Morning Mess: Handling the first day of school as a mom

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/09/2016 (3535 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dear Mom (about to drop her child off for the first time).

Yesterday, your baby was barely walking. Then came the talking, and walking, and friends and birthdays. And now, next week, a big one — the first day of school.

Wednesday is probably going to be a tough day for you. I bet it’s hard to even think about it now. Then you open your newspaper and here’s the radio guy talking about it.

You’ve been asking yourself again and again how you’re going to handle saying goodbye, getting back into your car, and sobbing uncontrollably until there are no tears left. How you’re going to handle someone else being there if she falls down, or has a question, or says, “I miss my Mommy.”

How did time go so fast? Why do we have to do this now? How are you going to handle this?

I’ll tell you how you’re going to handle it. The best way you know how. And if that means wailing so loud, you have to turn your radio up full blast while you sit in the parking lot making that crying face, like you just ate four lemons and sat on a bed of nails at the same time, then so be it.

It’s going to be OK. You’re going to be OK. And most importantly, your child is going to be OK.

I remember David when he started his first day of school, since it was one of the few days I was away from the radio station to see him off. I was excited, and he was excited.

His mom was in tears for the entire week leading up to that first day.

Then on that sunny September morning, I remember thinking, “Wow, this is amazing. It seems like just yesterday we brought him home from the hospital and now he’s off to school.”

David could not contain his excitement as I reminisced, I was smiling with pride at my little guy in his Power Rangers hat … and his mom cried.

We got to the school, and looked around at the other kids and parents as they played and talked and screamed and laughed. After small talk, last minute instructions and lots of “I love yous,” the bell rang.

I remember my nerves more for my wife than my son, and hoped his day would be great. He ran into his class and hung up his blue backpack. With a quick hug and not a second thought, he smiled and ran into his class.

With a lump in my throat, I could see Tracy blow him a kiss, and quickly turn and run for the car. I walked after her. Hugs. Tears. And the longest day of a young parent’s life.

But we did it. You’ll do it. And then it will be 3:35. You will pick up the happiest kid you ever thought possible.

And get ready for stories. Lotsa stories. “Mom, I did this and then this and played with him and her and him and it’s all flying so fast it’s hard to keep up.” And after that first day, like many things, it’s not so bad.

Why do I write to you this week, Mom about to drop her child off for the first time? Because like you, I too will have a tough week next week. In fact, this column was a tough one to write.

Because I’m about to drop off that little boy from kindergarten for the last time.

And like you, I will be full of emotion as I think back to the 11 years that were, and how fast that time really moved. All the teachers and tests and friends and sports and books and parent-teacher days — all but a giant memory, like filling the final pages of an old-fashioned photo album.

I remember a prominent Brandon businessman meeting me in the hallway of the radio station not long after I started in Brandon in 2000. His children had just left home and he told me: “Tyler, spend as much time with them as you can because before long, they won’t want to spend any time with you. And you’ll look back thankful that you did.”

I never forgot those words, and now I pass them to you. “Let them go” to kindergarten. It’s OK to let them go. But when they come home, hold on tight, as long as you can. And if you’re lucky, like me, they’ll let you hold on longer than most.

Which makes next week so hard. I love this saying: “Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The more you use, the faster it goes.”

I know it may be hard, but do try to enjoy this experience. Enjoy next week through the eyes of your kids. Because Grade 12 happens in the blink of an eye.

And instead of letting go to a wonderful teacher, likely with kids of her own, it will be the big bad world they’ll be taking on.

And what will get me through Thursday? I’ll just keep thinking about how eventually “you never really say goodbye, just see ya later.” And we will see them later. Smiles and stories and all.

Now pass me some of that toilet paper. My eyes are leaking. Grad’s going to be fun.

Anyone know where I can get some dark sunglasses cheap?

BIRTHDAYS

Marlene Kirton • Deveryn Ross • Chelsie Blouin • Lily Bueckert • Jacquie Gensorek • Tammy Tucker Thompson • Sarah Stephens • Jeff Morgan • Paige Kippen

JOKE THIS WEEK

Walking through the hallways at the middle school where I work, I saw a new teacher standing outside his classroom with his forehead against a locker. I heard him mutter, “How did you get yourself into this?”

Knowing that he was assigned to a difficult class, I tried to offer moral support.

“Are you OK?” I asked. “Can I help?”

He lifted his head and replied, “I’ll be fine as soon as I get this kid out of his locker.”

» Tyler Glen is a radio DJ on Star-FM. He writes a weekly column for The Brandon Sun. Twitter: @Tyler_Glen