This year my daughter started Kindergarten and she had never been to preschool or away fro me for her first five years of life for that matter. I often taught her things at home that preschool would have taught her so she was more then ready to go off to school. When her first day of kindergarten was approaching I think I was more nervous then she was. I would ask her if she was excited to start school and she would say yes with no hesitation at all.

So then the first day of school came and as I was getting her all ready to go she was very excited and I was nervous, very nervous. She is my only daughter and I was afraid to let her out of my site. Well it was time to go and as I put her in the car to head to school all she could talk about was her anticipation for meeting new friends and her teacher. She was filled with joy and excitement and she could hardly contain herself.

I thought that she would have a hard time and ask me to stay with her, but it was the exact opposite. As we pulled up to the school she wanted to get out of the car all by herself and go into her classroom. I told her that I had to walk her up to her classroom since she did not know where it was and I wanted to meet her teacher as well.

Entering the school grounds I thought that she may have a change of heart and ask me to stay with her, but nope it didn't happen. She instantly ran to the other children on the school grounds and started playing with them. So I guess she is not shy at all! It was me who was filled with nervousness and fearful of her entering a new environment.

As the teacher came out and gathered the students up to enter her classroom and all the parents were video taping and taking pictures I felt myself getting teary eyed as she started heading into the classroom. She turned to me and said, "Mommy it's O.K. I like school." How could I not smile as she is brave and comfortable with her first day of school.

It was hard for me to get into the car and leave knowing that for one of the first times ever she was not with me. I did collect myself and drive home only to watch the clock until it was time to pick her up. It felt like the hours were longer then over, but finally it was time. I rushed to her school to see if she ended up feeling nervous after all, but she didn't.

She came out of the classroom and told me all about her teacher and new friends. She was so happy and she loved her day at school. She asked me if she could go to school everyday and I told her that she would be going five days a week for years and years to come. She was happy to hear it and it has stayed that way for past three months now that she has been in school.

She still loves it and wants to go every day. I guess every child is different as we all know and each parent is also differnt. So what happens for one the complete opposite can happen for another. With my daughters and my story it was a joyous one. She has loved school and was never nervous, I was the nervous one!

Learn more about this author, N. A. Hernandez.
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