I know this evening my kids will have a difficult time going to sleep. Tomorrow morning they will be excited and deep down they will be full of anxiety and apprehension as they head to their new classrooms.
One of my kids will begin testing the boundaries so he will know how far he can push his teacher without getting into trouble. He picked out an old pair of shorts and a shirt that doesn’t even match. He doesn’t care, it’s just school! Although, I do care, so we ended up picking out something together.
He has packed his backpack with a good book to read. He also packed several small journals in case he has time to write a story or draw. It will be another year in which he tries to figure out where he fits in the classroom and decide which friends he will hang out with.
When I think about him (my baby), I can’t believe he is now in 3rd grade. I wonder about the boy who could only say “ba” at 2 and half years old. He has come a long way since then, but I still worry if the kids will notice his speech issues. Will this be the year kids begin to give him a hard time?
My other child is excited about being a “big kid” on campus! It is her last year in elementary school and she has become more concerned with her appearance. We have had several shopping trips and she has had her “first day” outfit picked out for two weeks. From the socks and shoes all the way to the headband. She is a little nervous and wondering which girls she will hang out with in her classroom and on the playground. She is wondering about her first year in an enriched program in which she heads to another campus once a week. This is a big year for her as she takes on additional roles and responsibilities.
As I am writing this article, she has come in to tell me for the third time, that she can’t sleep (and it is 11:30 p.m.). Obviously, she is feeling the anxiety already. It reminds me how emotional and draining a new school year can be on a student.
Therefore, I will do my best to make this week special. I will meet them after school, happy to see them and ready to hear about their day. I will be sensitive, and I will remember how devastating it was when my best friend wasn’t in my class or I didn’t get to play with them at recess. I will try to read between the lines and pick up on any problems they may have encountered during the day. I want our house to be a safe place that they are happy to come home to.
Then we will end our first day of school at our favorite neighborhood ice cream store. Remember, in elementary school, ice cream trips can be for celebrating and if the day didn’t go so well, it can always make a bad day, good again.
Cammie Moise