It’s only a few weeks away!!

It’s all you can think about!!

It came faster than you ever expected, and you’re having a difficult time processing it.

You’re scared you’re not going to be able to get through it.

No, it’s not the day when you leave your first baby at college.

It’s the day when you leave your first baby at Kindergarten.

Gah! It’s here! Kindergarten for your firstborn!

Now sit down, grab a cup of coffee, take a deep breath, and pay attention because AHEM! Kindergarten mom class is in session!

Lesson #1: You will miss them terribly, and that’s OK

After the tearful drop off and the “Boo-Hoo Breakfast” at the school, you’re going to drive home with one less body in the car, and it’s going to feel wrong in so many ways. That first day (and probably that entire first month), you’re going to gaze at the clock all day counting hours until pick up, and your heart will actually ache a little (or a lot!)  in your chest because a piece of you is just not with you all day anymore. Missing them that deeply in natural, and will eventually ease up a bit.

Lesson #2: You may not miss them much, and that’s OK

If you’re the only mom at first day drop off who is smiling ear to ear, and eagerly wanting to drive away with one less kid, it doesn’t mean you don’t care, or won’t miss them. It really doesn’t mean anything at all, other than you probably have younger siblings at home and are excited to have less on your plate, or maybe you’re simply looking forward to some well deserved me time. Kudos to you if you’re able to enjoy (guilt free!) the welcome freedom that finally has come your way. It’s ok to NOT be a sobbing mess!

Lesson #3: They will miss you

Do they miss me? Are they crying?  Those thoughts are going to race through your mind All. Day. Long. on that first day. Yes, your little one most certainly misses you, even if they confidently strode into class without a beat you can be assured by lunchtime they’re wondering when they can go home—TO YOU. But dwelling on the thoughts that their missing you is inhibiting their learning (or other classroom activities) is irrational, and something you shouldn’t be worried about in the slightest.

Lesson #4: To you, it’s all scary

The day is long. The classroom is big. The class size is huge. He doesn’t know anyone. He needs a nap. What if he cries all day? What if he doesn’t eat lunch and is starving? The rabbit hole of scary and panicked thoughts like this that you will have that first day is long, deep, and fruitless, so don’t even start to go down it. Why? See #5.

Lesson #5: To them, it’s all exciting

While you’re at home freaking out about the big, bad, unfamiliar classroom, your child is at school looking around at a super awesome, colorful, engaging, fun-filled space full of kids his own age, and seeing it with a much different set of eyes—ones that are excited, not scared. Even if your child takes a few weeks to adjust, just know that they will adjust. Give it time.

Lesson #6—You’ve earned this time to recharge

Do NOT sit home all day and pout. Go out to lunch. Walk around Target for three hours. Drink HOT coffee. Or sit on the couch, watch bad reality TV, and eat all the junk food you want without being asked to share. Promptly extinguish even the slightest feelings of guilt.

Lesson #7—If they’re sad, it won’t last

Right now, there are literally thousands of 18-year-olds are being dropped off at their college freshman dorms, who all cried their entire first month of Kindergarten. I promise you the crying doesn’t last.

Lesson #8—If you’re sad, it won’t last

Still can’t shake the blues, still missing your baby terribly, and spending your days in a lost funk? It will stop by October. You’ll be fine. Hang tough.

Lesson #9—Teachers know what they’re doing

They really do. I know you think you know better, but you don’t. They got this. Give them the space they need to do their job, and they will do it well. Do NOT be in their face daily, emailing daily, calling daily, etc. If there is a problem, they will let you know. If you don’t hear from them, that is a GOOD thing. Please trust them, signed, Kindergarten teachers everywhere.

Lesson #10—Childhood has officially entered warp speed now

If you think the first five years went by fast, buckle up, because once your child crosses the Kindergarten threshold, childhood goes on accelerated autopilot. And let me be the 500th person to tell you this, they’re not going to be driving slowly.

So God Made a Mother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Order Now

Check out our new Keepsake Companion Journal that pairs with our So God Made a Mother book!

Order Now
So God Made a Mother's Story Keepsake Journal

Melissa Fenton

Melissa Fenton is a freelance writer, adjunct librarian, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Awareness Ambassador. She writes at http://www.4boysmother.com/. Her writing can be found all over the internet, but her work is mostly on the dinner table.

This Time In the Passenger Seat is Precious

In: Kids, Motherhood, Teen
Teen driver with parent in passenger seat

When you’re parenting preteens and teens, it sometimes feels like you are an unpaid Uber driver. It can be a thankless job. During busy seasons, I spend 80 percent of my evenings driving, parking, dropping off, picking up, sitting in traffic, running errands, waiting in drive-thru lines. I say things like buckle your seat belt, turn that music down a little bit, take your trash inside, stop yelling—we are in the car, keep your hands to yourself, don’t make me turn this car around, get your feet off the back of the seat, this car is not a trash can,...

