Kindergarten: One Month In (Perspective from a first-time school mom)

It's been a full month now since Aidan started kindergarten!

I thought I'd do a little "review". I certainly shared my worries over him starting, so why not follow up?

If I could rate it 1-5 stars, I'd give it 4.8 :)

Why not 5? Because I still miss him, and that will never change.

We feel so very blessed with our parish school. Aidan's teacher is great and really gets him.

The behavior-discipline system really works for us.

He has made some friends that he just adores.

There are some really great families involved.

Aidan loves it, too. In fact, yesterday, while driving to pick Pat up from work, he told me he wished he was in school. I said "why? Don't you like home?", and he told me he has "so much fun at school!".

He is thriving on the learning environment. I worked with him at home, too, but this is doing it for him.

He is trying to teach Brennan his letters, he is enjoying learning to read, often writing his own "books". It is adorable, so heart-warming to see him loving it all so much.

I had my doubts. I doubted he'd do OK with full-day kindergarten. I doubted his teacher would communicate well with the parents. I doubted that he'd eat his lunch at school, without me there.

My doubts were proven wrong. He is tired, sure, but full day seems so right for him. He loves it. His teacher sends home a weekly update, as well as updates a website daily. We can view their "specials" schedule at any time (art, music, gym, Spanish, computers, library), same for their homework. Pictures are also put up.

It was hard to go through this for the first time, but now we're past that hardest part, and it's more fun & exciting now. I get to volunteer for things, I get to see him proudly putting on his uniform in the morning. I get to hear stories of how they dig for worms, or pretend to be robots and chase the girls.

I don't get as much time with him during the week, but the time I do have, it's good. Our bond has not diminished at all. It has matured and grows in a new way.

Kindergarten: Month One. It's been good.