5 Step Kindergarten Readiness Checklist (for grownups)
In just a few weeks, I will join the ranks of the moms who have gone before me. Wiping away tears in the drop off line and sharing pictures of our pint sized “babies” carrying backpacks that are too big with captions that start with, “I can’t believe it….”
Kindergarten, here we come!!
The other night, as I was snuggling with my soon-to-be-kindergartener before bed, I whispered, “Man, I’m sure gonna miss you when you start school.” Oliver snuggled in closer and with all the candor of his father he responded. “Yeah, you better get ready mom, because I’m going to be at school all day long, every day.”
I laughed as the tears rolled down my cheeks.
There are countless checklists out there to ensure our little ones are ready for Kindergarten.
But even my five year old knows that the people who really need to get ready, are the grown ups.
Are you ready?
Me either.
So, in honor of my 5 year old son who will be starting Kindergarten soon, I present to you my
5 Step Kindergarten Readiness Checklist (for grownups!)
Write the date down. (Then acknowledge it!)
Whether you keep your calendar on your phone, a planner, or a big white board. Write that milestone event down! (That’s the easy part)Now for the hard part: Acknowledge it.
Is it two weeks from today? Next month? Tomorrow? Write it down. Look at it. Acknowledge it.
This thing you’ve been thinking about, waiting for, perhaps dreading? It’s real. It’s happening. And it’s happening on a particular date. Have you let that sink in?
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I can live in a world where “ignorance is bliss.” If I think of that event as a far off, abstract thing that is coming someday, I can make it stay away. A cloud that is always close enough to bring a constant chill from its shade, but far enough away to feel “not yet”.
This first step is crucial because it’s an acknowledgement. It keeps you from living in denial. The milestone is happening. And it’s happening on a certain date. So face it.
Besides, there are markers and backpacks to buy. Conversations to have. Schedules to be shifted. These are the realities of a new season. Realities you can’t face until you realize this milestone is, indeed, happening. And it’s happening on a certain date.
Stop thinking about the date!
I know, I know. I’m talking out of both sides of my mouth.
Hang with me.
You’ve written the date down. You’ve acknowledged the event and have thought through what needs to happen before that date and you have a plan for getting there.
Now stop thinking about it.
When you’re hyper focused on a looming date, it’s easy to let the insidious thoughts take over.
“OH NO!!! THIS IS THE LAST MONDAY BEFORE EVERYTHING CHANGES”,
OR
“SUMMER IS ALMOST OVER AND WE DIDN’T DO EVERYTHING WE WANTED TO DO. LET’S DO IT ALL TOMORROW!”
OR
Maybe your tendency is to pull away now. You think, “It’s gonna happen soon, so might as well just start pulling the band-aid off now. If I disengage, if I detach now, it won’t hurt as much…”
I am pleading with you to STOP!
Stop letting a date in the future steal your joy for today.
It’s in these bridge moments, when we’re crossing from one known reality into an unknown future that we often struggle with planting both feet firmly in the now.
Everything in us is either trying to self-protect from projected future pain or overcompensate for guilt from the past. Neither of these is grounded in the reality that today, in this moment, you are here. With these people. In this place.
Don’t miss it.
When our thoughts are saturated with yesterday’s regrets and tomorrow’s worries, there’s no room for joy today.
And today? Well, it’s the only moment you have. So live it!
Practice Patience.
Most transitions are charged with emotions, often from both ends of the spectrum. And sometimes the contradiction can be confusing. Am I sad about this or happy? Am I okay or am I upset? Most often the answer is yes to all of the above. Emotions from both ends of the spectrum can happen seemingly simultaneously.
Our kids will likely come home exhausted and overwhelmed and overstimulated and those big emotions can lead to some bizarre behaviors.
Practice Patience.
Pray for patience.
And when the time comes when YOU are behaving bizarrely and feel overwhelmed?
Practice patience towards yourself, too.
Transitions are layered and complex. Give yourself, and your child, some room to navigate this change. Serve up an extra scoop of grace and a whole lot of patience with tonight’s dinner.
Be present.
This time of year can be extra busy. There are forms to fill out and orientations to attend and calendars to coordinate. If we’re not careful, we can be so preoccupied with getting things done that we forget who we are working so hard to get things ready for.
As much as you are able, be intentional about under-scheduling right now. Try to give yourself a little margin in your day/your schedule to be present in the upcoming weeks.
Not so you can bemoan every moment leading up to the dreaded date. But present in a way so as to really see your child. Spend some time together. Even if it’s just the few minutes before bed. Or the hug before they head out the door for practice. Take those moments in with eyes wide open.
Look at them.
The way they smile when they think they’ve pulled the wool over your eyes. The way they race as fast as they can to beat their little sister to the sink to wash their hands for dinner. The way he says that one word wrong, but it’s just so darn cute you don’t want to correct him. The way his little feet find a way to burrow down in the bend of your knee when you snuggle. His determination when he has his mind set on something. His laugh when he makes you laugh.
Take a moment to truly look at them. To see them. To marvel at the amazing little human being they are today.
Expect good things.
I had a dear friend tell me just the other day that she often has to remind herself when school starts back up again that life doesn’t end when school begins. Such a helpful reminder! It is easy to think, well summer is done now and the kids are back in school, so now we can’t ________________. And for some things, that’s true.
But the reality is, life doesn’t end just because school begins!
Believe it or not, you can still make memories with your kids even after school is in session. You can decide to block your schedule on a Saturday and go do the thing you were really hoping to do this summer. You can start a new rhythm.
The beginning of school isn’t the end of living.
It’s only natural when a good season is ending to feel dread and sadness over what you are losing. But what about what you might gain in this new season?
Don’t let your sadness over losing what was, cloud your vision from seeing what could be!
Life is going to change. And it’s okay and normal to feel sad. But carry hope with you as you walk forward.
You may be shocked to find how great tomorrow can be.
So there you have it.
My 5 step Kindergarten Readiness Checklist (for grownups!)
Maybe you, too, are sending your first born to Kindergarten. Or maybe your former kindergartener is now heading to high school or starting college or getting married. No matter the new season you find yourself facing, I hope you feel ready! And if not, maybe this checklist could be a place to start.
You got this, Momma!
