After tossing and turning, constantly waking up full of anticipation throughout the night for both my daughter and me, the first day of preschool and attending school altogether finally arrived this morning for my little girl, Quinn. Knowing that I wouldn’t be there to take her to school for her first day increased my anxiety, but she was so excited that she actually woke up extra early, and I was able to give her a big hug and kiss and tell her to have a great first day at school before I left for work.

Her dad later told me that she was very eager to go to school and gave him a big hug and kiss when he was about to leave her at the school. “See you later, Daddy” she said with a smile on her face. In the meantime, I was at work wondering how Quinn was doing, and something that rarely happens occurred when I was in my classroom teaching. My phone, though on vibrate, began ringing. My initial thought was that it was a call from the school with a concern about Quinn. It took everything in me to not immediately excuse myself and check my phone to see who was calling. It turned out that it was a telemarketer calling, and I had to reassure myself that Quinn was just fine.

Then, right after class I raced home so that I could  be nearby, if needed. My husband works from home on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but wasn’t there, and I wondered, “Did he go to the school? Is Quinn okay?” (I later found out that he was out purchasing a cake as a special treat for Quinn’s first day at school) Without alluding that I was concerned, I contacted the school while my three year old was preoccupied with eating lunch just to see how she was doing. Her teacher, with a smile in her voice, said, “Quinn is doing great! She enjoyed circle time, playing at the playground, doing an apple coloring project and having snack.” She also informed me that Quinn was happy and showed no signs of being sad or worried.

When I picked Quinn up at 3:00 pm, she was sitting patiently with other children, smiled and said, “Hi Mommy! I had a good day at school!” While tomorrow, her second day of school will more than likely be the real test, I’m so happy that Quinn made a great initial transition from being at home with her daddy and me to going to school and interacting with other children and the teachers.

Here’s to a wonderful semester and terrific school experiences for my sweet, smart girl Quinn!

All the best,

Tanya