Today, Charlie made the big move up to middle school and I sit here and try not to worry. I'm so great at telling other people what not to, but do you think I follow my own advice? This passage has been much harder for me than I would have ever thought. Leaving elementary school behind -- the familiar teachers, parents and kids, the whole comfort zone --has been hard. Also, he's growing up, and there's no getting around it.

As I've written before, Husband and I had concerns about sending him to the middle school up the street (big, scary place), and had him on the list for the highly-rated charter school just a bit farther away. Smaller, more sheltered, and hopefully more challenging. When we got the call that they had a space for him, we were excited, but torn that he'd be leaving his friends. So we talked it over with him and he agreed that it would be best for "future Charlie" (and he'd be happier in the long run, right?).

I feel like such a heel. His friends will all be starting school (right at the end of our street) next week, without him. Today he's blazing a new trail on his own (not a single other kid from his elementary is going to his new school).

We're proud of him for being such a good kid, and everything will be okay (I know this deep down). Who said parenting is easy?

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First Day Update

After much anticipation, angst, stress (mine, not his), Charlie's first day of middle school wasn't bad at all. A bit overwhelming, to be sure, what with classroom changes and everything being so new. But even the kids who were new to the upper grades (but had carried over from the lower grades) were walking around with that deer-caught-in-the-headlights look.

He likes his teachers, is making new friends, and didn't come home stressed or sad. By the end of the week, he should be settled in. Here's hoping for a great year.