Because I Said So

Kindergarten Hooky

by Danielle Wood

I don't know about you, but I remember a time when I tried to con my mom into letting me skip school because I was afraid of a bully, or stressed out about a big test. My five-year-old tried to convince me to let him stay home yesterday because he was nervous about his first kindergarten show and tell.

It was one of those funny moments as a parent when you don't quite know what to say. Do you clue your little guy in to the fact that sharing his favorite stuffed animal is nothing compared to what's waiting just a few years down the road? Do you listen raptly, shaking your head with understanding as he lists all the reasons to be terrified of his "big presentation"?

The whole thing took me by surprise. Up until the moment he dug in his heels and refused to get out of his pajamas, I'd been secretly congratulating myself on an easy-as-pie kindergarten transition. The year so far had gone like clockwork: he'd been a little jittery before the first day but by Day 2, he'd begged to go to school. On Labor Day, he was disappointed when he found out he'd be stuck with me, rather than heading off to kindergarten. I wasn't sure whether to be thrilled or insulted when he whined, "Home is so boring compared to school!"

But back to Share Day. As my son hid under his blanket, mumbling that he'd only come out if I agreed to talk to his teacher and tell her he wasn't going to share, I suddenly realized I was at my first "big kid" moment. "If you don't want to do Share Day, that's up to you. But you need to tell your teacher, not me," I said. "I'll pack your puppy and your police shield just in case you change your mind."