The Graduate

Simon graduates from preschool today. He'll spend the summer at the same daycare until September, but he'll receive his diploma this afternoon. I'm having such a hard time with the idea of him starting school in September. I'm actually surprised at how difficult I'm finding this transition - I didn't think it would bother me so much.

He's more than ready to start kindergarten. After three years in the same daycare, he's due for a change and is really excited to go to big kid school. We attended an orientation morning at his new school last week where he spent an hour in a kindergarten class while the parents sat in the cafeteria. The Home and School Association provided various cakes to distract us. We went back again last Thursday evening for their fun fair/carnival. There is only one other kid from his daycare class who is attending this school but thankfully, a dear friend of mine who I met in prenatal yoga is also sending her son there. Our boys haven't seen each other in 2 years but seemed to click right away so I hope they all end up in the same class.

I'm still not sure if he'll take the bus there in the mornings. I pass by the stop every day and look at all the seemingly HUGE AND OLD kids that are waiting to board. He might be dropped off earlier because the school offers an early morning and afterschool program for working parents. The timing of the bus just might be a bit too late for our schedules so I don't know what we'll do just yet.

I saw his daycare as a refuge where I was confident that he is well taken care of and safe. In school, it just seems like he's really going to be on his own now without any Momma Bears looking out for him. His school is a wonderful community school with strong parent involvement, but it's MASSIVE. Hundreds and hundreds of kids and four floors. Not being raised in the city, I'm used to my tiny little elementary school where my parents were actually personal friends with my teachers and there was only ONE kidnergarten class, not FOUR like where Simon will be attending. Rich was raised in the city so he's used to these bigger schools and assures me that a playground politics are the same no matter where you are. I'm not in Kansas any more.

This is really one of the many tests of our parenting skills as well. Simon will now be a member of society - has he turned out okay? How will he handle everything that he'll have to face? Did we prepare him well enough? As a parent, you want nothing more than your child to be loved and accepted - primary school is a horrid and long rite of passage and I just hope that we've given him what he needs to get through it. Do you remember how long the 7 years of elementary school seemed?

I just hope that I have enough Kleenex for this afternoon's ceremony. Rich said this should be the easiest graduation we'll go through with Simon. I'm not so sure...