Freshman Parent Night

Tonight was Freshman Parent Night where we hear about what our kids will be doing in high school, walk through our child’s schedule to see their classrooms and meet all the teachers and staff. I grabbed my son’s class schedule, shuffled in to the school auditorium and slumped down in to a cushioned theater chair. I’ve been in this theater many, many times before. After all we already have one son in high school. But sitting in the auditorium waiting to hear about the new freshman class was still a little daunting. It’s still hard to believe that the little boy I used to swaddle in a light blue blanket and who used to cuddle with a pale green glow worm in his crib is now a freshman in high school. That blue blanket is stuffed in the back of our hall closet and the glow worm is long gone. And here is my baby, a full-blown teenager starting his first year of high school.

After a few minutes the associate principal was standing on the stage. She said, “Welcome class of 2012 parents.” I had to fight back the tears. 2012?!? When my baby was born 2012 seemed like a lifetime away. Now it’s just four short years. Back then it was just the year my new baby would graduate from high school. Now it’s the year my baby will walk out the front door, leaving me behind while he goes off to live his life. He no longer needs to hold my hand to cross the street. He no longer asks me to push him on the swing. He no longer needs me to help him pick out his clothes. He’s gone from loving Batman and playing in the dirt to loving all things computer and pretty girls.

For the next hour the two associate principals, the principal and a parent talked about what to expect in the coming year. They talked about academics, extra-curricular activities, “management” (which is the demerit system they use) and the anti-bullying policy. They really should just write all this stuff down (which, um, they probably do in the school handbook I have yet to read) because, although I really was trying to listen, all I could think about was “oh my god my baby is in high school.” I’m sure I wasn’t the only mom have a mini-breakdown right there in there in the middle of high school auditorium.

Excuse while I go off to dab my eyes and blow my nose.