This is it! The final countdown to summer! I am so excited it is almost here! If you’ve followed me for very long you will know I live for the hot, endless summer days! Summer, to me has everything you want – adventure and endless possibilities! And yes, you can experience both regardless of the season, but during summer where I live, it can all be done in the warmth of the summer sun. In the summer here, the thought of snowy days is simply that, a thought. And let’s be honest, nothing is better than wearing a swimsuit and flip-flops all day. If you can’t find adventure while wearing a swimsuit, you’re doing something wrong! And as mother of two, getting the kids out the door is so much easier! The preparation, the packing all lightens as there’s simply less to bring. And if you asked my kids, they’d say they love it because mom doesn’t make them wear layers… t-shirt, sweater, coat, gloves, hat, socks, boots… you get the idea! I’ll admit it, I am the “overly prepared mom”, and I worry my kids will get cold. The point is summer is a win for everyone!
But enough of my love of summer, let’s talk about my graduating third grader, Kenton! This week is his final week before summer break. He has been counting down the days to this moment because his school has a ton of fun activities planned for the students to finish a great school year. The school he is currently at only goes to third grade so next school year he’ll be at a new building. The best part about this change is that the building will only house fourth and fifth graders in our school district. It’s a wonderful opportunity for him and his classmates to transition successfully into middle school. As a graduating third grader, he along with his classmates, made posters featuring images showcasing who they are. This week those posters went on display in the front school lawn. As we pull up for drop off, he lights up when he sees his poster. As I observe my son doing this, I can’t but feel his excitement. It’s contagious! He has so much potential in front of him. He is sensitive, self-aware, and honest. He has high expectations of himself and of others. He wants to perform at the highest level possible all the time. Sometimes critical of himself, however he still has the innocence of a nine-year-old boy. He still hugs me tight and shares openly with me about his feelings. On occasion, those feelings show up in the form of tears. Those tears remind me he is allowing himself to be brave and vulnerable. I value his current stage in life so much because, like all stages, it will soon be a thing of the past.
As his third-grade year progressed, I felt like I was witnessing his growth right before my eyes. Every day at drop off he was a little different from the day before. Today as I write, he’s more self-conscious of how his friends might react to him. Now as I drop him off, he prefers I say, “I love you” privately rather than yelling it out the window as he walks in. On occasion I remind him to say the sentiment back to me. “I love you, Kenton!” Silence. “Hey Kenton, I said I love you.” I say eagerly to him. “Oh yeah, I love you too Mom.” He responds quickly on his way out and sometimes without making eye contact. I can see my son’s mind racing with thoughts only he knows. If I could I’d jump right in and poke around. Wouldn’t that be an eye-opening experience? Since I cannot do this, however I have to go about it the old-fashioned way and ask him a million curious questions.
A big reason I am so fascinated and curious about his school experience is because his experience is so different from mine. When I was growing up I was homeschooled in a small town in Northwestern Ohio. In fact, I never went to a formal school full-time until I entered college. During my K-12 years the only other students I consistently interacted with were my nine siblings. If you’re just learning this information about me for the first time you are probably thinking to yourself, “well that explains a lot.” Don’t worry, I don’t take offense to this. Honestly, I’d respond the following way, “Yes. Yes, it does!” Over the years, I’ve learned to embrace my experience. Afterall, it’s shaped me into the person I am today. However, for this reason, I have a challenging time connecting with my son on his schooling journey. When it comes to handling questions or concerns with his school, I revert most of it to my husband and ask that he handles it. I’ll ask my spouse questions like, “Is this typical at schools? Did something like this happen to you? Should I be worried?” I genuinely ask these questions because I simply do not know.
With that being said, it has not made me fearful of is public school. If anything, it’s made me more excited and more engaged in his learning. When I pick him up from school I cannot wait to hear about his day. I want to know everything. I’ll pepper him with questions like, “What did you do when you first arrived? Who did you sit next to at lunch? What do the other kids pack for lunch? Did you play gaga ball with anyone new today? Did your friends tell you any funny stories?” When I was a little girl in school, I use to fantasize about riding on the school bus and packing my school lunch. In my inexperienced mind the thought of both sounded so exciting! If you believe I am trying to live through my son’s experience, you’d probably be partially correct. The truth is, I don’t have much to relate to when it comes to his public-school experience. For me, it feels like an exciting opportunity to learn more. Also, this may sound silly, but I love hearing about the school’s curriculum and initiatives. For me, any initiative sounds wonderful! And to the teachers, I look at them with so much gratitude. Week after week they show up ready to teach. Their jobs are not only multifaceted, but they are difficult. As a teacher, you are not only teaching the student, but you are sometimes guiding and teaching the student’s parents or guardians. Teaching is not easy and it’s not for everyone. For those reasons, I respect his teachers so much!
It’s funny because as a parent, as much as our children change, we change too. We have the unique opportunity to challenge ourselves just like our student. Our child can inspire us to push ourselves to be better and wiser versions of ourselves. As I think of my son today, I am inspired by him. He reminds me you are never too old or lacking in abilities to grow. Regardless of your starting point the world has opportunities for you. You just have to believe in yourself and begin today to see your starting point for what it is – a starting point. What you choose to do next is entirely up to you.
I hope you and your child(ren) have an awesome summer doing what you love most! For us, we’ll sleep in a little later, watch a few old Disney cartoons at breakfast, attend Kenton’s morning swim practice, and then force ourselves to complete household chores before we head out on an adventure only the future knows. We’ll keep our days unplanned as much as possible and soak in the summer sun while we have it. Happy Summer!
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