The beginning of a new school year, the end of an era

Most years I look forward to the new school year with a sense of relief (at last, I'm getting the kids out of my hair!) and anticipation (I get to unleash my inner shopaholic and buy all the school supplies the kids need), but this year I have mixed feelings about sending the kids off to school. This year will be the last year that all three will be in the same school together. This year, The Pea starts fifth grade and the boys start second grade. Next year The Pea will start sixth grade at a new middle school. By the time 3Po and Jammy are in sixth grade, The Pea will be in ninth grade, at a totally different high school.

Logistical nightmares aside (different drop-off times, different pick-up times, limited transportation options, etc...), this year marks the final year of the safe, comfortable routine that I've grown used to. Our elementary school has become like a second home to us: a safe, comfortable haven filled with people we know and trust. We know the layout. We have our routine. I don't want it to end.

I'm also looking ahead to the challenges our family will face as we move out of elementary school and into middle school. The Pea will be a teeny minnow in a huge pond. She'll be facing so many new things, and we're going to have to help her get through it. Peer pressure. Designer clothes. Cell phones. Dating. Right now, our biggest challenge is coordinating play dates and smoothing over the occasional hurt feeling when one gets invited somewhere and the other doesn't. If only it could always be that way.

Change is inevitable, I suppose, so I may as well get used to it. It doesn't hurt to plan ahead, and I know our school is going to do a great job helping us prepare for it. In the meantime, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure this last year turns out to be a great experience for the whole family, and help my kids make happy memories to last them a lifetime.

It's going to be a great year!

This post originally appeared on Bonggamom Finds.