I Am That Mom

I am that mom. You know the one.

The one who doesn’t want her kid to go to school. Who looked into home schooling and private schooling as genuine schooling options. Who won’t be bussing their child but driving or walking them to instead.

Some call me overprotective. Some call me foolish. Some suggest I can’t protect my son forever. But you know what? I don’t see any of that. I can’t control my feelings. I think it’s a natural progression.

I have been a stay at home mom for almost 4 years now and enjoy it. No, I love it. Sure, there are wildly difficult days, balancing the two little children at my feet. But I enjoy their company. I enjoy this time with them which is fleeting.

In September, my son starts junior kindergarten. This is a huge milestone in my parenting career and in his short life. I sent him to preschool 3 mornings a week this past year to prepare him for the ‘big’ school. It was a wonderfully successful experience but there were hard days. Mornings when there were tears. After the Christmas break when he wanted to stay home with his sister and I. Those days were hard.

He is excited to start school. And I am excited for him of course. He thrives on structure and routine and school will play to that. He made many friends at preschool and I suspect his quiet nature but fun spirit will attract more friends in JK. I know that he’ll be fine and that this is just another step in our lives but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel sad, anxious and worried about my first born. While I may be ‘that mom’, I am realistic.

But my desire to protect him and keep him at home as long as I can comes from a place deep within that I can’t control. I’ve been told ‘he HAS to do it. Everyone else does and they are fine’. On a certain level I know this. But I also look back and think about the bullies, the worry, the stress of school. I want him to be frivolous and a child for as long as possible.

School suggests he’s growing up. And for a little while longer, I am going to continue to be ‘that mom’. I can live with that, because he knows that I am his mom and I love him.