Starting Kindergarten...

How did we get here? Four years ago I was welcoming this little peanut into the world and in a blink of an eye he's starting school! I remember days leading up to the first day of school and even the night before I was watching and rewatching videos of his growth, development, and just moments my husband and I cherish. I thought about all the ways this little human has already taught me so much, how he saved my life and will not be ablet o grasp that until later in life. I was thinking about how proud I was of this little human.

I work in the early years and have seen and heard a lot of things working in various schools. When I began to think about school, and the school system and how very very different it is from the way he was brought up so far I was worried. I was worried because I didn't want someone to dismiss his feelings, forget that he (like some of his classmates) are just 3.5 maybe 4 years old, and are not experts on life. They have only been on this earth for a short period of time. I was worried about how he was going to be spoken to, and worried this may change the beautiful human he is becoming. I think about teachers who go viral on social media, and when I see videos of them I think about how this is a viral thing when ALL educators at any compacity should be ensuring they are meeting children where they are, involving them in their own learning so that way they are invested. They are harnessing their thoughts, theories, and research and using that to make learning not so cut and dry, so EVERY child has an opportunity to learn.

I'm confident that my little boy with thrive, and each year gather what he needs to do big things in this world. I can only hope he meets educators along the way that inspire him, fuel his passions, and empower him.

I wept as he threw on his backpack, and was ready for the world. I wasn't ready to share him, all the whole knowing the world does deserve to meet this little boy and experience his personality, strength, and determination. I was fortunate enough to have beautiful early childhood educators who helped care and nurture him, supporting Dominic, and nurturing the qualities he possesses. School ready to them (and to us) meant helping him with tools to self regulate, practicing those tools daily in different situations with his friends. Giving him a space where he can test his risk awareness, run, jump, twirl, get dirty and have those sensory experience to support his readiness for school. Supporting his articulation of ideas and thoughts, experiences with different art mediums which were focused on the process not the finished product to hang in a hallway.

Dominic was more than ready for school, learning his letters and numbers through play, recognizing his name through different invitations set out by the teachers. He was invested in his learning because he was given the opportunity to be. He wasn't talked at he was always part of the process of learning.

I hope the school system is ready for him, he's got a big personality and I hope that never dims. I hope it only gets bigger, and he is able to continue to leave his mark in their world, and surround himself with a community of friends that treat him the way he treats them.

I'm scared, but I see how strong he is so it inspires me to be strong, to listen , to understand, and to trust. Trust that those teaching him will love and care for him like we do, like his early childhood edcuators did. Because it doesn't matter what age group your teaching, your goal should always be to foster and nurture their strengths, involve them, and listen to them.

This is year 1... of many... but I don't think it will get any easier.

-Christina