Growing up it never occurred to me that the first day of school is such a huge milestone in our lives. Sure we cannot always treat everything as a “big” thing, but this one is. It’s part of a major journey, just like the first word or first footstep. It’s sending them out to the world, in a different space outside of the home.
This year is special because of the decisions parents need to make in order to keep their children in a good learning environment, while keeping them safe from the ongoing pandemic.
As Daniel Tiger’s mom in the show Daniel Tiger’s neighborhood sang and taught his little tiger, “Sometimes you’ll feel two feelings at the same time, and that’s okay.”
I was thrilled, excited, a little freaked out, touched, and overwhelmed. So yeah, more than two feelings, I guess.
Last Monday we attended the orientation, briefing both students and parents on what to expect when actual school begins.
And today is the first “actual” day.
As we parked our car to the designated area and walked towards the building door, I can see his eyes beaming with pride. Even with the smile covered in the mask, I can sense that he is ready.
I am the one who’s not.. although I’ve been longing and praying for this day that he can finally have a chance to interact with other kids and have a sense of community outside our home.
Nevertheless, I would like to share these notes that helped me set the mood leading to this day.
- Your child is capable more than you think.
- Your child absorbs your mindset and it can be easily mirrored with your actions and attitude.
- Parents tend to worry, even sometimes too much, and that’s just human nature.
- Teachers are angels in training and saints on earth.
- It’s not the teacher’s job to teach everything to your kids. We need to help them out and work with them.
These things allowed me to breathe in the changes and started working on things that needed to get done. It gave me a sense of peace knowing these changes will better my skills as a mother as well. Moreover, it is truly a blessing to have loving, dedicated teachers who keep us assured that our children will be inspired to learn and more than willing to embark on new adventures.
I hope you had a good first day of school with your littles. Cheers to us mamas for making it this far, and for the “promising” breaks that I’ve heard can be far and sometimes short. 🙂
Blessings,
Vanessa
