I probably should have done a back-to-school column last week, but let’s face it. I was in denial. In fact, I’m still in denial. As far as I’m concerned, my son is at a day camp. Ha!
Speaking of my son, didn’t he do an awesome job with his first-ever column last week? If you missed it, please check out the school page. It was 100 percent Shawn and not a stitch of help from me. Okay, I helped him brainstorm and wrote down a few topic ideas, but that was it.
Some Moms find it hard sending their kids off to school, especially off to their first day of kindergarten. I’m not a super sentimental type of Mom. I didn’t cry when my one and only child started kindergarten and neither did he. He pretty much left us in the dust. I thought we’d all walk in together, but as Scott and I got out of the car, Shawn was practically already at the school door. We went in just to be sure he went to the right room, which he did.
He’s always loved to learn. He took his time walking — waited until he was 17 months — but by then he could recite the alphabet, could identify each letter no matter how you jumbled it up, and was counting like a champ. He spelled ‘fish’ before he was two.
What did pull at my heart strings was when the snuggling and rocking slowly disappeared. And what really got my goat was when he no longer wanted to use Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Shampoo because as he pointed out, he wasn’t a baby any more. Far from it.
Truth be known, we purchased the shampoo in bulk when we still lived in Beulah because I just figured we’d have another child. However, when you just have one head of short hair to wash, shampoo lasts a very long time.
I wasn’t quite ready to let go of that shampoo because a) I do not like to waste things and b) I really liked the smell. So I did what any rational Mom would do. I put the remainder of the shampoo in his travel bottle and didn‘t tell him. When we are on the road, I still get a whiff that takes me back to when we’d snuggle and rock after bath time and I’d lower my head to his and breathe it in.
But today, my 10-year old is in fifth grade, parting his hair in the middle (I prefer the side), and continues to blaze his own trail as he should.
We’ve always followed his lead and have learned to gently nudge him to try things he may be hesitant on (such as band, if you read his column). Sometimes the nudging process takes years and sometimes it’s a down-right shove, but that’s okay…it’s part of our job as parents.
I recently read a quote from an unknown author that said, “To raise a child, who is comfortable enough to leave you, means you’ve done your job. They are not ours to keep, but to teach how to soar on their own.”
And soar they shall. Whether it’s to primary school, college or beginning a family of their own, our job as parents it to help prepare them with knowledge, confidence, problem-solving skills, and a great work ethic with the understanding that if they ever question, fear or stumble, they have a soft nest to come home to to rebuild, recoup and try again.
Let’s do our jobs and let them soar!
