Every day since my daughter started kindergarten this past fall, I’ve walked her to the bus, well, actually school van in our case. I’ve waited with her, and we play games kicking rocks, catching snow flakes or just cuddling while we wait. Then I strap her into the booster seat, chat with the bus driver, whom is also a neighbor, and mother of one of my friends, tell her goodbye and watch the van leave before I head back to the house.
About a month back, she informed me that she can now hook herself into the booster seats, both in the school van and in my vehicle. So I stopped hooking her in, unless she was struggling with it and needed a little help. It showed me how much she had grown up in the past six months.
Today as we were getting our coats and shoes on, she told me she wanted to wait for the bus alone.
Our kids don’t have to walk to a bus stop, the van pulls right in our lane, they just have to walk to the end of the lane, about 200 feet from the house. Unfortunately, the way our lane and house are situated, you can’t see the end of the lane from any window, except the one in the master bathroom.
I grudgingly agreed after trying vainly to convince her to let me come out. But I informed her that she had to stand and wait in our parking area, just outside the bathroom window, instead of walking up to the end of the lane.
She bravely went out the door determined to do it on her own, and I took off my outerwear and headed for the window in the bathroom, to wait “with” her. Instead of snuggling and playing games, she talked to me through the open window until the van showed up, then she walked up the lane to it.
I watched her go, realizing how grown up she’s becoming, she’s not my baby anymore. When she opened the van door, I heard the driver exclaim, “Where’s Mommy?” and my daughter told her that she is a big girl now and doesn’t need me to walk her up anymore.
I cried.
Aaaww, how sad.
I have been trying to back off with my kindergartner too. She walks to school with a “walking group”, other kids in the neighborhood who walk with patrols to cross the street. At first I walked her to the school and picked her up after school walking with the patrols and other kids. Slowly, ever so slowly I have met them farther and farther from the school. Now I meet her half a block from the house but by a busy street that I fear she will cross on her own even though the patrols are supposed to cross her. I have considered hiding behind a tree so I know they are crossing her but so far I haven’t had the guts to do it. She would do fine but her mom needs to grow up.
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she is still your baby no matter how grown up she is. But it is nice to see that
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Don’t be so sad. No matter how grown up she is she is still your baby and will always need your guidance. It is nice to see that even in her young age she is ready to be independent.
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Yeah, it was so sad but come to think of it. When your little girl start to grow more in all aspect. I mean not only physically but also mentally, maturely in all aspect.
At least in her young age now, she know how to handle it. How to explore life.
Kids grow up so fast. It’s okay. Mine are getting bigger everyday and becoming more independent. I learned to adjust. You will too.
Well I completely agree with Lorraine that kids grow up very fast. And also gets independent in every sense they do not want to be dependent on any one now a days….
It is hard to watch the grow up and not need us so much, but I guess it also mean we’ve been doing a good job!