Gillian prepares for full-day kindergarten. Photo: Jennifer Pinarski
A year ago, I was the most organized I?ve ever been in my entire life for back to school. Lunch boxes, backpacks, outfits and supplies were purchased in advance and neatly stowed away. Batch-baking recipes?even lunch plans for the month of September?were written out. If you have met me in real life or follow me on Twitter, you know this sort of organization is out of character. I?d like to say it was all my doing, but the truth is, my five-year-old daughter, Gillian, spearheaded most of it.
She was four years old at the time and about to start full-day kindergarten. I was a nervous wreck, but we made it through the school year (even though there were times I didn?t think we would). If you?re worried that your child isn?t ready for kindergarten, you?re not alone. Here are a few things I wish I?d known before Gillian started school. 1. You might hate kindergarten for the first few weeks.

On the first day of school, Gillian stepped onto the bus full of smiles. I was optimistic that the transition from being at home with me full-time to being at school full-time would be seamless. But at the end of the day, she was an exhausted, teary-eyed, angry little girl. Although Gillian was already a spirited child and I was accustomed to her temper tantrums, nothing could have prepared me for how frequent?and intense?her tantrums would be once she started kindergarten. In addition to the tantrums, Gillian came down w...