My Personal Approach To Starting School
The time has come. My oldest is starting Kindergarten next week. People aren't joking when they say the time goes so fast. It's a mix of emotions for me- sadness, excitement, fear- as I know is the same for most parents sending their kids off to school.
Here are a few things I'm focusing on to make this transition a little smoother and to remind me that we (my family) have a lot of control over how it all goes.
Take what you might find to be helpful...
Planning for more time outside
This may seem strange, but it's something on my mind fairly regularly. School does not allow for a lot of outside time. My son is currently in a preschool where he is outside multiple times a day for extended periods. He comes home dirty and tired with new rocks in his pocket almost daily. I love it and he does too. Kindergarten is not the same. Recess is short. Time with technology on computers increases. His time outdoors will be impacted by starting school, so I'm thinking of ways to allow for that in other ways. Maybe we'll stop at the park for a while on the way home. Maybe we'll plan more family dinners outside or an evening walk. I'm not sure yet, but it's on my radar.
Slowing down
The rush of getting school supplies, looking at schedules, and the mind race of "what's it going to be like?" can really get me going. Not in a good way. So I'm trying to slow down. Nothing is urgent right now. He'll have everything he needs on day one. I can't control what it's going to be like once he steps in that classroom, but I can control showing him that no matter what happens there he is welcome, loved, and valued at home.
Checking in on family values
School brings a whole new set of opportunities to take up our time. Some are worth it, but others may not be. Open house alone introduced several opportunities for events and parent volunteer "stuff." While we will definitely be involved in school activities, I want to be very intentional about what we say "yes" to. I have to remind myself (constantly) that when we say yes to something we are saying no to something else. Always. Remembering our family values helps guide the decisions we make on what we agree to do.
Rethinking routines and rituals
We have a few rituals in our home that we try to stick to consistently (we're not perfect, ok). Dinners together, bedtime routines, church on the weekend, etc. While I want to continue these, I also hope to expand them and see how we can include and welcome others into our home and routines. I also recognize that our current routines may need to be adjusted a little bit and am considering what that looks like.
Acknowledging my own fears
Will he make good friends? Is it safe there? Will someone pick on him? Is he going to learn along with his peers? In working with parents for years, I know that these are the fears of many, right? We want our children to be safe (physically and emotionally) and to thrive at school. Knowing this does not keep the fears from popping up and sending me down a rabbit hole if I let them. So I'm working to acknowledge these uncertainties but to not give them any more attention than they deserve. They are things outside of my control at this moment so they are not providing anything helpful.
Turning the fear into fun
He’s nervous, I know it. So am I. And he does not need to take on my nervousness with his own. So we’re making it fun. We’re picking out backpacks and I’m decorating his folders and water bottle (so many dinosaurs!). There’s a great parenting and child development piece that can come into play here- turn fear into fun. Excitement and anxiousness/fear often feel the same in the body. It’s how our minds translate the feeling that determines our interpretation. So, we’re working towards turning our uncertainties and worries into fun. The little things with the school supplies and visiting the playground ahead of time are making all of this much more fun for both of us. This one really works.
I know this is not the format of most of my blog posts, but it's what's on my mind right now and I figured it is on the minds of every mama sending their kids to school- either for the first time or twelfth. My hope is that at least one small thing here may be helpful for you too.
Happy School Year Mamas.
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