My oldest son is starting high school this year, and while he did amazingly well in 8th grade, I am an anxious mom about this upcoming transition. He is excited to see friends again, but not too thrilled at the prospect of schoolwork.
He no longer needed an aide mid-way through 8th grade, so he is starting 9th grade on his own. Nobody to show him around school or make sure he knows where to go next. Nobody to fend off kids who might tease him. We’ll be doing a pre-first day tour of the school just to make sure he’s familiar, but having worried about him for years, this is a big step for ME!
Meredith Dangle has aptly captured this feeling in her blogpost “Letting Go on the First Day of School.” She eloquently expresses what it means to let go when you have to trust others to care for your child. As she says:
“Even for those of us who trust others automatically, this is hard stuff. We value nothing more than our children. Handing them over is more weighty than a truckload of gold bricks with diamonds spilling over the top.”
How right she is! The letting go is not about our child so much as it is about the belief that all will be okay. We must trust that our child will find a way through, and if they need our support, we are there to make sure school takes care of them.
What are your biggest fears about the start of school?
What can you do to help alleviate them?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Bonnie Landau is a professional counselor and holistic therapist in Ventura County, California. Her specialities include therapy for autism, therapy for ADHD, and therapy for parenting who have kids with autism or ADHD or other neurodivergence. She changed careers from graphic design to counseling with the goal of helping struggling parents of kids with ADHD, autism, or other neurodivergence find strategies and solutions to help their children succeed. Bonnie is also the author of Special Ed Mom Survival Guide: How to Prevail in the Special Education Process and Find Life-long Strategies for You and Your Child.
