The big day arrives. All necessary paper work has been carefully taken care of. You've completed the school shopping, met with the teacher and visited the classroom during orientation. Now your child is eager to meet new friends and show you how grown-up he is!

You've checked and rechecked his back-pack and now the moment of separation begins. Its time

to let him go and more often than not, your child will handle the day much better than you will!

How do I know? Well, hindsight is 20-20 and I went through helping my children start their first day of school four times! It never got any easier (on me) as I watched them place their little foot up on the first big step of the school bus.... which I always thought was a bit too high up. But with eagerness and excitement they all took that first big step!

Recently, I went through it again as I watched my grandson go off to the first day of school and I saw the same look (which must have been on my face) on his parents faces as they let go of his hand and watched him take his first step up onto the bus.

I tried to capture the emotions in the following poem. I hope all you parents enjoy it and can see we are not alone in our feelings when our children go off to their first day of school.

The Big Day

Every minute since our darling
baby was placed in our arms,
he's captured our hearts
with his wonderful charms.

Every day with him was
absolute wonder and joy.
But today he went off to school
now a precious little boy.

We dreaded the day he would
board the school bus, for he
would be entering a new world,
which did not include us.

We looked at each other,
his father and I
and could not understand
how six years had flown by.

Choking on tears, a bit of pride
and pain in our heart
We had to let go......
so his boyhood could start.

All his sweet baby days
were fast becoming the past.
We wanted to stop the clock,
making his babyhood last.

Six little years we would
never have again.
They sped by far too fast,
how can our hearts ever mend?

Yet, later today he
will return to us.
All happy from riding
that big yellow bus.

His shirt tail hanging out,
with a shoe untied.
Some crayon drawings
and a smile full of pride.

He will never know
what an anxious day we had.
All he will see......is
a proud Mom and Dad!

Learn more about this author, Victoria Rose Perkins.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

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