Friday was my son’s first day of kindergarten. I missed it. I was at work, at another military base. My ex also wouldn’t allow me to come see him at his first day.
It was disappointing on many levels. Had she allowed me, most likely I could have taken the day off and gone to see him off on his first day. It bothers me that my ex had her best interest in front of my sons. This has been a popular way of doing things for her.
His teacher is a great lady, his sister had her for kindergarten too.
He cried on his first day. I did on my first day too. My parents dropped me off, wished me luck and left. The teacher assured us that everything was going to be OK. I remember it being a bit of a shock. My mother was a stay at home mom and pre-school wasn’t a huge deal back then. Where I was from, it was mostly for the rich.
But my son had been to pre-school and kept going to the same place during the summer. It makes me wonder what the difference was. In fact, his mother works at the school where he is going to school so I would think he would feel safer there. His mother, step dad, and the ex’s parents all were there for his first day.
Maybe it was that sympathy cry that kids do like when they fall and look around to see if anyone was watching and if anyone was watching they start to cry. All the kids have tried that in our house at one time or another…but my wife and I are unsympathetic people. You have to be dead or missing a limb for us to raise an eyebrow to a cry.
I wonder if he thought about me at all when he was crying. Probably not. He doesn’t cry about much when he is at my house. It’s usually when he gets hurt or one of his older sisters kick his ass over something.
Another milestone gone by. Another milestone missed. One of many, to include his birth, which happened while I slept on the (Saddam) Baghdad International Airport Runway in the middle of the beginning of the war with Iraq.
Flash Forward: My son up on top of a tower somewhere with a high powered rifle taking shots at only the red cars (I drive a red car), “If you only were there when I was born and at my first day of school, I wouldn’t be up here!” BANG!
Filed under: The Kids, The Road to War | Tagged: Army Wives, Family, kids, Life, religion, school, War, yin yang
Wow, this blog really touched me and it seems like you are very interested in your son’s upbringing. I can tell you now I’m so upset that your ex didn’t want you to go to your son’s first day. You can check your local laws but in most states she can not legally keep you from seeing your son unless there is a visitation block on you set by the court or there is a reason she feels that it would hamper his mental stability (such as your starting a yelling match in front of your son’s class).
Here is a great example of blended families working together. I would speak with your ex first and see if you can work something out. Let her know that you want to be involved and be there for your son’s special days. If that doesn’t work then speak with a lawyer.
http://www.firstwivesworld.com/relevant-news/amanda-lockhart/happy-divorced-family-holidays
Thanks,
AntonioFWW