Meghan Shultz

While playing baseball with my little boy last night, I noticed some changes in him. The way he acted, ran, and even spoke were different. Or were they? Granted, I noticed a marked decrease in ‘baby talk’, and not quite so many tears were shed. But could just two days of Kindergarten have had this profound of an effect on him, or had I changed my perception of him due to his new status as a “Kindergartener”? The more time we spent together, the more observant I became. He did seem to eat dinner a bit more quickly, and not one complaint uttered when bath time came. But the more subtle changes were more interesting to note. He just seemed older. He spoke of things he learned at school and the friends that he made. As a mom who has made it my mission to teach and prepare him for what’s ahead, it made me feel good that those skills had been learned and remembered. But as a mom who has been with him nearly every day of his 5+ years, I felt a bit left out. I do realize that he gets older e...

Here it is, day two. After a very fun party last night and a well-deserved rest for all, we were back at it again this morning. He was not up before the sun today, as I believe he was recuperating from a long, exciting, napless day yesterday. Regardless, he was ready to go back to Kindergarten. That made me feel good. Apparently there are no mean children or cruel teachers lying in wait to traumatize my little boy. As we drove to school, he was once again regaling me with all the things he had learned and done yesterday, as well as telling about all of his new friends and his plans for the day. Upon entering the school this time, he led the way. He showed me where his classroom was and headed straight for his cubby. No shaky hands or hint of nervousness as he hung up his backpack. Today, he knew the ropes. Today, he was truly a Kindergartener. How is it, that a 5-year-old can adjust to a completely new situation within 24 hours? Here I sit, using this medium as my catharsis. My ...

A Mom’s First Day of Kindergarten So it’s that time of year -- all the kids are getting ready to go back to school. Or, if you’re like me, you are sending your little one off for the first time. I had kept telling myself ‘he’s going to be great’, ‘he’s going to have so much fun’, ‘you’re going to be OK’… And I really was -- or so I thought. We went school shopping and purchased ALL of the school supplies his teacher had requested, got him some new clothes and shoes -- and the ever important Transformer underwear -- and he was set! We had the countdown to the first day going for over 3 weeks, and as the final days kept ticking away, the ball in my stomach kept growing and growing. The night before his first day, he had to make sure all his clothes were laid out, his new shoes were still spotless, and his backpack was all set to go. After reading his bedtime stories, and saying prayers, I asked if he had any questions and if he was feeling nervous. After a slight shrug, he said, ’a...