Editors Note: We’re kicking off back-to-school week with this essay about sending a child to school for the first time. We’ll have plenty of fun back-to-school content this week, so stay tuned!
by Jennifer Newell
I might be THAT mom. I didn’t think that I would be or I kind of laughed under my breath at the moms that I’m talking about, but as next month approaches I feel a twinge of sadness mixed with a bit of excitement — Maggie, my 3-year-old, is going to preschool.
Trust me, when I started writing about this I know that there are moms out there who have been through this or they have five kids or their kids are all about to graduate high school, but the bottom line is — I haven’t been here before and I didn’t think that I would feel the way I do.
For the past three years I’ve spent a lot of time with this wonderfully brilliant little girl. I quit my “normal” job to be with her, I’ve stayed up numerous nights to calm her fears and we’ve had a blast doing silly mommy/daughter activities. The more I think about it I realize that even though we have a parent/child relationship — she is one of my closest “friends” because I spend the majority of my time with her.
She will LOVE school. She will love her teacher, meeting new friends and learning new things and I will love that for her. I think that this moment in our life just makes me realize how fast life will speed by. Maybe it’s because she’s my first born or maybe it’s because she is exactly like me, but the bond we have is strong and the reality of her going to school only reminds me that she will grow up faster than I will be ready for.
So….in a few weeks when I drop her off I may be THAT mom. I may have my camera, take 100 photos, give her 20 hugs ‘good-bye’ and even shed a few tears. I will leave her there knowing that this is the beginning of another great adventure and even though it will go quickly — I will do my best to etch every moment in my memory.
A Savoy resident and mom of two, Jennifer Newell is the owner of chambanamoms.com partner Bella Bambini, a unique children’s boutique located at 1422 S. Neil St. in Champaign. Newell also blogs on the Bella Bambini website.