Tales from a Mom on the Search for a Private School!
By “Mrs. Jane Schoolfinder”
Jane is going to tell it like it is, not everyone likes that, so the anonymity as she searches for a school for her child is warranted
The Frank Sinatra song “My Way” has been playing on repeat in my head since the letters were mailed 6 weeks ago. “And now the end is near; So I face the final curtain…” This statement has me thinking about what the next school year has to hold. It also has me feeling quite nostalgic about the experiences that my child (and I) have had at the current school. It is all very bittersweet.
To say this this whole process is ripe with emotion would be an understatement. Once the acceptance letters arrive a big sigh of relief is breathed, but then the other emotions creep in. The one that surprised me the most was sadness. I am sad that my child is leaving her school. I am sad that the relationships that I have cultivated will not be visited daily.
And then FEAR sets in! I am anxious that I will not have the same connections at the new school. I am anxious that my child will not develop the same relationships as she has now. Will she be happy? Will she be settled? Will she make friends? What will their parents be like?
Now comes acceptance. My child was accepted to the school she wanted, and she is THRILLED! She knows some of the girls that will be going to school with her and some children who are already there. She is not worried, anxious, fearful or sad. She is over the moon excited! I am choosing to fly with her on her high emotions and be confident that she will be happy and well-adjusted and excel at the all the things I know she does with excellence.
As a parent, I often worry about all the things that can go wrong. I forget to relish the happy things and not wait for the proverbial other shoe to drop. This process and the gusto and confidence with which my child engaged has shown me that I need to take a step back and enjoy the ride. It was a great ride and it is connecting us with an even better ride that is about to start.
I hope that you and your child are happy, settled and ready for the new chapter that has already started.