Starting school is a significant occasion and now my little guy has turned 5 the daily school run is quickly becoming part of our normal routine. The craziness of kids and parents rushing to one spot for a specific time is chaotic when first experienced and reminded me of the rat race of commuting to London in my legal secretary days!
Many times before he started I was asked how I felt about it and my honest answer was totally fine, I mean its not like you don’t know from the day they are born that they are going to start school yet it does signify that they are growing up and becoming more independent which can an emotional milestone.
We had organized his uniform, bag, PE kit and shoes in plenty of time so it was not a last minute rush and yes he is currently growing into his uniform as it I did what all parents do and got the next size up so he gets the most amount of wear possible from it.
Seeing him dressed for his first day did make my heart swell with pride as did his little face which was smiling brightly for he was excited to be starting.
The drop off on the first day was not as emotional for me as everyone had told me it would, it was like I was being challenged to not be able to leave with dry eyes. The little guy confidently walked into school holding my hand and was happy to be shown where to put his belongings.
When it came to the time to say goodbye, we did our usual high five, knuckles, cuddles routine and gave each other a big kiss. As I walked away I heard him calling ‘bye Mumma’ and turned to see him waving at me with a happy excited look on his face before turning away to explore, play and meet his classmates.
How could this make me cry? Knowing I have raised a son who is confident, happy and able to adapt to new situations means I am doing this right. Seeing how he was on his first day put a huge smile on my face not tears in my eyes.
On his second day of school he was so excited to return he was dressed and ready to go at 7am saying ‘Mumma, is school open yet?’, to which I replied no son! Thankfully though now the early rising is slowly fading as the tiredness of school every day kicks in!
Great blog post. You have made it easier because you are very organised and you have developed your son with this lovely “can do” attitude.
Your investment in him is providing the ultimate return in his wellbeing. Well done to you both!
Thank you Steve!