You might not think you'll make it, but you'll make it!

Big A first day of VPK

It's back to school around these parts and my little guy started VPK (pre-kindergarten) on Monday.  He was so excited, we have been talking about going to VPK for 6 months now.  He has watched his older brother get on the school bus for the past 4 years to go to school.  He has waited patiently for his turn to go to school.  Yesterday was his first day.  We walked him to his class, looked around, showed him his cubby, gave kisses and left.  Today we repeated the same routine and I joyfully skipped back home for 3 hours of "me" time.  That is until I received a phone call from a friend that has a son in Aaron's class.  She said that when she left he was crying and attempts from his teacher to console him weren't working.

My first instinct is to run up to the school and console him myself.  Or I could call, or I could just pick him up for the day, but then I remembered a story that my mom told me about my middle sister's first day of Kindergarten.


My mom prepared my sister for her first day of Kindergarten.  She had a HUGE billboard name tag around her neck with her name, teacher and bus number.  They rehearsed her teacher's name everyday for a week before school started.  The big day came and my mom put my sister on the bus.  She waved goodbye as the bus rolled to the school.  My mom, like any good parent would do, followed the school bus to the elementary school.  Just for good measure, in case the bus driver mistook them for high school students and dropped them off at the high school.  But, the first day of school is like a $99 lap top sale at Wal-Mart, frenzied to say the least.  My sister was lost in a sea of backpacks and new school shoes.  

So she drove back home, wore a hole in the carpet pacing and decided to call the school to make sure her angel made it to class.  Elementary school secretaries are the gate keepers of the school.  They should be approached with caution and care or the gate can close very quickly.  Knowing the delicacy of the school secretary, my mom took a risk and called.  The conversation went something like this:


"Hi, this is Susan Williamson my daughter is a kindergartener and rode the school bus this morning and I didn't see her get off the school bus when it arrived.  I'm calling to see if she made it to her classroom"

"Mrs. Williamson, I am sure that she made it there"

"Ok, but this is her first day and she is a little nervous"

"Most kindergarteners are"

"Yes, but it is MY daughter's first day and she is in kindergarten.  Could you just go to her class and make sure she is there?"

"Mrs. Williamson, I am sure that she is there"

"Will you please check, I will hold"

"Mrs. Williamson, children have been coming to this school for 70 years and we haven't lost one yet"

At this point, there wasn't much left to say.  My mom went the whole day not knowing how my sister's day went.  Cell phones were attached to huge bags and were only used in emergencies.  Only a few people had email addresses and teachers certainly did not have a laptop in their classroom.

So as my heart breaks knowing that Aaron is upset and crying, I think back to my mom and remember that kids have been going to school by themselves for centuries.  He is not the first kid to cry on the second day and will not be the last.  My mom came up with the best family saying that day, "You might not think you'll make it, but you'll make it". It is on repeat for me...and for Aaron.