A Moment In Time
Amidst the chaos in the fenced off kindergarten playground, I watched him quietly shovel sand into his bucket. If there has even been a time where I could ignore my surroundings and focus on a singular event like he was, I certainly can’t remember it. I realized today that I am lucky to have had the opportunity to hang around to watch him play and interact with potential new friends. Next year he will be thrust into the real world that is grade 1, where his school life will truly begin.
One of the most important things that being a parent has taught me is how to stop and enjoy a moment in time. This was going to be one of the last times that I would be able to watch him interact in the school yard and I was going to soak up every last second of it. At one point he glances over and flashes a smile my way. I played it totally cool, while my emotions raced with a thousand memories of his youth. It’s a lot harder to let go than I imagined it would be. He’s sheltered right now, with kids his own age, oblivious to what awaits beyond the steel gates of the kindergarten sanctuary. Soon he will learn about bullies, girls, structure and peer pressure, and I worry about whether I given him all the tools he needs to make the right decisions. Time will tell, I guess.
What I do know, is that I still have four months left with my kindergartner and I have no intention of rushing through that time. We’ll worry about bigger kids and heartbreak when we get to it, but for now, we’ve got some memories to create.
One of the best things you can do is to simply be there for him when he does learn about those things. You know sheltering him (or any kid) in the long run is detrimental. Coping skills are necessary. Having those coping skills, learning them, that will be the best gift you can give. Of course that doesn’t mean to thrust him in with the big kids and let him watch The Godfather or let him start smoking, but you know what I mean. Gradual and age appropriate expansion of his world view. And THAT will blow your mind even more as you are able to share that with him.
It all happens so fast, eh? I love catching my daughter in a moment of childhood — knowing it’ll all be over before I know it, but we have lots of moments left to savour!