By: Paul Morrone
In a world that has changed so much since I was a child, one thing that has remained extremely consistent is the back-to-school season. Kids are still dragged against their wills to try on new clothes and buy new shoes for the upcoming year. The local papers are flush with back-to-school ads and shoppers continue to flood the outlets for (sales) tax free week (you’d think it was Black Friday!). The first day of school hasn’t changed a bit, either. It’s a scramble in the morning no matter how early you get up. The kids (at least the little ones) are in matching outfits, and, of course, you’ll take the obligatory first day of school pictures that will resurface in about 20 years when the kids are out of college. Don’t forget the group picture at the bus stop or the action shot of them getting on the bus that morning. Now that I’m reliving it all over again, I’m happy to report that Kyle and Ryan’s first day of school was a success and played out just as I remember it nearly 30 years ago.
What was most exciting about this year, however, was that Ryan is now in (half-day) pre-K at the public school. He’s a big kid, and even gets to take the bus home with Kyle. Most days they sit together, too, which is a sight that can make even the most stoic parent’s heart melt. Kyle takes his big brother role seriously, and is the perfect guardian for his little brother. He greets Ryan at the end of the day, helps him climb the stairs to the bus (because his backpack is so big and heavy he nearly falls over!), makes sure he gets safely in his seat and that he remains seated during the entire bus ride.
There is a sense of peace knowing that both kids are at the same school now. It makes life easier in so many ways and negates the need to juggle multiple schedules each day. Fortunately for us, the transition to school has gone well for Ryan, and Kyle continues to thrive in the classroom setting.
What shocks me even more is that we are already starting to see the kids develop as a result of being back in school, and it’s only been a matter of weeks. For months I would ask Ryan if he wants to try to write his name. After being shot down what feels like a million times, I finally reduced my ask to try to get him to simply write a letter R. Ryan would just say “no” and move on. The other day, he comes home with a piece of paper with the letter R on it which he (clearly) did all by himself. He was so proud and couldn’t wait to show us. While he’s still no Hemingway, I’m just happy to see things moving in the right direction.
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