The First Day of School

It's hard to believe, but it's Week 3 of the coComment Mom/Parenting Challenge. Here's today's post inspired by the first day of school yesterday.

Well, the first day of school has come and gone. I had expected to be a bit more emotional than I actually was yesterday. I'd thought I'd get teary about the Bean going to kindergarten, but it just didn't happen. The experience of the Bean going to school is so markedly different that the Bear's. Firstly, she went to the school for half days last year as a preschooler and secondly, she's just a different child. The Bean possesses a confidence in herself and her abilities that the Bear is only now slowly growing into. The Bean, well she arrives at normal everyday occasions in a ball gown and a tiara. So it was not surprising for her to arrive at school yesterday confident in herself and in the fun that will be Kindergarten. Don and I have joked that she was born ready for a structured environment like school.

The Bear would not have been able to handle the transitions which the Bean loved just to attend the pre-school program. With him, we didn't even think about applying. Though he's much more physically assertive, he's always been much more emotionally sensitive. His tears just flow and his heart and emotions are on his sleeve. The physicality which brought the much needed attention, albeit negative attention, masked his sensory issues, social awkwardness and fear. With all of that said, it was nice to hear him say that reading was what he was looking forward to most about school. Yesterday he stood with his 3rd grade teacher smiling outside on the lawn while holding the sign up for the other students to see as they exited the buses. Heart warming isn't powerful enough. It's been a long road, but so well worth it. Of course we'll see what happens once the honeymoon is over, but I have a feeling 3rd grade will be our year.

Today we have No Child Left Behind and a myriad of other mandated tests, so my thought or question to everyone is how do you advocate for and honor the individuality of your child in terms of emotional growth and wellbeing while navigating the educational system?