1 excited six-year-old child
2 apprehensive parents
1 giant bag of school supplies
1 elementary school
1 experienced kindergarten teacher
2 outfits
12-20 pages of information
1 pen
1 lunchbox
1 envelope
40 cents
1 backpack
1 healthy breakfast
1 sprinkling maternal tears (optional)
For best results, begin preparing this recipe the night before.
Child, parents, and giant bag proceed to Open House at elementary school. Deposit contents of bag with teacher, who will do an excellent job of 1) making child feel welcome and enthusiastic about the next day, 2) advising parents on any number of issues, and 3) accomplishing all this while doing the same for a dozen other child/parent groups.
Return child and parents to home. Prepare one of two First Day of School outfits, then wash child carefully. Place child in bed to marinate in anticipation of the morrow. (There is no need to rotate the child’s position, as significant tossing and turning is likely to occur before settling.) Sort through pages, using pen to add dollops of information as required. Firmly pack lunchbox with sandwich and fruit requested by child. Fill envelope with change. Stuff backpack with relevant pages, lunchbox and filled envelope and set aside. Place parents in bed at a reasonable hour, trying to ensure that apprehension is not overflowing.
In the morning, roll child out of bed and into prepared outfit. Pat child’s and parents’ clothing and hair into presentable shape. Attempt to scoop hearty breakfast into child. Combine child, backpack, and parents for trip to school, allowing extra time for last-minute agitation.
Arrive at school. Decant child into care of waiting teacher. Stand back and observe as child proceeds with confidence into classroom. Reserve maternal tears until child is no longer visible.
Serves 1 school-age family.
7 comments:
Awww, sounds like a tasty dish! But I'm glad we have a couple of years before we have to prepare it using the sweet baby. ;)
Oh, Lemon. I've got tears for you and soon will have some of my own. I hope that you are looking forward to these conflicting feelings every year. But I'm sure that the school year will be successful -- B is so ready. Sending some love your way. . .
:: blows you so many kisses and sends you huge hugs ::
This was just a terrific post, N.
I just can't imagine her at school. I've been trying, but every time I do, all I can visualise is when she was so tiny that all you could see of her in the baby carrier was the flapping empty feet of her sleep suit...
Hope the subsequent days have been a little easier on the emotions. x
Thanks, all, for your comments. We are all coping pretty well with the ongoing transition, and the positive definitely outweighs the negative in the pool of conflicting emotions.
Good for her! I wish I'd had kids who "proceeded with confidence" on the first day of school. More like "unglue child from leg and run away"...sigh.
Oh, Celia, ouch! That's probably a good description of me--I have vivid memories of being a *very* reluctant kindergartener!
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