? (I promise you…the teachers always help them with this.)
• Will people play with them on the playground?
• Have I taught them how to set appropriate boundaries kindly?
• Will they REALLY use all those school supplies I had to hunt down because they were in short supply? (Yes, the teacher is so grateful for all your hard work in supplying the classroom in addition to what they purchased with their own money. The teacher will also likely need more tissues and pencils come the New Year so stock up when you see them.)
• Will they tell the playground supervisor if they have an injury or don’t feel well?
• Will they look forward to school each day or will we be navigating big emotions as we attempt to get out the door with all the necessities every day on time?
• Will we earn that perfect school attendance award? (Ummm….yea, let’s be realistic here…)
• What if they miss school due to a family emergency (or vacation)?

While I can’t list all of them, you know exactly the questions I’m talking about! Some will make you laugh and some will make you really think. Share one of the questions floating in your mind as you send your little off to Kindergarten whether it is this year or many years ago.

Finally, you are proud! Proud of them and the amazing little person they have become. You know that there are big things ahead…both challenges and triumphs. You want to be there to support them either like your parents or in spite of your parents. You want them to excel but also want them to be an amazing human that makes a difference, serves and loves others as well as uses each experience to grow!

You are a good momma. You are doing enough. You don’t have to be perfect….just be there when they need you.

Sincerely,

Momma of Angel Babies, Auntie, DD, Miss D, Former Teacher, Former Childcare Provider and Encourager of Parents Everywhere

So, whether you’ve already sent them to Kindergarten or that day is yet to come, rest and give yourself lots of grace when you need it. Parenting is a journey with twists and turns you never expected but can also be one of life’s greatest joys.

Would you like to see back to school sessions offered? Let me know!