Goodbye Kindergarten | 5 Lessons Mom Learned

Happy Friday, everyone! I write today’s Family Focus Friday with a tear in my eye as I realize a milestone that has come to pass. Kindergarten. Has it really come to an end so quickly? I swear it was just yesterday that I sent my frightened little boy on the bus for his adventure. And through all of the knowledge and learning that my son has gained for this year, it was I that left Kindergarten with some important life lessons. What a difference a year makes. I say goodbye to kindergarten with these 5 lessons I have learned this year.

1. Kindergarten is NOT Pre-K

I had already set myself of failure. Doomed to compare kindergarten to the horrible Pre-K experience we had, I was ready for my son to come home with tears, dashed dreams and failed ambitions. It was so hard to put Pre-K behind in my mind, especially for those first few weeks. Would this teacher be the same as our last? It wasn’t until this last week when I realized that I rarely ever thought about Pre-K anymore. No longer a nagging memory, I saw so much more hope in our school, the school system and restored faith in our teachers again. I shouldn’t ever compare one school year to the next. I know that now.

2. The School Bus Still Scares Me

Until the very last day, I found myself holding my breath until the school bus arrived. Remember The Scariest 45 Minutes of My Life? That is a memory that still haunts me. As finally the summer realization sinks in, I finally can let that breath go. If the bus was 5 minutes late, my heart would start to race. I would find myself standing on my tip toes trying to see his little head move through the aisle. I would panic every time the squeaky brakes of a bus was within earshot. I am afraid of a big yellow bus on wheels. Maybe the summer will finally give me time to heal.

3. I Was Never So Excited to Hear One Little Word

“How was your day?”

“GREAT!”

Great. A word I would never hear during preschool. That one little word was like music to my ears. I started to count those days in my head. 5, 15, 25, 40. Finally, I lost track. Great, a word now common and comparable to Kindergarten.

4. My Son Finally Loves School, As He Should

He loves school. Sounds so odd to me to say that, but not to other parents I’m sure. My 6 year old son finally loves school. And no other proof could be more real that his reflection book he took home from school. He wrote how much he would miss his class, his friends, his teacher. It was his words, written on paper, expressed so wonderfully. Happy. I was crying as I read his little stapled handbook with scribbled pictures of smiling little faces. I love school too.

5. First Grade Is Not So Menacing

For the first time ever, I have hope for the next school year. My son is excited to see what a new school year has to offer. There’s so much pride when he calls himself “officially a first grader.” A BIG kid. A pro. A leader of the pack. My boy just amazes me.

So goodbye, Kindergarten. We have learned so much this year. From forgotten lunches to ripped homework pages to last minute projects, no lesson was learned more than these this year. What a difference First Grade will make. And hopefully this year, only more hope for the future.

Is there anything you learned this year as a parent?

Be sure to follow Saving Said Simply via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube  for more of my mommy brain thoughts, family memories and moments.