Penny started talking about kindergarten over a year ago. She\u2019s like her mom. She likes school.<\/p>\n
But lately the reality has set in. She seems to know that going to kindergarten marks a rite of passage. She\u2019ll move from a 3 hour school day to almost 7 hours. There will be more kids in the classroom. Less playtime. Higher expectations.<\/p>\n
A few weeks back, I said, \u201cPen, today\u2019s your last day of pre-school. Guess where you\u2019re going next?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKindergarten,\u201d she said. But she didn\u2019t say it with the ringing intonation of excitement I\u2019ve come to expect. She didn\u2019t meet my eye.<\/p>\n
I took her into my lap. \u201cWhat are you feeling right now about kindergarten?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWill you come with me?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll come with you the first day,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I mean, will you come with me a lot?\u201d<\/p>\n
I \u00a0held her tight. \u201cSweetie, what is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m worried I will be lonely.\u201d<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t speak for a long time, but then I said, \u201cYou\u2019ll make lots of new friends in kindergarten.\u201d<\/p>\n
I know she\u2019ll woo the teachers and therapists even though she can be impulsive and forget to listen. I know she\u2019ll learn things at her own pace. I\u2019m eager to hear about music class and art projects and time outside. But I share her worries that she\u2019ll have a hard time making friends. I worry that the other kids won\u2019t notice her, or that they won\u2019t understand her when she talks, or that they\u2019ll be able to run so much faster or they\u2019ll simply be so much bigger that she won\u2019t fit in. But I\u2019m also encouraged when I think back to the summer, to the ways she\u2019s started to play with other kids, to assert herself a little bit, to speak up and look for ways to jump into the fray. I\u2019m encouraged when I think of a friend whose daughter is still talking about playing with Penny, a week after they first met. Actually, I\u2019m more than encouraged. I\u2019m hopeful. I\u2019ve been praying for Penny to have friends, and to have one close friend, since she was born. I don\u2019t know how those prayers will be answered this year. I\u2019ll keep you posted.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Penny started talking about kindergarten over a year ago. She\u2019s like her mom. She likes school. But lately the reality has set in. She seems to know that going to kindergarten marks a rite of passage. She\u2019ll move from a 3 hour school day to almost 7 hours. There will be more kids in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n