PARENTING September 22, 2008 Issue

BRIGHT BEGINNINGS

LORI ANN JAKUC

FOR MANY OF US, kindergarten brings back memories of art projects, story time, and jungle gyms on the playground.

But for some children, the start of kindergarten can seem daunting, maybe even a little scary. And this is true for parents, too. We may be apprehensive about our children keeping up with the rest of the class or feeling homesick during the day. I've recently seen how important it is to calm those fears by realizing that God is right there with each little one—guiding and nurturing them along the way.

Our family certainly learned this lesson last year as we were preparing our own son for this important step. Several of his classmates were attending another year of preschool so they might be better prepared for kindergarten. But it had been recommended—and we agreed—that our son was ready to advance. The school had some concerns about our son's social skills and ability to stay focused in a kindergarten classroom. But they were willing to provide some additional specialized teachers and classes to assist him.