1st day of kindergarten

[ntburns22]

My DD starts a week from today. She could not be more excited. SHe already has her Kim Possible bookbag packed and her outfit picked out. I am the one dealing with the seperation issues.LOL. Are there any tips to keep me tear free until the bus pulls away? Yes the bus, I told her we could drive her but she really wants to ride the bus with all the kids on the street.

 

[Mom to Jordan]

No help,
I cried the whole first day. Went to walk him in and he says" I'm not a baby, do not hold my hand!" tears were held back until he got inside. DH sent me flowers. DS was fine and loved school from the first minute.

Lots of folks like having something to do that first day but I stayed home alone and cried.

GOOD LUCK

Jordan's mom

 

[shaycamp21]

As a Kindergarten Teacher and Mommy of two dd's now entering 1st and 2nd grade I have experienced the tears at both ends--just remember tears are normal. I even have witnessed children trying to comfort a tearful mommy. Sometimes too, with some children, they are excited and love school initially and then after a few weeks they don't want to go. Just bring lots of tissue and try to capture the memories. All the best.

 

[stacy6552]

Just think of all the pedicures that you will have time for now!

 

[NCombs]

I'm not much help for you but you aren't alone.

I'm sending my youngest to kindergarten and my oldest to junior high. It's a big year at our house.

 

[KerriMc]

I too am experiencing this same thing this year My oldest dd is 4 1/2 yrs old and is starting Junior Kindergarten. I teach Kindergarten at another local school and I am NOT ready to send my own baby!!!! It has always been so "easy" to reassure other parents that their babies will be fine ... but now this is MY baby!! It is sooooo different!! I am sad that I won't be there (my new JK's at my school will be starting that day and I can't leave them to see my kiddo start). So DH will take her the first day and then she will ride the bus from her babysitters (a whole other issue for me).

It is only a couple of weeks away and I am trying to be excited for her, as she is VERY excited and so very ready to start school. I just wish I could be there for her !

A group for all of us mommies having to do this for the first time. I know it will be fine ...

Kerri


p.s. Oh ... and my youngest dd, who is 2 yrs old, will be starting nursery school ... another tear (or two) will be shed that day too

 

[becca011906]

For me, i know i couldn't let my ds see me cry when i took him to school, i REFUSED to. Because i knew if he saw me crying he would start to feel bad and worry about mommy all day long. that's the kinda kid he is! So the first day i took him into school, i kept my cool, and sat with him long enough for him to pull out his siccors and crayons to color and then i gave him a hug asked him if i could go and out the door i went, then as soon as i hit the doors i lost it, cryed all the way home, but then got one with my day with my other two kidos! Good luck mama, it's so hard!!! And to think this was only the first time, i have to do it 2 more times (more then that if i had it may way but dh isn't so convinced!)

 

[MNmom]

I totally know how you are feeling too!!!!

But, I think I have gotten over it!!! I am sending my baby to kinder. He is my third and my first two are in 7th and 3rd grades. They are independent,competitive, stong, overachieving girls that were reading (phonics) in preschool. Now my DS is headed to kinder and he doesn't even know all the ABCs He is such a sweet boy and not the least bit interested in letters/numbers or coloring!!! Am I concerned.....????

NO WAY!! He will be just fine. He is so excited to go to the "big" school with his sisters. He has watched them get on the bus for 5 years and now it is finally his turn!! I have waited a long time (10 years) to have all three of my kids get on a bus and not have to pack lunches and herd them into the car, half alseep, to drive 7 miles in the freezing rain/sleet/snow/rain/traffic jams to our preschool .......I digress. Needless to say, while I am a bit sentimental about my baby going off on a big bus to a big school, I am also very excited for all of us and our new chapter in our lives......JMHO

 

[The Blue Fairy]

Becca's quote: "For me, i know i couldn't let my ds see me cry when i took him to school, i REFUSED to. Because i knew if he saw me crying he would start to feel bad and worry about mommy all day long."

I am a kindergarten teacher and this statement is so true. It is important for children to see you putting on a brave face. They will worry about you. Let them know that you will miss them and keep it at that. It is amazing how skilled children are at reading faces. I remember when I took my daughter for the first time to kindergarten I made my good bye brief and got quickly out of the building. There is nothing worse than a parent that drags out their goodbye and keeps asking for one last hug and kiss until the child is completely worked up. My advice: Keep it brief. Get on their level (kneel)...look them in the eye...tell them you love them...and that you will be looking forward to hearing all about their day when they return. It's always harder on the parents.


Good Luck and Best Wishes!

 

[cheerful chickadee]

I know how you feel, although my baby is going into 4th grade this year I remember his first day of kindergarten like it was yesterday. I too had to keep a brave face and not let him see me upset or he would have been upset too. He rode the bus. I remember DH and I standing in the driveway with him and talking excitedly about all the fun he'd have in school all the while I was using all my strength to hold it together. My dh videotaped ds getting on the bus, when ds got to the top of the bus steps, turned and waved at me, I don't know how I did it but I mustered a fake smile and a wave but as soon as those doors closed and the bus pulled away I bawled my eyes out, I even surprised myself with my emotional state. So now when we watch that video, at the end you can hear me crying like a big old baby in the backround, sobbing even I say...I had something in my eye!

