When my oldest daughter started Kindergarten, it was a moment full of emotions including excitement, pride, sadness, fear, and many others. Below you’ll find a list of some of the things that helped me take in this experience and make the most of it. I invite you to try some of the following things when it is your turn to send your child off to his or her first day of school!
Top Ten List for Parents (or “How to Survive the First Day of Kindergarten”)
- Ask yourself – How can I make the most of this occasion for my child and for me?
- Read the book The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn to your child the night before the first day of school.
- That morning, make your child a special breakfast.
- Just before your child leaves for the bus, sit quietly and rock your child for a while. Enjoy and take in every aspect of that moment with all of your senses and your intuition. Then give her a big hug and kiss, say “I Love You!” and that she’s going to have a great first day of school
- Introduce yourself and get to know the other parents.
- Once you’ve put your child on the bus or dropped her off at school, go home. Sit alone quietly in a comfortable place, close your eyes, breathe, and take in the moment. Allow yourself to explore your feelings and thoughts for a while.
- Capture this experience by journaling your thoughts, feelings, and notes about the event. When your child comes home from his/her first day of school, capture all that he/she has to share by writing it down in a special place.
- Do something you love that you haven’t been able to do in a while. Then do something new.
- Look at the last five years of pictures you’ve taken and celebrate a job well done.
- Tell your story by sharing your thoughts and feelings with those you love.
- Finally, before sending your child off to school, write your child’s full name on her back with a permanent marker so she won’t get lost or misplaced. (I’m just kidding – but I have to admit that I did consider it for a moment just before she got on the school bus!)
Coaching Inquiries: Who do I want to be as a parent? What do I do that teaches my child important values? What are the questions I can ask my child to help her/him make the most of this new experience?
