My darling daughter, now a 4th grader, is at a new school. Today was her first day.
This is the first school year she's started in Wisconsin.
[She began K, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd at the same school in MN and finished out her 3rd grade year in WI...at another one of the elementary schools in our town here.]
Our family's move happened 9 months ago. It's been hard for her and difficult for us to see her sadness. She had lived in the same neighborhood, attended the same school and church, for the whole of her young life. I have this vivid memory of bringing her to her classroom last October, after she had missed a month of school because she was sick, and her classmates were so happy to have her back they began chanting her name, surrounded her, hoisted her up in the air and carried her around the room. It's a sweet memory.
People say kids adapt well. They are resilient and moving is easiest when they are young. Maybe all this is true. Our younger two kids had a fairly easy time with the adjustment.
She was crying and broken this morning. It's hard to know how to help her as parents. She told us she wants to go back to her old school. Ufff...moments like this and I feel like we've ruined her life. As if a light went out inside her and we're responsible for it.
Her dad walked her to school today and, as they walked, she cried and said she didn't want to go.
Isn't it true...some things take time. Some times we have to do hard things. Some days we are sad. It's gonna be ok...right?
Linking up with Just Write.
3 comments:
Oh, I totally and completely understand!
Take it from me, my family moved the summer before 4th grade, and it all worked out well. I loved my school and the people.
It takes time and it's so painful to watch, but I turned out okay. And she will too as long as you listen to her and love her.
I know that, even when you are that young and don't always understand everything, I was a little older than her when the biggest change took place in my life, it took some time to adapt, but not TOO long. But this is a good change. It may turn out she will learn to love it just as much as (or more than!) her old school. Hope she does!
I moved around a ton Kate, and I still love my parents. It will become part of her story and she'll be ok with it. She's got an amazing family of support around her. You're not ruining her life! ;) Wish I could give you a hug today.
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