My oldest son started kindergarten this year and can I be honest…
My kid is fine. I am not.
When he first started, I was angry. I was angry I had to share him. Angry we had reached this point that a complete stranger was now getting him more hours a day than me. Angry that I was now on the school’s schedule and not our own. But mainly I just knew I was going to miss him and was angry I couldn’t keep him little forever.
Once I saw how much he loved Kindergarten, my anger lessened and reality set it. Ya’ll. Kindergarten is every day. Drop off and pick up is every day. I realize this seems like common sense, but I’ve stayed home with my children for 5 years and we have lived on our own schedule. Now all the sudden we have specific drop off and pick up time frames, the dreaded car line, pick up signs, and a million other rules to follow. And again, IT IS EVERY DAY.
A week later my younger 2 kids started their Mother’s Day Out program and that’s a new drop off and pick up time. And it was a week into that schedule that I was pretty certain I was going insane or doing this all wrong. Then I talked to some other 1st time kindergarten moms and realized I was normal.. but we were ALL GOING CRAZY.
Everyone warned me it would take my child a couple weeks to adjust. But honestly, he never struggled (so far) and has adjusted perfectly. My question is, WHEN WILL I ADJUST?! At what point will ANOTHER pick up not seem like a surprise and just seem like normal life? Right now I’m still in panic mode half the week because I can’t figure out where my kids are and who needs to be picked up when and where. My 5 year old basically planned our days all summer, so I’m having to learn how to parent again and it’s weird. I liked him telling me what we were doing for the day. Now I just stare at the 1 and 2 year old and try to figure out if we should attempt an activity or go ahead and head to the stupid pick up line that we spend 19 hours a day in. Usually we just stay in line after drop off, so we can be ready for pick up. Kidding, I’m not a lunatic. But some people basically do. Today I passed cars in line over an hour before pick up. I was shocked. Actually shocked.
Anyway, I just want to know why no one warned me about the crazy that kindergarten makes you feel as a mom. Not 1 person told me about how long it would take for ME to adjust. My kid is adjusting just fine. I however am a dad gum mess! At what point will I realize this is just life and not wake up every day confused why I have to do it again? Will I ever stop setting alarms on my phone to pick up my kids? Will I ever remember that he needs lunch EVERY DAY? I just feel like it’s kind of ridiculous..
If you’re reading this and you have never been through kindergarten, consider this your warning. You will feel like a crazy person the first few weeks. If you are past kindergarten, stop judging me because you have forgotten how nuts it is!! You know you felt this way too! And if you didn’t, I need some of your medicine because my Zoloft can’t keep up with this new schedule we will live on for the next 18 years.
Check on your kindergarten mom friends, we are not ok. But our kids are!