 

[ksoehrlein]

We went to meet the teacher the day before and practiced walking from where the bus would let her out to her classroom. On the big day, I had an early morning meeting to go to, so I put her on the bus and DH and DS2 met her at school. DH told me later that he didn't see her, couldn't find her, (at this point in the story, my heart is pounding), went to look for her, came back to her classroom, and there she was, holding the teacher's hand. He asked, "Where were you?" and she gave him a "duh" look and said, "Walking from where the bus let me out to my classroom, just like Mommy told me to!"

It just amazes me what "my baby" is now capable of doing.

In other news, she's about to lose her first baby tooth, and I'm having kind of a tough time with that. It's such a physical, visible sign that she is leaving early childhood behind.

 

[alicenwonder99]

My youngest is starting Kindergarten next week, and my oldest started her senior year of high school yesterday. I feel so sad. I asked the kids (jokingly) if they wanted to be homeschooled...lol. They all said yes, except for my youngest who can't wait to get to school.

I don't know what I'm going to do with my time while all the children are at school. I guess I could work more hours, clean the house AGAIN, who knows. I told dh that if we were just a couple of years younger, I'd get pg again.

Mary

 

[Nini]

I have already experienced the tears BEFORE kindergarten!!! My dd3 has always been very reserved, so to give her a "confidence boost" I decided to send her to Pre-School. It was the best thing I could have done for her and me!!! We have both learned how to be apart for a short time. Now, she is going into her Pre-K classes which meet 3 days per week just like kindergarten. She will learn her readiness skills and I feel much more confident that she will be able to hold her own with the other children. Something that I didn't feel before last year. She is very intelligent and is now more outspoken (lord help me!) than ever. Oh, and she is VERY fashion conscious and thinks she needs a boyfriend (older cousin influence there!!! )...ha ha ha!!!!! I just keep telling her the order in which I want all those things to happen....and hope it sinks in before she becomes a teenager!!!! Her daddy never sent me flowers, he just thinks I need to "tough it out"...but it would have been nice and sentimental if he did!!!!!!

Happy School Year!!!! You and your baby will be fine. Give it a couple of weeks and you will both be pros!!!

 

[Tay N Evie's Mom]

I have twins so I had to send BOTH of my babies at once! DH went in late so he could take pictures and see them off too. I did OK until the bus pulled away and then our neighbor who was out walking asked me if I was sad that my twins were off to school now. I burst into tears. They also had full day kindergarten. But, I had got a job at the school as lunchroom monitor, so I got to see my kids every day. It helped with the separation. Now they're going to enter 2nd grade. We've moved, so I don't have a job at the school and I'm glad to have the free time now to get all my stuff done and have some time for me before the bus brings them home.

 

[Simba's Girl]

You are not alone! My DD starts on the first. She is my first child and I am so upset to see her leave. She's riding the bus too. DH is taking the day off from work and the whole family will see her off-including the dog . We don't know anyone in her class yet (2 of her friends got different teachers and 2 others are in a different school). Add to that the worry I have because of her food allergies and well its hard. This is the first year our district has FT Kindergarten too... I'm sure she'll do fine in school its just she's my first and I don't know what to expect totally. Yet, I could do without my2 fighting all day too...tee hee

Heather

 

[ms.ojo]

My ds starts on the 31st. We have a "walk through" on the 26th where he gets to meet his teacher and see the actual classroom (~30mins) and then they get a little bus ride (~30mins). He's my oldest. dd is 2.5. He's eager for K but not keen on the bus. I told him I'd like him to try it on the 26th w/ just the K class. Then, if he'd prefer, Daddy will drive him to school in the morning and I'll pick him up at noon...or he can take the bus home at noon w/ the other Ks only. (In the morning it's with kids up to grade 5 and they actually spend about 40mins on the bus before he gets delivered to school. Seems like too much to me) Of course I always walked to school and never rode a bus except for fieldtrips. It will be VERY hard for me to put on that happy face and kiss him goodbye. But I will. And I'll try not to gush when I pick him up either! LOL

 

[isla bonita]

For me I have another year. This year she is heading to pre school and I am crying reading this thread. Not a good sign. I know in my head all will be fine. In my heart I am sobbing like a baby. Good luck all.

 

[TENIA66]

My DD starts a week from today. She could not be more excited. SHe already has her Kim Possible bookbag packed and her outfit picked out. I am the one dealing with the seperation issues.LOL. Are there any tips to keep me tear free until the bus pulls away? Yes the bus, I told her we could drive her but she really wants to ride the bus with all the kids on the street.

bawl your eyes out!! it's only comes around once!!!! i've got three children and the second one got to kindgarten this year and i cried and sniffled while he marched in like a big boy!! kleenex for all@@

 

[ntburns22]

Thanks for all the great replies. I will do my best to keep my chin up for her. We also just got the book "The Night Before Kindergarten". It is really cute it even mentions that moms and dads holding back tears,noses stuffy,eyes red and wet. My DD just responded " You aren't gonna cry are you?" I told her I might. She replied I'll be right back after a couple of hours.LOL.

 

[mjh8955]

My firstborn (boy) marched off to all day kindergarten and left me standing there in the hallway choking back tears. He didn't even glance back at me. I sobbed all the way to work. DH laughed at me. I was teary all morning.

My second (daughter) was the shy one and for some reason I didn't fall apart emotionally with her. Go figure. Maybe it was because I was an exhausted older mom and could finally take a nap once in a while