My Baby Starts Kindergarten!

I've changed her dirty diapers, tolerated her temper tantrums, and showed her how to dress herself.  Now, another milestone is upon us:  tomorrow, my baby will embark on her first day of kindergarten. We're nervous, excited, and we have no clue of what to expect.

I'm very anxious about preparing her for this new phase of life. Since registering her in June, not a day has gone by that I haven't thought about ways to ease the stress of first day jitters. There has been pre-packing of backpacks, triple checking her big debut ensemble, pencil sharpening and re-sharpening.   And that's just what I've been busying myself with.  

So, what is my baby worried about on the eve of her big day?

If you're playing along at home, and you guessed the absence of a nap-time routine, then you get the gold star for the day. Ironically, neither does Sadia take naps at home, nor does her new school endorse a nap-time policy, so this will be the least of her worries.

We were excited to learn that Sadia's new school arranged a "Meet and Greet" for today. Parents and students were encouraged to attend the event as a way to minimize some first-day stress .


Here is a picture of the family anxiously awaiting Principal Roach's (real name) address incoming Kindergartners and their families.


Sadia introduced herself to Mrs. Smith, her teacher. Meeting her teacher in advance helped to take away some of the mystery of the unexpected.

Sadia was tasked with finding the desk housing a packet, that displayed her name.

After carefully inspecting the names on a few of the packets,

she excitedly found her desk.

This activity helped relax her fears about inclusion, calmed her nerves about 

knowing where to sit, and gave her some independence 

in finding her way around the classroom.

There is something about seeing your name proudly displayed throughout 

the room that gives you the sense of ownership and of belonging.  

Here is Sadia's section of the writing wall.

Immediately, I began to see the calming effect that this function had on Sadia

as she bravely explored other parts of the classroom.

Indeed, she is growing right before our eyes, and the growth is significant.

Dad even helped her read the subtly displayed "Rules Chart".  

Knowing how Mrs. Smith governs her class, helped set behavioral expectations.  My baby found no surprises here, since the experience reinforced the qualities she learns at home.

Even though tomorrow will be filled with lots of excitement and new adventures for my baby, I am confident that she will be ready, because we've done a lot to help her enjoy her first day.

Now....

 .... if only there were some type of orientation to help THIS  big baby accept Sadia's new milestone.

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