Signs of Growing Up
It’s not just the going to school that tells me that my little girl is growing up. It’s other things…
• Making her own sandwiches without any help at all. (Takes her about five times as long as it would take us, but who cares? She’s being independent! And also? It means I don’t have to!)
• Getting herself dressed in the morning and at night and when we’re getting ready to go somewhere. (Although there are times when she wants a little help. Not needs, just wants.)
• Being willing to throw away her sippy cups. (Hallelujah!)
• Being able to open the drawers and cabinets with the safety locks. (So Mike took them off last week. Hurray! Now if I can just get him to put the hardware on the cabinets, maybe I won’t break my nails opening them anymore.)
• Giving her teacher a hug goodbye. (Because I once was a teacher on the other end of those hugs. And even though it means she’s feeling affection for someone else, it also means that she’s happy and content and feels safe. Really, what more could I ask for?)
It’s most definitely bittersweet to see my child start growing up, and going to school is the beginning of the long, slow process of letting go, but it’s also amazing to see this little being that I’ve nurtured become independent and strong and brave and smart and capable of doing things for herself. So bittersweet or not, it feels good to know that we’ve done our job. So far. After all, we’ve only just begun!
