To My Son, Before Kindergarten

Dear Son,

Well, here we are. Tomorrow is the day you “start” Kindergarten. I suppose it doesn’t feel real because I won’t put you on the bus, or worry about you getting through the lunch line. I won’t pack your backpack and pray that everyone is kind to you. You see, for now, Kindergarten will take place at the safety of our kitchen table. And that’s okay.

This is still a time of big transitions for you. This summer, you went from tentatively wobbling down the sidewalk in your Lightning McQueen helmet to confidently zipping around the neighborhood in your big boy spikey helmet. Cartoon movies have largely been replaced by superhero action flicks. And there are a lot of nights that I find your puppy and lovey downstairs long after you have fallen asleep without them.

I tell you all the time: you made me a “boy mom.” Before you came along, it was all princesses and bows. And then came our easy peasy 2nd baby. You brought the perfect balance to our lives: rough and tumble, sports and cars everything, but still the champion cuddler of our family.

The Rammer family bubble is your safe space, and we will always be here to catch you when you fall. You have such big feelings, and home will always be a place where you can feel them all. But just as I did with your sister, there are some things I want to tell you before you venture out any farther into the world.

1.     You don’t have to be the best. You have your dad’s competitive streak, so I realize that those words are largely falling on deaf ears. But you will be a better friend if you don’t have to win every. single. time.

 2.     Please don’t lose that big heart. I know you will hear from every angle that boys are supposed to be tough and rough and not have baby dolls. It’s a lie. You can absolutely be strong and have nerf wars AND come home and put Liam and Leo to bed.

3.     It’s not enough to not be the one calling the mean name or making fun of someone. In our family, you need to be the one standing up and saying it’s wrong. There is never a reason to put someone down.  

4.     We’ve already covered this one, but it bears repeating: your new friends might have different rules at home than we do. That’s okay and it doesn’t make them wrong. Different families need different rules. But it also doesn’t mean we’ll be changing ours anytime soon.

5.     Your friends are fibbing. They don’t all have pools, every gaming system or get to stay up all night. Little boys like to top each other. And even if they are telling the whole truth, we’re not putting in a pool. Sorry, Dude.

So that’s about it. When you actually get to go to school, I know you are going to love it so much. Recess and Gym class are going to rock your world. But until then, we will do our best, and I’ll enjoy the bonus time with my big, Kindergarten boy.

I love you so much, Buddy!

Love, Mama