by Kaye Boss

Created on: March 14, 2009

When I think back on the wonderful days of kindergarten and being five-years-old many things come to mind.

I remember arts and crafts time. Learning how paint and creating pictures of people that had stick hair, and flowers that were larger than the sun. Gluing two things together that didn't belong, and cutting up things that should have stayed together. Mixing paint to make new colours and painting on things that weren't supposed to be painted. Art was a beautiful subject.

I remember learning how to write my name. Who would have known that Kim was so hard to write? That stupid K with the straight line and that tilted triangle lying next to it. That stupid dot on the i that I never seemed to remember. And the M. What a stupid looking letter. And yet I learnt it. One letter at a time until finally I was able to scribble my name on the walls at home (and still try to blame my brother for the graffitti).

I remember play time. Building with blocks and making towers that seemed so huge to me at the time. And playing dress up and bossing all of my classmates around as I pranced around as the princess of the world.

I remember naptime. Oh, beautiful nap time. Lying down with my towel on the floor, squinting my eyes and curiously watching to see what everyone else was doing. It was almost my favourite time of the day, but nothing could compete with snack time. My mom always packed the best snacks. Grapes, strawberries, granola bars, cookies. Back when the schools didn't require every snack to be a healthy choice!

I remember taking the bus home everyday. All of the bigger kids wanted to be my friend and take care of me and I thought that they were a ton of fun. The bus ride was a lot of fun too.

I remember the joys of no homework, no five-days-a-week schooling, no cafeteria lunch.

But to every great story, there is a tragedy. As they say: for every up, there is a down. And there was a huge downfall to kindergarten.

They put you in school thinking that you will make friends with the other children. Thinking that you will learn fundamental conversational skills. Thinking that you will start to understand relationships and that it will help you later on in life. Well I learnt a good lesson on relationships in kindergarten (don't befriend other girls, that's what I learnt!).

I hated kindergarten... all because my best friend kissed the guy I liked behind the art table.

Learn more about this author, Kaye Boss.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.