Letter to my son’s Kindergarten Teacher

This past week we had Kindergarten orientation.  My son rode his bike there as my husband and I followed behind pushing the baby in the stroller.  As I watched little Mr. Independent on his new blue bike my mind began to wander.   And in that short walk to school I replayed a slideshow of his short 5 years, from birth to present, in my mind.  To say that I was a teensy bit emotional by the time I got to the front door of the school is putting it lightly.

The whole of orientation went well.  But there was this one thing that stood out to me.  While Aden was being asked to jump on one foot, cut paper with scissors, and build a pyramid out of cups, I had a mountain of paperwork to fill out.  They asked me all sorts of things but the ONE thing I remember was that they asked me what I wanted them to know about Aden.  This is how I answered it:

“Aden has a difficult time with transitions so we usually do some sort of countdown to prep him for the new activity or coming change.  He tends to get upset when the routine is broken so we try to prep him as far in advance as possible that there will be something different happening.  Sometimes he can meltdown when he perceives he’s lost control of a situation.”

That’s what I told them.  It didn’t hit me until after I got home that what I wanted his future kindergarten teacher to know about my son were the difficult or challenging quirks about him.  I’m sure that a lot of moms do the exact same thing.  But suddenly I felt ashamed and that I had somehow shorthanded my son.  Aden, I’m sorry, you are so much more than your quirks.

So, if you are reading this, future Kindergarten teacher, here is what I’d really like you to know about my son.

“I know you got the previous memo on my son.  Yes, all of that is true but, there is so much more to A. than what I mentioned before.  He is smart, so smart!  He’s physical, every day is an adventure of what we’re going to conquer or defeat.  He’s definitely going to need that recess to get the wiggles out.  He’s loving and caring; you should see how he cares for his baby brother.  He’s affectionate, be prepared because he likes to hug.  He’s creative and imaginative; I’m always surprised what he can build out of magna tiles and Legos.  He’s hit an artistic streak and his favorite color is red.

And here are the really big things.  He’s got a sense of justice and will step forward if he thinks someone is being wronged.  He’s not always right about the situation but that will come with time.  He’s also extremely stubborn and seems like he’s willing to lay down his life for a toy/coloring book/etc.  Not necessarily what you want to hear but I know that one day, when it really counts, he’ll find a cause really worth fighting for and put that stubbornness to good use.  What we may see as weaknesses today will one day be his greatest strengths and I’m hoping you will want to join us in shaping this jagged rock into a polished gem.”

Kindergarten…ready or not here we come!

Are any of you moms out there sending your little ones off to Kindergarten this year?  Can you relate?