Talk to Me Thursday: Surviving Lennon's First Week and a Half of First Grade

This week's Talk to Me Thursday isn't about travel at all. It's about mom life, because that's just as much a part of my world as vacation planning is.

I'll be honest — I've been quiet on the blog this week, and there's a real reason for that. This week has totally rocked us when it comes to Lennon's emotions, and honestly, I just haven't had the bandwidth to show up here the way I normally do. So let's talk about it.

Lennon started first grade at a new school last week, and I'm not going to pretend it was easy, because it really wasn't — at least not at first.

The Rough Start

Day one was tears. I couldn't walk her in, so she had to find her own classroom on a campus she'd only ever been inside ofonce before. Watching her walk off, not totally sure where she was going, but knowing she could ask for help if she needed it — that's a specific kind of hard as a mom. You want to fix it for them. You want to walk every step with them. And instead you have to trust that they've got more in them than you sometimes give them credit for.

Then dismissal became its own thing. She had to go wait in a separate room, surrounded by kids she didn't know yet, waiting to be called for pickup. No familiar faces. No routine yet. That part was hard on her, and honestly, hard on me when I found out, knowing she was sitting there feeling unsure.

But By the End of the Week...

Something shifted. By Friday, she was rocking it. Her teacher reached out to tell us how well she was doing, and that alone made me want to cry happy tears in the car line. We'd been so nervous about her making friends in a brand-new place, and it turns out she's settling into that part beautifully too.

Then Week Two Happened

I wish I could tell you it was smooth sailing from there. After such a strong end to week one, week two has been full-on tears every single morning. Drop-off has been hard again, with real separation anxiety creeping in each day.

Here's the part that gets me, though: she cries at drop-off, and then she loves it once she's there. Her teacher keeps telling us how well she's doing, how happy she seems once the day gets going. So we're sending our girl off in tears every morning, knowing full well she's going to have a great day the second we're out of sight. That is such a specific kind of heartache as a mom — knowing logically that she's fine, that she's thriving even for the most part (I mean there’s still been some tears on and off throughout each day — including lunch yesterday that made her not want to eat at all), and still feeling your heart crack a little every single time she cries and keeps looking back at you as she’s walking towards that door and you’re driving off.

The Unsung Hero of Week Two

There's one person I have to talk about, and I honestly don't even know her name yet (that's changing this week — I need to). She's one of the teachers near the carpool line, and she has quietly become the hero of this whole week for us. She doesn't come across as an overly warm, lovey-dovey type on the surface, but don't let that fool you — she has shown up for us every single morning.

She's the one who has recognized our struggle and has come to our car, helps Lennon get out, and walks her to the door. She comforts her, encourages her, gets her moving toward the building even through the tears. But what's really gotten me is that she hasn't just taken care of Lennon — she's taken care of me too. She's acknowledged how hard this is, genuinely empathized with me sitting there watching my girl cry, and then in the same breath told me exactly what I needed to hear: just keep encouraging her, this is normal, and it will get better.

Sometimes the people who hold you together in a hard season aren't the ones being loud about it. They're just quietly, consistently showing up. I am so grateful for her.

And Also... We Are Tired

Here's the honest part. This transition has worn on the whole family. New routines are hard even when they're good ones, and getting everyone's schedules, mornings, and energy levels realigned — on top of daily goodbye tears — has taken it out of all of us. So if you're in a season of adjusting to something new with your family right now — a new school, a new routine, a new anything — I see you. I feel you. It's a lot even when it's good. Especially when it's good, honestly, because it makes the hard mornings feel so confusing.

Here's to hoping we get acclimated soon and these tears start to slow down. 😅

How I'm Getting Through It

If I'm being honest, this week has taken a toll on me too, not just Lennon. So I've been trying to give myself some real grace and love through it — this is hard, and it's okay that it's hard. Lots of prayer. Lots of worship. Lots of trying to take care of myself.

I've been staying committed to one personal goal through all of it: moving my body every single day. Even on the mornings that start with tears at drop-off, getting outside or getting a workout in has been the thing keeping me steady enough to show up for her (and for the rest of my family) the way I want to. It doesn't fix the hard mornings, but it helps me carry them a little better.

Thanks for letting me share this side of things too — talk to me, friends. Tell me about your own back-to-school transitions this year. I'd love to hear I'm not alone in the "proud but exhausted" club.

xoxo,
Katie