Your child may just be starting kindergarten this year. 

Are you concerned that your child is or is not ready for the big day?  Or do you feel like you have planned everything thoroughly; packed their backpack, met the teacher and bought the clothes for school? 

I believed I had accomplished all the above. 

This is our child’s First Day of Kindergarten story 

All our last child Mike ever wanted to do was be like his older siblings and ‘go to school’.  To him ‘go to school’ meant a lunch box and out the door.  This photo is of Mike copying everyone with his own little lunch box and one of our daughter’s shoes at age three.

Mike was all set for his first half day of kindergarten as I left him at the school.  My day shopping went smoothly until I realized I had forgotten to pick up Mike an hour earlier. 

After arriving at the school in a panic (before there were cell phones), I found my way to the office where he was sitting.  I made my apologies to the principal who told me they found him sitting outside the school yelling, “Mommy, where are you?” to the world and they couldn’t reach me by phone at home.  Yes, I felt totally ashamed.  I’m not a bad mommy, but I did have thyroid disease that affects your memory which was discovered later. 

He made sure I heard about it in the car as soon as I was in the driver’s seat with, “You forgot to pick me up!!” at the top of his lungs.  It took time for the sweet little guy to believe that I would pick him up, and not forget him ever again. 

I had all kinds of reminders after that for picking up time. If one reminder failed, it was followed by a few more. To this day I shake my head in amazement at this episode!!

Important Things to Remember for the First Day!

The most important part of being ready for your child to enter kindergarten is remembering that it’s all about them.  They don’t need to know everything before the first day.  Their time there should be fun and filled with playing hard.  Just remember to have transportation ‘under control’ and then listen to their excited chatter in the car as they are explaining their first day at school!

Do you have your own “First Day of School” story? Love to hear it, so leave a comment