Kindergarten Readiness

It's starting to be that time of year again....nope, not spring cleaning....not baseball season...not April showers...but KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION. When I was ready to go to Kindergarten, I had a test. My mom took me to the community building and blocks were set up, colored objects, a vision chart and some other fun stuff. I passed everything and mom knew I was ready for Kindergarten - or was that REALLY what the test was for??

Today, at least in our school district, there isn't anything to test. I assume my little guy will be ready, but how do I know if I'm ready for him to go to Kindergarten????

I think the test was to reassure mothers that there children were adequately progressing and were ready to go to school. They knew shapes and colors, could hear, could see the eye chart, so hey, send them to school.

When my oldest went to Kindergarten, I knew he was ready. He is bright and smart and was completely bored all summer! I was ready for him to go to school until the bus came around the corner. That's when I knew the baby days were gone for sure. I was sad, and cried the whole walk home, but I had little brother still.

Until this fall. I'm already a mess thinking about it. WHen your youngest gets on the bus, it is like stepping into another world. No more carefree days of just going to the park or on a road trip. School. Everyday. For the next 13 years.

Playgroups are over. The toddler years are officially over. The pre-school years have even passed. Now it's Elementary school.

When it's your youngest, I think it's a blow. Growing old is now a realization and not just a distant thought. I have a few more months to reconcile with the idea that my baby is going to school. It will start next week when I register him for Kindergarten too. Where did those five years go???