Kindergarten -New Beginnings


Lillian started kindergarten this week. (It doesn't seem like it has been twelve (12) years since Alexandra was beginning school, but she will be eighteen next week and working on getting her diploma.  Less than a year from now she will be going to college. ) I am, starting a new twelve year journey of meeting with teachers, signing notes, attending IEP, SEP and PTA meetings.  A new era begins of reminding students about and overseeing homework, making sure assignments are returned and tracking test scores and grades.  There are parts of the adventure I look forward to, some I hope I do as well as I did before and others I hope I find I have improved in handling.  As each child is different, though some things may be the same, others may not.

Overnight it seems as though Lillian turned a page from a clinging child to an independent young girl.   One day she needed me to be with her to go play and the next day she is asking to go play alone and reminding me that she is "grown now" and is big enough to go places alone.  It is good to know she is growing up, but at the same time it brings new worries, especially with her outgoing personality.  I already worry about her because she has no fear of approaching strangers and even inviting herself to their homes.  So I see one of my first challenges will be teaching her some  safety rules and appropriate interactions with others.  She and her sister are old enough to understand they are old enough to dry themselves, and that even mommy, grandma and doctors do not touch certain parts of their bodies unless there is a medical reason.  While she is asking more to go places alone, she is also learning the concept of time.  Five minutes is not enough time to play, It is enough time to go to a neighbors to give them a flower or say hello and then return home before grandma has to go find her and then give her a time out for not coming back or following the rules.

I know this new school year will bring many changes for all of us.  I have been introduced to two new imaginary friends in the past few days that came to our house to play with Jill while Lilly was at school.   She threw a fit today because one of us talked to her about remembering that the person she was talking about was only imaginary.  (One of those moments when I have to remind myself, I love being a parent and then be the loving, understanding parent I know I can be.)

As school begins I look forward to new beginnings as a parent.  I will hold dear the memories of the past and look forward to new memories.

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