First Grader

It is sometimes hard to believe (mainly when Hayley is having one of her toddler style meltdowns over something absolutely ridiculous like not being allowed to wear her flip flops), but my little girl is in first grade.  I know that she'll get through the academic stuff without any problems but I do worry a bit about how shy she can be.  I worry because she gets that shyness tendency from me and I remember how painful parts of school were early on.

I was lucky enough to be home on the morning of Hayley's first day.  We pinned on Hayley's "First Grader" ribbon, had a minor argument about what shoes she could wear, and headed out the door.  Hayley was over-the-moon excited as we walked, but she became quiet and clingy the moment she saw all her classmates lined up outside the school.  My heart sank.  I imagined Hayley playing alone because she was too shy to ask a friend to play.  I imagined her not putting her hand up when she knew an answer because she was too shy to risk making a mistake.

A moment later, though, I stopped my anxious daydreaming long enough to look around at Hayley's peers.  Almost every one of them was clinging tightly to a parent, barely brave enough to whisper a hello to a friend that was missed all summer.  I relaxed.

Hayley spent only half an hour in class that day and in that short time I saw her warm up to her friends and comfortably answer questions when called on.  I think this year is going to be ok.  Hayley might be a little more like me than I'd prefer (so ridiculously and unnecessarily shy in certain situations) but I'm confident now that, just like me, she'll be ok.