When you become a parent, you know your beautiful newborn baby will eventually grow older, but with every day that passes and every birthday you celebrate you still believe they’ll never get older. In your eyes they are still your baby. Well, my baby will be 5-years-old this June and you know what that means, KINDERGARTEN.

I never imagined the day I’d have to send him to daycare and I had no clue how soon kindergarten would come rolling around the corner. Yesterday I went to tour a school and as much as I liked it, my heart-felt like it was being squeezed by the hulk. For almost 4 years he’s been in the care of the same people and had the same friends. It’s come to be his second home and they taught him well. I’m not sure how he is going to feel about leaving them, as they treat him like their own. I’m sure we’ll still visit since my niece will still be attending but it’s going to be different.

Funny thing is, once he enters into kindergarten I know he will make friends right a way. He’ll probably be more excited than he is nervous and I’ll be the one crying my eyes out, wondering if he’s okay, if other kids are being nice to him and if he has a good teacher, that can handle a child that has high energy.

I’d say what freaks me out the most is knowing that kids get out of school so early. I know there are after-school programs but at first I went into a panic thinking who will pick him up? how can I work if he gets out so early? what if the program isn’t on the same campus? Let me tell you, I was going through it. Also I live in Vallejo, which I don’t think is the best school district so the stress of figuring out where to enroll him was freaking me out especially since I only have until February to apply and who knows if he’ll get into my first choice. I’ve even thought about going ahead and putting him into private school since it’ll cost the same as what I’m paying for daycare now.

Nonetheless, I AM FREAKED OUT ABOUT THE WHOLE THING but here are some tips for getting kindergarten ready parents:

1. If you can take a tour of the school. Call and see if they have any dates available and leave your information. This will give you a feel for the environment your child will be in and ease the anxiety. Also if there are no tours available ask around about schools and the experience children and the parents had. This can be a big help when it’s time to start putting in those applications.
2. Read books/Have talks about school. Getting your child more comfortable with the idea of school won’t only help them but it will help you ease your anxiety. It can also be a teaching experience.
3. Stay Calm. Kids can sense when something is wrong and you don’t want the anxiety of your kid starting kindergarten to rub off on them.
4. Volunteer in the Class if possible. This will give you a chance to get a feel of how things work in the classroom and it may put your child at ease knowing that mommy and daddy go to school sometimes too,

Sending our kids off into the world can be difficult but it has to happen and though it may be difficult it will get better.