The start of a new video series, I confess a few things that are on my mind. Last time it was about the difficult teen years. This week I’m talking about the kindergarten. This is usually a time of excitement and joy but starting kindergarten can bring with it sadness for parents.
You can see our whole Confession playlist on our Youtube channel (youtube.com/everythingmom).
It can often feel like you’re the only one who is dealing with a certain parenting issue. We shared another mom’s post on that ’empty nest’ feeling when your youngest starts kindergarten. Clearly we’re not alone as parents when it comes to adjusting to our kids starting kindergarten, especially the youngest. Here are a few additional posts that hopefully give you some reassurance that you’re not on your own with your feelings.
Starting Kindergarten Sadness: 9 Posts that Concur
Surviving the First Day Of Kindergarten Is Much Harder For Parents Than Kids
(Cafemom) “We parents all know that once our children get that little taste of independence they will crave more. It’s natural. It’s good but it hurts our mommy and daddy hearts.”
When Mom has Kindergarten Anxiety (Less Drama, More Mama) “It’s normal to feel some sadness and anxiety. After all, your child is growing up fast.”
Dear Mom Sending Your First Child to Kindergarten (Jacksonville Mom’s Blog) “Add to that all of the emotion of letting your kids venture into kindergarten, yikes! I definitely had a long list of fears that I should not have worried about so much!”
Don’t cry, mum, it’s only school (Independent) “I had prepared for Thomas’s adjustment to school. But I hadn’t anticipated the feelings of grief that swept over me during those first few weeks. I felt I’d lost him.”
When Your Last Child Starts School: Going, Growing, Gone (Empowering Parents) ” guess I did not live in the moment enough, did not believe the speed of childhood in the grand scheme of parenting. I also realize that I have just become someone who will inflict this knowledge on another unsuspecting mother — and she will not listen, either.”
When Your Youngest Starts School (Frugal Mom Eh) “Now my baby, my determined little 3 year old is heading off to full-day Kindergarten in a few weeks and I’m left dealing with the emotions brought up with the thought of my baby climbing up those bus steps for the first time wearing a backpack bigger than she is. This time I won’t have anyone to hold my hand as the bus drives off.”
When your last child goes to school, who are you now? (Little White Cottage) “For years I have had my life regulated by the needs of 3 little people who needed naps and food, taking out and entertaining and now there was the longed for utopian 6 hours of time to myself and I hadn’t the faintest idea what to do or where to start.”
The End Of An Era As Youngest Starts School (Tea or Wine) “Wednesday was always the day that Eva and I spent off together and whether it was a trip to the park, an outing to the supermarket or just getting on with chores at home, I will truly miss having my little side-kick around.”
Empty nest syndrome strikes early: Mothers suffer back-to-school blues as 84 per cent are struck by sadness and loss (Daily Mail) “According to a nationwide study by Butlins the start of September will see 43 per cent feeling sad and lonely, 22 per cent sensing anxiety and one in five (20 per cent) feeling fed up and miserable.
How did you handle your child starting kindergarten? What parenting stage has been the most challenging for you? Confession is good for the soul.