What is it about the first day of Kindergarten that sends us moms over the edge? I don’t care how involved or uninvolved you are in your child’s life, whether it’s the first-born or the family baby stepping into walls of institutionalized education, all moms go nuts on K-Day. It takes every shred of strength to keep from tossing ourselves on the ground, wailing, and pounding our chests in grief.
Yet, there’s also the sense of relief that we’ve kept our kids alive this long and now we can actually live out the fantasy and watch soap operas all day while eating bon-bons (yeah, right!)
Today, the Boy Wonder started his first day of school. To my surprise, I didn’t shed a single tear. Mind you, it wasn’t because I wasn’t moved by the enormity of the day, but because my eyes were too flippin’ tired from reading the reams of school paperwork the night before. Not to mention, the lack of sleep from fretting about what the heck to pack in his lunch. Cookie or no cookie?
His new school has a no junk-food policy (sweets are even forbidden for b-day celebrations). I totally promote healthy eating habits, but c’mon, throw the kid a cookie every now and again.
First, I carefully placed a double-chocolate Pepperidge Farm cookie in a zip-lock baggie. Then I wrung my hands in fear that he would be expelled if caught. So I took it out. Then I worried that the other kids’ moms would rebel and include a nice sweet, and my kid would be the one crying alone on the sidelines stuffing a dry granola bar in his mouth. So I put it back in. This went on for quite awhile. In fact, I spent more time deliberating over the weighty cookie issue than I did reading the propositions in our last national election.
Finally, I decided the hell with it. Ate the damn cookie and packed him some fruit.
