The First Day of Kindergarten 

Over the years I’ve listened to hundreds of moms talk about the milestones of motherhood. It seems like each of us has our own version of surviving those moments and as women we tend to share them with each other. I know I’ve told my “birthing” stories too many times to count and at some point I’ve probably terrified some expectant mother with the horror of 23 hours of labor or the gristly details of my water breaking. In return, I’ve listened to countless stories myself. Some of them covering common ground and reminding me of my own experiences and others providing me with a glimpse into the future. This fall, I hit another one of those mommy milestones – the first day of kindergarten.

I’ve spent years preparing my daughter for her first day of school. Like most moms, I’ve read diligently to Hallie from the time she was in the womb. We’ve spent hours practicing our letters, numbers and every color in the rainbow. I’ve watched hours of Baby Einstein videos and placed monthly orders with Discovery Toys. I’ve turned every family adventure into a learning experience afraid to miss an opportunity to engage her little brain. Needless to say, I may have been a little eager—but she is my first child.

So when it came time for Hallie to enter kindergarten, my neurosis got the best of me and I became obsessed with picking the right school. This was the beginning of her academic career, after all, so the decision was almost overwhelming. There were so many questions that had to be answered:  do I send her to the school in our town or request a transfer to a different school within Moore County? Do I put her in a traditional or year-round program? What about her friends, do I keep her with them to provide stability or make her go to a new school for the fourth year in a row? (We’re military, like so many others, and we've moved three times in the past three years.)

My search ended sooner than I expected when I met Mary Scott Harrison, the Principal of Southern Pines Primary School. Her enthusiasm for her students and her school won me over immediately. Her school was warm and inviting. The whole school seemed to resonate with creativity. I decided Southern Pines Primary was just where Hallie needed to be so I set to work completing the transfer paperwork with the school system. One week before school started, I received my confirmation—Hallie had been accepted into their year round program. I have to say, I was relieved when I finally made the decision. With the paper work completed, I calmed down a bit and actually found time to laugh at myself for freaking out so much over kindergarten. You would've thought I was picking colleges, not a school where the kids still spend an hour in nap time every day.

When the big first day finally came, the whole family shared in the excitement. We all got up early and had breakfast together. Everything was new, it seemed. I packed a special lunch for Hallie and we loaded up her school supplies in her new backpack. She wore a new outfit that she laid out the night before and we put her hair up in a pretty pink bow. I took hundreds of pictures - Hallie, Hallie with her sister, Hallie with her backpack, Hallie with her dad…of course the list goes on and on. Then we all headed out for the big event.

After arriving at school, we joined the entourage of parents and kids hurrying down the sidewalks. Once Hallie arrived at her classroom, I took one last picture and gave my little girl a kiss. She looked so grown up with her hair pulled back. As she said good-bye and headed off to a whole new world, I realized that the little baby I had once held in my arms and rocked to sleep no longer needed me.

In the end, I survived and even surprised myself. Though I thought for sure that I would, I didn’t breakdown and sob uncontrollably as my baby headed off into the new world of little girlhood. I made it through the morning in one piece, just a little sad that another milestone had passed and from the realization that my daughter was a little more independent.

I spent the rest of the day playing and hanging out with my three year old daughter patiently waiting for my first day in the carpool lane. When the moment came to join the countless moms in our minivans, I prayed that Hallie had made it through the day unscathed. She had a tired, flushed face as she climbed into the car. I hoped the news would be good. As we rolled out of the parking lot, I asked how her first day went with just a little trepidation in my voice.  Without hesitation, Hallie grinned wide and said, “It was the best day ever!” I had to agree. It was a milestone that we will both never forget.