When Is Your Baby Not a Baby Any More? The First Day of Preschool
Photo: Elena Donovan Mauer / The Bump
The lines between “baby” and “toddler” are somewhat blurred. Usually using the term “toddler” is appropriate when your child starts walking or starting on his first birthday, but you can totally get away with calling your toddler a baby for a long, long time. You know when you can’t call them a baby anymore? Once they hit preschool. My son reached that milestone yesterday.
The first day went pretty well. My son Ryan found his name on the desk, did some puzzles, met his teacher (he was shy around her, but that won’t last long) and didn’t particularly care when my husband and I walked out the door. When my husband picked him up, he asked him how school was. “Fun” was his one-word response. Later he told us he played with toys and ate cheese, apples and crackers (the snack we packed him). Sounds pretty good to me!
And me? Well, at drop-off, I didn’t get nervous or pepper the teacher with questions and instructions, like I did when he started day care. But that’s probably because I’m already used to dropping him off somewhere in the morning (and I had already asked a million questions at orientation!). And surprisingly, I didn’t even get teary or emotional. That’s pretty good, considering the fact that right as all this was happening, something very bittersweet was transpiring: My baby was officially not a baby any more.
How did you feel on your child’s first day of school? Did you get emotional?
Plus, more from The Bump:
Preschool Supplies You’ll Want to Snatch Up
Toddler Craft Ideas (That Won’t Stress You Out)
The Knot Blog
The Nest Blog
I dropped my baby off for his first day of preschool this morning. He did great and didn’t even turn around to say good-bye. I made it to the car and then I realized what a moment that was for us!I can’t wait to hear all about it when I pick him up.
It is incredible when they start living lives away from us. So glad it went smoothly for you! (My son’s first couple weeks he (and I) were a wreck!)