And another year goes by...

Amy B Croker
MAT, Elem Education

My 4 year old finished her last day of Pre K today! As I kissed and hugged her goodbye, I couldn't help but get a little weepy at how fast this time has gone by. We have had the end of the year programs and dance recitals to prepare us for this day, but until it gets here, it really doesn't hit you.

"Where does the time go?," as you hear alot of your fellow mommy friends say! How did this day get here so fast? How did our kids get this big already!

Doesn't  it seem like yesterday you were bringing them home from the hospital wondering how in the world you were going to take care of this sweet little blessing, just hoping and praying you remembered everything the nurses taught you such as how to swaddle, nurse properly, change their diaper,etc. You were on survival mode at that point! All your worries at that time were when they were last fed, when they had their diaper changed, how long their last nap was and when they needed to eat or be changed again.

Now, it is what is the best mother's day out program or daycare, what is the best car seat, bike, the best age to start classes, camps, learning how to swim, what age they should be walking, talking, transitioning to a big girl bed, reading, counting, losing their first tooth, and the list goes on!


So as your child reaches their own milestone, whether it is completing their first year of dayschool, accomplishing potty training (whew!), finishing their first year of Kindergarten (tears) or finally tackling a two wheeler bike without training wheels, it is time to celebrate! Time to get out the camera and tissues, kind of celebrating!

It's time to mark it down in their baby book, record it in a family photo album or post on Facebook for family and friends to see. Then, as a parent, or even as a family, it is time to reflect on where your child was just a year ago. Think about how far they have come.

Talk with your kids about how much they have grown during this school year, challenges they had to face and conquer, things they learned that they didn't know before, friends they (and you) met along the way, and now the new and exciting things to come in the next school year.

Think of this end of the school year as kind of a New Years Eve resolution...celebrating the end of a school year and the beginning of a new one. What goals does your child want to set and accomplish this coming year, or even this summer?

first day of school

last day of school