School talk

As we look into closing our very first school year, I have been reflecting on how much we have gone through as a family with having a school age child.

To some, sending off their child to school is something that they look forward to. In a way, I was excited for him of course, but I was also a nervous wreck too. I was about to send my baby, whom I have had the privilege  to stay at home with for 5 years, teaching him what he knew at that point, instilling our values into him. I wanted to home school him so very badly, but also knew I needed to let go a bit. Yes, I admit to being a bit of a control freak.

When we got the call to the charter school he attends now, saying that there was an opening but they had to know immediately (with school starting in just a week), I knew in my heart that this was where he needed to go. My husband had attended the orientation and it was very difficult to even get him into the school, but once you have one child in, the rest of your children have reserved spots.

It was such an adjustment. We went from having family days Sunday through Tuesday and every other Wednesday because of my husband's schedule to rearranging a lot around the traditional school schedule, and he even attends half day kindergarten!

As he went, I watched him blossom and grow. He was really maturing in front of my eyes. He was being challenged, meeting new friends, and exercising that muscle of thinking. I knew at that point, I was committed to helping him in any way, picking up areas he might need help in, willing to even hire a math tutor and doing whatever it took to help him succeeed.

Check out this homework! Pretty impressive stuff!

So now, as we look toward him going to first grade, and attending school all day, I am a lot more confident in sending my baby to school. It's hard as a mama to do, but I know that his education is extremely important and it is exciting to watch him grow!