School’s In Session

Today marked the first day, of my first child’s, first grade year.   School is old hat for our family, our preschool and kindergarten are thankfully housed in our grade school.  First grade was an easy transition for us.  Not all walked away unscathed.  I saw lots of tears; and not just from the new First Graders.  Mom’s armed with cameras and tissue gathered in hallways, sharing stories of goodbyes.  Some made plans to meet for coffee, to cry into their Starbucks a bit.  Others hurried on to jobs, or siblings. 

I was excited.  Grace, (my daughter) was excited.  We have a great teacher, Mrs. F is an institution at our school.  Loved, respected, gentle and kind.  She has Walking Sticks and a Rat in the classroom.  I’m not looking forward to parent help days, I am not comfortable with rats.  However, these two creatures rank pretty high in my daughters book.  She raced into school, backpack bouncing on her little shoulders, skinny legs going as fast as she could.  Past her also very lovely, Principal, who gave a gentle slow down as she past.  But I saw the smile, the happiness at seeing his school kids so eager to get back to learning.

We shed no tears, my daughter and I.  I took pictures, after all it is a pretty big deal, it is First Grade.  We went over bus schedules and snacks and lunch.  We found her desk, her hook, her cubby.  We hugged and kissed goodbye.  I asked her to be her best, and to have fun.  She asked me to be at the bus stop early, just in case.  I lingered in the hall.  Commiserating with the other Mom’s.  We made plans, we went down the road to Starbucks, we ordered coffee and pastries.  We toasted our little ones and our freedom.  (Mine less then others, I have a 4 year old.) 

Then I came home, home to my four year old and my Mom.  She said Liberty was pretty sad, missed Grace already.  My Mom left, and Liberty and I were left in this quiet empty house.  Both of us looking for our new schedule, our new rhythm.  It’s been nice, just time between the two of us.  I can see myself getting a lot more done.  But Grace has been gone nearly 6 hours and frankly, I feel like I’m missing out on her life.  Pretty pathetic, huh? 

At nine this morning I was almost gleeful to be shipping her off to someone elses care.  Now I feel borderline weepy.  I’m counting down the next hour until the bus drops her off.  Anxious to hear all about her first, whole day of school!  Anxious to go through her backpack, see the notes home, inventory what she ate for lunch and snacks.  I know Liberty has a whole lot planned for her too.  She has layed out toys they can play together, books to color and read, she is ready to have her sister back.

Who ever thought that this transition would be so difficult for a whole family.  I wonder about college, or even second grade.   Or if it will be easier when Liberty starts first grade.  I suppose that is what parenting is.  Lots of pushing from the nest, waiting for your birds to fly, hoping they don’t fall and wanting to tuck them safely under your wing.

School Supply Lists

You might accuse me of being easy to please.  But I find the simplest things in life totally joyful.  One of the pleasures of my childhood, that I now experience with my kids is school shopping.  My Mom was a teacher, so school was a big deal in our house, I credit her for my love of sharp pencils and fresh paper.   I want to pass the excitement of a new year, new friends and new teacher on to my two girls.  So we’ve been anticipating our school supply list.  Grace is starting First Grade, I was expecting a pretty fun shopping list.  Pencils, crayons, pens, glue sticks, erasers…the usual. 

• A Backpack with your child’s name on it
• A pair of tennis shoes, labeled to leave at school
• and a Forty dollar check

That was the school supply list.  Are you kidding me?  This is criminal!  It’s awful!  What does this do to prepare students for the start of a new year?  How does this teach them to be responsible for their belongings?  It doesn’t, at all.  It doesn’t make it easier for families, in fact I would guess that it’s actually more costly then just giving us a list.  And there is no way to build excitement for a child who’s hesitant to return to school.

Part of the excitement for my brothers and I was looking through the Sunday paper at the adds.  Planning our shopping, planning what color binders we would pick, what type of ruler.  We will still shop for supplies, I will join the PTA, I will try and change this awful practice.  It was bad enough that teachers were asking each student to bring 20 glue sticks, without writing your name on them.  Fifty pencils to share, four pairs of scissors, and a colored pack of dry erase markers for the teacher.  And I understand that not all families can afford to purchase school supplies for their children.  But teachers can have an addistional  list, and ask families to purchase two extra of certain items.  Or teachers could give a supply list and ask for $10.00 from each family to help purchase any needed supplies.  After all, life is not fair, it is not equal.  It is a  lesson we all have to learn, as we all know someone will always have something better, newer, more expensive.  But it’s also important to learn to be satisfied with what you have, and to take care of your belongings. 

I may be old fashioned, I graduated almost twenty years ago from highschool.  Maybe this is the way of the future, but I’m not putting down the Elmers Glue and Crayola Crayons without a pretty good fight.