Kindergarten - A New Chapter for Mom |
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By Gretchen Reid
Motherhood Transitions columnist for GreatIdeasForKids.com
It is a magical day today. The sun is shining, it is a perfect late summer morning in the foothills. My 5 year old son and I spent the morning meeting his new teacher at the Coal Creek Canyon k-8. Stories of travels and the sheer passion of teaching these precious children emanated from her like a beam of light transcending upon a resistant seed not yet ready to bloom. With a personal connection and a journey down the hall to the classroom, the seed began to pop through the soil and both mom and son felt a blossom of joy and anticipation in our hearts.
This contrasting greatly from yesterday. Indefinable emptiness laced with a layer of sadness and a strange sense of aimlessness combined with an occasional subtle desperation – grasping to hold on to what was, not wanting to succumb to what will be, all the while letting what is slip away into my most recent savory memory. Miles with mud clinging to his cheeks and neck, it caked on throughout his hair resembling a young Rastafarian boy clad with dreadlocks. The results of a mud fight with his lil’ friend at the reservoir. One of many moments so alive, loving life, present in play. There are a slew of these days I can recite, a chapter full of weekday play dates. These days have been time too for me to enjoy the company of my mom friends whom I have come to love deeply in my heart over the years.
This summer I declared as the summer of the reservoir. I wanted it to be a summer to remember. The one before my oldest son went off to kindergarten. Yesterday was the finale. The last regular play day before school starts next week. With us going on vacation and my work days mixed in, there are no more free Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays before the big day.
Until this moment I have felt at times that my son was being ripped away from me, torn right up and out of my womb. Perhaps a dramatic analogy, though a primal reaction to such a normal event in our world. I have spent 5 years with him by my side, my friend, my playmate, my window into a whole new world. What’s going to happen to that world as he disappears beyond those walls? What about the deep friendships I have fostered over the years with the common bond being our children and our complimentary schedules? What happens when those play days turn into school days – especially when the schools are towns apart?
It’s not over, we chant, it’s just going to be different. We’ll get creative. We’ll move into yet another whole new world within this world we have created - the world of school, of learning, of after school activities, sports, new friends, and new interests. I’ll get involved in committees and activities at the school and put my strengths to work there.
Time for David they say. Time to spend one-on-one quality time with my younger son. That is true. An opportunity to get to know new friends, discover new things, do things that he loves to do like riding Rudi, his favorite miniature horse while Miles is at school. I find myself feeling uplifted and excited, peaking into the next chapter of this thing called motherhood as it has so deeply enriched my life. A new chapter for us all – we are embracing it as we take our next steps forward into our worlds.
Though you may not find yourself in this exact situation, having your child(ren) go off to kindergarten (or 1st grade) is a big step for them, and may also offer a profound transitional time for mom. Whether you have been a full-time stay at home mom or working mom in one capacity or another, this stage is often a very emotional milestone for you and an opportunity for you to pause and examine where you are in your life. It’s a prefect opportunity to consider how you want to spend your time while your child is at school. How can you use this time to nurture yourself, utilize your strengths, and get reacquainted with YOU? If you have been working full time, it may not seem like much of a change, though take this opportunity to re-examine anyway. Process through the past few years, embrace where you are today, and create a path towards your chosen future.
Gretchen has three groups starting September 2008 in the Boulder/Denver area:
SUPERTM Moms Group
Entrepreneurial Moms Group
Mom-preneurial Advisory Board
Groups are limited to 6 women each -- register soon -- these groups fill up quickly! See www.MotherhoodTransitions.com for details. For questions or to sign-up for Gretchen's monthly articles,
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or call (303) 642-3105.
Article originally posted August 2008.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 14 August 2008 )
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