Kids Say: Worry worry worry

Now that we’ve got approximately five months’ countdown to the start of the 2011 academic year, the other day, I casually described to DD how school would be lots of fun – there would be sessions for art and craft, numbers and phonics, and snack time and time for the playground as well.

She then asked me, “We must share and take turns going down the slide?”
And I replied yes, we should.
“If someone wants to go before me, then I’ll let them go first and wait for my turn?”
And there…I paused a moment. 

And considered the question.  “Well, if it is your turn, then you tell them politely to wait, and you go first.”

And internally, I heaved a deep sigh laden with what ifs.

What if she meets a playground bully?
I mean, at school, there will be children from different kinds of backgrounds and all walks of life.

Will she know what to do?

Will she be able to look out for herself in a situation where there is no one else to look out for her?

It dawns on me that my little girl is going into this big big world where I’m not going to be there for those three hours.

…

And frankly, I. am. a little scared. Okay, maybe more than “a little”. It’s a daunting thought.

…

I know I cannot be close by, making sure she’s okay, all through her schooling days.

I know full well, that incrementally, I will have to let go, and eventually prepare this arrow to leave the quiver.

I know that God who loves her more than I ever could, will be watching over her twenty-four-seven-three-sixty-five.

But.

…

Does every mother of a child going to preschool feel this way, or is it just me being extra paranoid?… 😦