Keep Reading

So God Made My Daughter a Wrestler

In: Kids, Motherhood
Young female wrestler wearing mouth guard and wrestling singlet

God made my girl a wrestler. Gosh, those are words I would never have thought I would say or be so insanely proud to share with you. But I am. I know with 100 percent certainty and overwhelming pride that God made my girl a wrestler. But it’s been a journey. Probably one that started in the spring of 2010 when I was pregnant with my first baby and having the 20-week anatomy ultrasound. I remember hearing the word “girl” and squealing. I was over the moon excited—all I could think about were hair bows and cute outfits. And so...

Keep Reading

A Big Family Can Mean Big Feelings

In: Faith, Kids, Motherhood
Family with many kids holding hands on beach

I’m a mother of six. Some are biological, and some are adopted. I homeschool most of them. I’m a “trauma momma” with my own mental health struggles. My husband and I together are raising children who have their own mental illnesses and special needs. Not all of them, but many of them. I battle thoughts of anxiety and OCD daily. I exercise, eat decently, take meds and supplements, yet I still have to go to battle. The new year has started slow and steady. Our younger kids who are going to public school are doing great in their classes and...

Keep Reading

You May Be a Big Brother, but You’ll Always Be My Baby

In: Kids, Motherhood
Mother with young son, color photo

It seems like yesterday we were bringing you home from the hospital. Back then, we were new parents, clueless but full of love—a love that words can hardly explain. I can vividly recall holding you in my arms, rocking you in the cutest nursery, and singing sweet lullabies, just like yesterday. I can picture those times when you were teeny-tiny, doing tummy time, and how proud I was of you for lifting your head. And oh, the happiness on your face when “Baby Shark” played over and over—that song always made you smile! We made sure to capture your growth...

Keep Reading

“It Looks and Tastes Like Candy.” Mom Shares Warning about THC Gummies All Parents Need to Hear

In: Kids, Living, Teen
Hand holding bottle of THC gummies

What Aimee Larsen first thought was a stomach bug turned out to be something much more terrifying for her young son. Her 9-year-old woke up one day last week seeming “lethargic, barely able to stand or speak,” his mom shared in a Facebook post. At first, she assumed he had a virus, but something about his behavior just didn’t seem right. She called an ambulance and asked her older sons if their brother might have gotten into something, like cough syrup or another over-the-counter medicine. Their answer? “Yeah, THC gummies.” THC gummies are an edible form of cannabis that contain...

Keep Reading

My Child with Special Needs Made His Own Way in His Own Time

In: Kids, Motherhood
Mother holding child's hand walking across street

I want to tell you the story of a little boy who came to live with me when he was three years old. Some of you may find this story familiar in your own life. Your little boy or girl may have grown inside you and shares your DNA or maybe they came into your life much older than three. This little boy, this special child, my precious gift has special needs. Just five short years ago, he was a bit mean and angry, he said few understandable words, and there was a lot about this world he didn’t understand. Unless...

Keep Reading

Dear Daughter as You Grow into Yourself

In: Kids, Motherhood, Tween
Girl in hat and dress-up clothes, color photo

My daughter, I watched you stand in front of the mirror, turning your body left and right. Your skirt was too big and your top on backward. Your bright blue eyeshadow reached your eyebrows and bold red blush went up to your ears. You didn’t care. I watched you marvel at your body, feeling completely at ease in your skin. You turned and admired yourself with pride. You don’t see imperfections. You don’t see things you are lacking. You see goodness. You see strength. RELATED: Daughter, When You Look in the Mirror, This is What I Hope You See I’m...

Keep Reading

Organized Sports Aren’t Everything

In: Kids, Motherhood
Young girl with Alpaca, color photo

Today I watched my little girl walk an alpaca. His name is Captain. Captain is her favorite. He’s my favorite too. I met his owner on Instagram of all places. She thought I was in college; I thought she was a middle-aged woman. Turns out, she is in high school, and I am a middle-aged woman. This random meeting led to a blessing. We call it “llama lessons.” We take llama lessons every other week. It’s an hour away on the cutest hobby farm. Our “teacher” is Flora, who boards her llamas at the alpaca farm. She wants to teach...

Keep Reading

I Had to Learn to Say “I’m Sorry” to My Kids

In: Kids, Motherhood, Teen, Tween
Mom hugs tween daughter

My two oldest kiddos are at the front end of their teen years. I remember that time in my own life. I was loud, somewhat dramatic, I let my hormones control me, and I never—ever—apologized. This last part was because no one ever really taught me the value of apology or relationship repair. Now, I could do some parent blaming here but let’s be real, if you were a kid whose formative years were scattered between the late ’80s and early ’90s, did you get apologies from your parents? If so, count that blessing! Most parents were still living with...

Keep Reading

5 Things Your Child’s Kindergarten Teacher Wants You To Know

In: Kids, Motherhood
Child raising hand in kindergarten class

I am a teacher. I have committed my life to teaching children. Of course, before I began this career, I had visions of standing in front of a group of eager-eyed children and elaborating on history, science, and math lessons. I couldn’t wait to see the “lightbulb” moments when students finally understood a reading passage or wrote their first paper. And then I had my first day. Children are not cut out of a textbook (shocking, I know) but as a young 23-year-old, it knocked me right off my feet. I was thrown into the lion’s den, better known as...

Keep Reading