On September 8, 2011, my 5 year old daughter started Kindergarten. She got on the “big girl” bus, along with her brother. She entered a new school, met new children and began her adaption to a new environment. She was resisting all the way, because she loved her old school. She was petrified. I tried to assure her it would get better, but in all honesty, I was afraid as well.
I am sure you all know children (some of them are your own) who are social and confident and excited to make friends. My little girl is super shy and afraid of everyone and everything. I felt so many emotions for her, and I felt like I was starting Kindergarten too. My initial fear stems from issues I have been working out of my daughter since she was about 2 years old.
My thoughts throughout this month since the first day for her has included the same question every day, “Sweetheart, who did you play with today?” She started out with one friend, and then within days decided that she was not her friend because the little girl decided to be friends with someone else. I happen to be friendly with the child’s mother, but decided my little girl must learn an important lesson early, friends will come and friends will go. I was however happy about one important thing, she stopped obsessing over how people look.
My biggest concern with my daughter regarding school has been her obsession with color. She once believed that she could not be friendly with people who were not brown, and had a real issue with color. It was the opposite of her initial reaction to color, where at age 2, she went through this stage of wanting to look like Barbie (blonde hair, blue eyes). I counteracted it with plenty of Princess Tiana, and I ended up with a “black is beautiful and everyone else is not” child. Now, thanks to Kindergarten she is finally realizing that she is beautiful and everyone else is too.
I have realized during the past 20 days, that everything you really need to know you learn in Kindergarten (or preschool depending on the situation). You learn how to make friends and how to share. You learn how to write and read, and count (yes moms, I know you taught your children how to do that by age 3). You learn many life lessons that you use for many decades to come. These lessons help mold you into the adult who can change the world and link all people together. Thanks Kindergarten.