PRESCHOOL HERE SHE COMES

This fall I will be sending my oldest child, Ella, off to preschool for the first time.  She couldn’t be more excited to go to school! She picked out her backpack with extreme care making sure that it would be just perfect for preschool.  Meeting her teacher and seeing her classroom at the open house was a little scary at first, because Ella can often be shy at first around new people and in new places.  Her teacher was warm, sweet, and made sure the classroom was inviting and fun.  I could tell that it made Ella feel safe, because after a few minutes, she quit hiding behind my legs and started to explore the room.  That made me feel a little safer about Ella going to school for the first time too.  

Preschool will be so good for Ella’s development and learning.  I am so happy that she is excited about school, her teacher, and all of the other children who will be in her class.  It will be a great environment for learn and explore and gain more confidence and independence when she is trying new things. She will learn essential social skills like meeting and playing with new friends, instead of just the kids she has grown up playing with.  She will learn that if something doesn’t go just perfectly, then she will need to step back and figure out a better solution to the problem.  She is excited, and I am excited for her!

With all of her excitement and my excitement, I am still nervous.  I am sad that I won’t be there to help her through some of the struggles of her day.  I won’t be there to hold her hand if she is beginning to feel sad or anxious, because obviously as her mother, I pick up on the more subtle cues she gives before she gets really upset.  I’m nervous about not knowing the other kids she will be playing with and hoping that she plays nicely with them and that the other kids are kind to her.  

Honestly, I think some of my sadness is because my sweet little girl is getting independent that she 
doesn’t need me as much, and that she is getting old enough, that she shouldn’t need me as much.  She is growing and learning, and preschool will just be one more stage that she needs to go through.  I still may cry after I drop her off that first day, but I know that all of my sadness and fear is insignificant compared to the fun, new experiences and learning that Ella will experience this year.  

This blog post was contributed by Jenna Denittis a mom or 2 with one on the way.