As surreal as it seems to me, the reality is that we are about to have a middle schooler next school year. Yes – my sweet baby girl will soon be a 6th grader! While it may seem ridiculous for me to be thinking about this when the current school year began just a couple of months ago, the thing is that we’re in the middle of scoping out middle schools for my baby girl. The middle school we’re zoned for is not the best option for our family, so we’re currently looking at other middle schools in our area in an effort to find a school she likes. Luckily, our area has a lot of magnet school programs for her to choose from, so I have no doubt that my girl will find a middle school that will fit her interests! As a parent, though, the fact that we’re even touring middle schools, discussing a variety of options, and being told things like “this school offers high-school credit courses” is all just a bit overwhelming.
Gone are the Days of Crayons
I know that seeing my children grow and mature is only natural, but man, long gone are the days of bringing home family drawings she created during art center! Instead my 10-year-old brings home intricate, well-written poems on topics such as “Hate” because the assignment asked for a figurative language piece on a strong emotion. Damn. My girl has always been thoughtful, inquisitive, and pensive. But, now those same characteristics are deeper, becoming more refined. As she comes to the end of her elementary school years and nears the beginning of middle school, I am filled with so many emotions that are hard to put into words.
Walking down the halls of the middle schools we’re touring brings back so many of my own memories. Looking at the lockers, sitting in the desks (“Mommy, where do we put our books?“), and going over possible schedule choices fills me with excitement and anxiousness. I know that middle school will be different for my girl. I know that it will come with many adjustments. I hope she faces only a small amount of challenges throughout her middle school journey. I believe she will accomplish everything she puts her mind to because she’s already shown herself to be driven and up for a challenge. I think it’s me who needs to come to terms with this new phase of her life and pull herself together!
All photos © Melanie Edwards/modernmami™
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