The First Day of School: 18 Thoughts I Had

I swear – JUST yesterday he was in my stomach. He was the size of a poppy seed (or so some baby book told me) and now he’s an almost 4-year-old boy. He will be starting preschool on his birthday and he’s so excited. I, however, am currently juggling what seems to be a million emotions – fear is the highest on the list.

A friend of mine told me that her son’s first day of Kindergarten felt like possibly the worst day of her life. She said she felt overwhelmingly depressed and spent most of her day in bed sobbing. I felt for her. I really did. She’s one of the best mothers I’ve ever met and she radiates motherhood. While I do sympathize with her and imagine that I will feel similar – I think I’m more afraid than depressed. Quite honestly – my 2-year-old daughter will not allow sobbing and bed rest all day. Otherwise, I might just try it.

Since I have been overcome with fear – about a lot of things pertaining to Colin’s first day (and year in general) of school, I decided to list all of the questions and thoughts I had been pondering on since we decided it was time for him to go to school. Let’s just say this article was originally titled “My 1,000,000 thoughts on my son’s first day of school”. I shortened it for your convenience to a randomly selected 18. I’ve listed them in no particular order.

1.) What if he pees or poops his pants?
2.) What if another kid is mean to him?
3.) What if he is mean to another kid?
4.) What if he likes being at school more than he likes being at home?
5.) What if he won’t eat the lunch I pack for him?
6.) What if the other kids think he’s weird?
7.) What if I forget to pack an extra…anything for him?
8.) What if he refuses a nap at nap time?
9.) What if his teacher is super horrible and mean?
10.) What if he doesn’t understand or learn at the same level as all the other kids?
11.) What if he falls or gets hurt, bruised, scraped, breaks a bone or his face or something?
12.) What if (just as he does at home ALL DAY) he runs around screaming “POOPY DIARRHEA!” and then the other kids follow after him and the entire classroom breaks into anarchy?
13.) What if there’s a fire?
14.) What if he told the other kids some of the CRAZY stuff that goes on around our house because he thinks that’s what’s normal and everyone thinks I’m a HORRIBLE mother.
15.) What if I forgot it’s picture day and accidentally send him to school in his pajamas?
16.) What if some of the parents get on my case about this, that or the other thing that Colin did?
17.) What if he absolutely HATES school like I used to for 14 years and NEVER wants to go? Ever?
18.) What if he absolutely loves school and grows into the amazing man that I know he can be and it’s the most amazing thing ever?????

I could only hope.

I really hope some other moms out there can tell me I’m not the only one who felt this way and has thought these thoughts. Can anyone relate? Tell me some of your hopes and dreams – your fears and your thoughts about your children as they started school!