To My Baby Girl on Your First Day of Preschool:
Dear Pudding Pop,
Today you will put on your zebra/cheetah/hot pink backpack (which you picked out yourself) and your sparkly, only-for-school tennis shoes, get out of the car, walk down a huge set of steps, and into the door on your first day of preschool. You will hang your backpack in your cubby, put your Oo-Oo lovey up on the shelf, go wash your hands, and sign yourself in by placing your pink fish into the 3’s class fish bowl. You will do all of this with some coaching, I’m sure. But it won’t be from me.
No, today, sweet girl, I begin to release you out into the world. Your circle of influence will grow a little bit more this coming year. It’s not exactly small now with parents, grandparents, and aunts and uncles, but it will grow.
And, perhaps, the stinging reality of this for your mama is that I won’t be overseeing the influence. Not firsthand anyways. I know your teachers and your school and I trust them to teach you about social interactions and disagreements, standing in lines and waiting your turn, your letters, numbers, and most importantly about Jesus. And not because I’m NOT doing it. Or your dad is NOT doing it. But because we want you to learn from others too.
We know that our family is the strongest and God-designed small group. We know we have a mighty and heavy responsibility to teach you to fear and to love God. We know that our job is to raise you up in the Word, and to teach you every day to listen for that Still, Small Voice so that when God calls you can boldly stand up and say “Here am I, send me!”
For your dad and me, part of that means that we want you to go out and learn things in a way that might be different than how we would do it at home. Experiencing things with your peers. Learning how to make letters and numbers differently than mommy would think to explain it. Going and having your own space for a couple hours a week.
Because you see, my little girl, we know that what you learn every day shapes a part of who you are. Yes, we want to be protective of who and what has influence over you. And we will do that to the best of our ability.
But we also want to see how your blossom and flourish and interact and respond and grow and grow confidence and make friends and …. so much more. And I know we get a lifetime, but somehow, today, it seems so short.
It seems so short since 2 years ago I took you at 14 months on one of the field trips with this same preschool and there wasn’t a kid there in the 3 class or the 4 class you couldn’t keep up with as you explored that farm.
It seems so short since I became a stay-at-home mom and knew I had 2 years, at the most 3 years with you before we’d think about some kind of class or school for you.
And this year, this decision, I’m thankful was an easy one. We have no idea what any of the next years will bring for your formal or informal education. Will we home school? Private? Public? We don’t know yet. Only God does. And I pray that we are faithful in listening to what He has just especially for you.
So, today, little girl, as I watch your backpack disappear down those steps, I will wipe away a few tears as I pull out of the parking lot and go play with your brother for a couple hours while you have your first day. I’ll stare at the clock relentlessly as I wait to come back and pick you up. And I’ll listen intently as you tell me all about what you did on your first day of school.
Today is a big day; the day I let go a little bit more of my hold of you. My philosophy of parenting hasn’t changed much. I know that you are not mine, but God’s. And that He loves you more than I do. And His plans for you are far beyond what I can ask or imagine.
My little girl, today my prayer for you is the same prayer we pray for you each night, but this morning, it seems especially appropriate as you take those big steps down to your new school.
Numbers 6:24-26
24 “‘The Lord bless you
and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”
I can’t wait to pick you up. Your brother and I will have missed you like crazy and he’ll be anxious to have his best friend back home with him.
Love,
Mommy
Aixa M. says
Aww… First day of school is so bitter sweet… I’m sure she’ll have a great time making new friends and learning new things. May God bless her in this new stage of her young life and continue giving you and your husband wisdom to align your lives with His purpose.
Leah says
Thanks so much Aixa. She has done super great. Blessings on your school year as well.