A Letter to my Kindergartener

Dear Lennox, The day you have talked about for months has finally arrived. I remember when we filled out all of your school registration forms back in January; you declared you were not going back to preschool because you were now officially ready for kindergarten. I'll never forget how disappointed you were to discover that you had to wait eight more months to go to elementary school. Every year you attentively watch your big brother and big sister go off to school, you grew more impatient every single year as you waited for your turn. My girl...today it's finally your turn. Today is your day to shine!

You will learn many things this year from your amazing kindergarten teacher. You will make many creative works of art and work to clearly write the letters of your name. There are a few things I want you to know as you tackle this exciting new adventure. For starters, I want you to remember to always be kind to those around you. Even though you are so very brave, there may be other kids in your class who are nervous to be away from mom and dad. I want you to be kind and help share your bravery with those who are scared. I want you to remember that a little kindness can really brighten someone's day. I want you to remember to always stay weird, don't ever change who you are to fit into the crowd. You tell the best stories of anyone I know, never lose your sense of creative wonder. Don't try to dress or act like anyone else, just be the amazing person that you are. Life is too short to worry about what the other kids think of you, just remember to always stay your weird self. I want you to make lots of friends, don't worry about only having one bestie (as your big sister has told you is the rule). It's a great idea to get to know all of the kids in your class, and spend some time playing with everyone. Many of these kids will be with you through all your years at elementary school. It's a wonderful thing to be a good friend and someone everyone looks forward to playing with. I should warn you, there will be days that some kids don't want to play with you, and that's okay...but always remember to be kind. Oh and don't forget to learn the names of your friends at school (your big sister still struggles with this in grade three). I want you to ask questions, never be afraid of being curious. The world is an amazing and complicated place, you have so much to learn and I hope you never stop asking questions. Don't worry about looking silly or your questions being dumb, it's a wonderful thing to ask questions as you are growing up. Your teacher will be happy to answer your questions as best she can, unless you ask about underwater elephants then she may be a bit unsure. I want you to know it's okay to slow down and enjoy special moments. You love to look at flowers and trees that other people would just run past. You enjoy taking your time looking at all the special details in the book illustrations. Don't think you have to rush because other kids flip the pages quickly. It's okay to take your time and enjoy every page in the book. I love that you notice things other people quickly overlook, spending time soaking things in has become a huge part of who you are. I hope you never lose this endless sense of wonder as you grow up. Adults are in such a hurry to get from one place to the next, and we often miss out on special things along the way. I think many adults, (including your mom and dad) could learn a thing or two from you and your sense of wonder. I want you to remember that just as you are unique...so is everyone else. You will meet kids at school that look different than you, kids that sound different than you, kids who act differently and maybe even kids who eat different types of food than you. Our differences are what make us so awesome! How boring would it be if everyone you met was EXACTLY like you? The cool thing about being a human being is we can all be so different from one another. I want you to remember that our differences are what make us special and that we should always show kindness and respect to those around us...even if they are different from us. As you head off to Kindergarten I want you to know that some days will be absolutely amazing and some days may be crummy. My girl, I want you to know that It's okay to have bad days. Please know that it's okay to cry when life is tough. Our emotions mean we are alive...if we didn't have emotions life would be pretty boring. When you're having a really bad day, I want you to search for a sparkle of happiness. Somedays you might have to work extra hard to find that sparkle but trust me it's there. I'm going to let you in on a special secret, there may be days when you can be that sparkle of happiness for someone else who is having a crummy day. Always believe in yourself, and remember you are capable of awesome things. There will be things at school that come really easily to you but there will also be things that are tough. Don't forget all those times mom reminded you that we don't give up. We don't throw in the towel when things are difficult, we stand up and keep trying. You were born with the same stubborn nature as I was and I know you will use that to never give up. You will shine my beautiful daughter! Well I could probably write you a book on everything I want you to know, every lesson I want you to learn as you enter elementary school. As much as I want to tell you everything, I know some lessons are best learned by experience. I wish I could be beside you to look out for you and protect you from every heartache and bully you may encounter at school. As your mom, it's embedded in my DNA to protect you from danger and obstacles. It kills me that I'm not with you every day at school to keep an eye on you. While I'm nervous about your new adventure, I'm also excited about all the wonderful experiences you are about to have at school. Please know I'm always going to be your biggest fan and I know you'll do amazing things. Good luck in kindergarten my beautiful daughter. Love always, Mom