Off Our Game

Note to self:  When approaching a big milestone (like sending your daughter off to kindergarten) make sure you and your husband (or partner) are on the same page.

This week we took Lucy to her kindergarten orientation.  She seemed to adjust great.  She walked in with a skip, was whisked away by teachers to a classroom and came back with stories to tell.

Her parents on the other hand?  A little off our game. 

We got there "just" in time.  We were called last (to meet with the principal) and therefore allowed our nerves to get the best of us.  During the "interview" we struggled with how to adequately express what a doll Lucy is without looking like the parents who think their child walks on water.  In the end, I don't know if she understood that Lucy is kind, patient and hard-working (all to a fault).  Instead, I think she saw sweaty-palmed newbies who struggled with basic questions.

We'll know better with the second kid, pros by the third.  For now, learn from our mistakes:

1.  Do the questionnaire together.  I did it by myself and did not share any of my responses with Jerry.  Woops.
2.  Talk about it with your partner and not just with your child.  We did a great job getting Lucy excited for it, but didn't talk about how it would go for us.
3.  Be honest.  Don't worry about how your child may look.  I think the point of these events is to place your child in the environment that will be best for them.  Give it to them real (i.e. Lucy is perfect...I mean she is).
4.  Make friends.  Approach others or at least make yourself approachable.
5.  Celebrate with ice cream.  We went home to check on the baby (who was fine).  Scratch that! Make it a celebration. Make it special.