By Jamie Duhn 
I’m sure you have plenty of mom friends who can help prepare you for the drastic life change you are about to embark on as your child enters kindergarten. Maybe they prime you with humor: “Woohoo, someone else is responsible for turning them into a decent human now!” or “Hey, no more daycare payment!” Maybe they are the nurturing sappy type: “They’ll always be your baby! They’re onto new things!” Or maybe they’re just factual: “This is part of life. They will learn so much. You need to let them go eventually.” And all of these people would be telling you the truth. But I can give you a different perspective—one from the kindergarten teacher herself.
Hey. mama, so your child is starting kindergarten? I bet you feel about 1000 feelings all at once right about now. Excited for what’s to come? Nervous for the unknown? Sad to let go of a little piece of your heart? Overwhelmed by the supply list and after-school plans? Yep, that’s all totally normal and totally okay. This year will be a rollercoaster for your child and you. You will witness the highest highs and probably some fairly low lows.
Your child is going to learn something new every. Single. Day. It won’t always be mathematics or reading. Some days, they will come home telling you about a new game they learned at recess, a new friend they made at lunch, a new Taylor Swift song everyone is singing. Some days, the things they learn will leave you gasping for explanations. Yep, your child is probably going to learn a new swear word or hear about a scary movie you don’t want them exposed to. They might even hear about a part of the body they don’t have. This isn’t because they are losing their innocence. It’s because kids repeat everything, and all it is is a chance for you to help them learn right from wrong in a very realistic way.
Your child is going to grow up . . . a lot. Their kindergarten year will be the biggest, fastest growth you’ve maybe ever witnessed in your child. From how they hold themselves to how they speak they are going to become a real “big” kid this year. In nine months, you’ll look at that first day of school picture compared to a last day of school picture and wonder how on earth that happened so quickly. They are going to start having opinions different from yours. No, they won’t be arguing with you at the dinner table about politics (we hope), but they will challenge you on things. Maybe because their teacher said something different or maybe just because they are testing their own ideas. This is not a bad thing—frustrating maybe—but not bad.
Your child is going to get hurt. Yes, I do mean that literally, they will fall off the monkey bars at recess and bump their head under their desk at reading. But I also mean it emotionally. They will have hurt feelings. Boys and girls both go through this at some point in the year. A friend will say something mean or an older student will call them a baby. Maybe they won’t get picked by the partner they wanted or maybe they walk up to a seat at lunch to find out it’s saved for someone else. These things will make your heart ache. You will fight back your own tears while you console your crying child. I promise, it breaks my teacher heart too. You and I will both try to prevent this, but it is inevitable. Your child will survive and bounce back quickly. These little ones are crazy resilient.
Your child is going to have new interests. Maybe they’re obsessed with Frozen now, but that could quickly switch to Moana after a conversation with friends. Aside from characters and TV shows, they’re also going to find new things to enjoy. LEGO, games on the iPad, dinosaurs, construction equipment, planets, life cycles, ocean animals, the possibilities are endless the second they step foot into that classroom. Between the curriculum, the teachers’ fun ideas, and their peers they are going to be entering a new world filled with exciting things to learn about and try.
But, mama, your child isn’t the only one who will change this year. You will too. You are going to grow with your child. Maybe you’ll find a new group of friends among the PTA or you find out you excel at connecting with students through reading at the book fair or maybe you have no interest in volunteering at all and you aren’t able to step foot in the building more than you are required to. Maybe you’ll sit down at parent-teacher conferences and feel extreme pride in the child you’ve raised. Maybe you’ll get a phone call from the teacher that makes your stomach drop when you hear your child is struggling. Either way, you are going to feel like a new person at the end of the year too. You are going to navigate all of these new things with your child, you are going to take all of the changes in stride, you are going to learn together.
I won’t promise you it’s going to be an easy year. I won’t promise you that your child is going to be the smartest, nicest, or win the most awards. Because let’s be honest, can any of us be sure about any of that? But I will promise you that you are going to make it. From the first day letting go of your baby’s hand and planting a quick kiss on their forehead and then losing your composure in the parking lot to the last day watching them walk across the stage at graduation in a tiny cap and gown, you and your child are in for the adventure of a lifetime.
Welcome to kindergarten, mama. You’re about to witness something great.
by Kaleigh Christensen 
by Jessica Wanner 
