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Eleanor sitting up in the bed holding her teddy bear with the sunlight coming through the window, with her backpack on the dresser
“Eleanor wakes up early for the first day of school. She has felt a fluttery feeling in her tummy. Today was her first day of school!”
Morning sunlight fills the kitchen as Eleanor pokes her cereal in a bright bowl, eyes downcast. Dad leans forward with a gentle smile while Mom beside Eleanor squeezes her hand across the table.
“Eleanor is sitting at the table eating her breakfast.” Dad looks at Eleanor and asks, “Ellie would you like a glass of orange juice to go with your breakfast?” “Sure dad.” Eleanor says. While Eleanor and her dad sit at the kitchen table, Eleanor’s mom is packing her lunch for her first day of school. “Ellie, why don’t you go upstairs and get dressed for school? I have laid out two different outfits for you to choose from.” “Okay, mom.” Ellie says nervously. As Ellie walks out of the kitchen dad looks at mom and says, “Our little girl is growing up. She’s heading off to kindergarten.”
Warm morning light glows in Eleanor's bedroom as Mom stands behind her at the vanity, brushing long brown hair. In the mirror, Mom's teary smile meets Eleanor reaching back to hug her.
Ellie decided to put on her favorite purple dress, with her favorite sandals for the first day of school. Ellie looks at her mom and says, “What if I don’t fit in? What if I do not know what to do?” Ellie’s mom knelt on the floor next to her and says, “Sweetie you will learn one day at a time. It’s the first day for everyone. I promise you, you will have a good day, and you’ll come home and tell me and your dad all about it.”
Inside a moving car on a gray morning, Dad focuses on the wheel while Mom twists in the front seat. In the back, Eleanor hugs her heavy backpack, wide-eyed as houses blur past the window.
They are all loaded in the car, heading to school. Ellie sits in the back seat, holding her backpack close to her. As they pull up to the school, mom looks at Ellie and says, “It is okay to feel a lot of things. Its normal.” Ellie nodded and looked at her mom and said, “I feel…. all of them right now.”
Under bright morning sun at the crowded school entrance, Eleanor grips Mom's hand amid laughing children. A few steps away, Madison with long blonde hair waits by the classroom door, matching Eleanor's nervous expression.
Dad helps Ellie out of the car and helps her put her backpack on. Mom and Dad kneel and have one last big family hug. Ellie’s dad holds on just a second longer than he normally does. Mom smiles at Ellie and in a soft voice says, “Sweetie, you’ve got this.”
Inside the cheerful classroom lit by fluorescent lights, Ms. Kennedy kneels beside low cubbies to meet Eleanor's eyes. Eleanor, half-hidden behind Mom's skirt, inches forward toward the teacher's welcoming hand.
Ellie walks towards the school with the teacher. She turned around one last time before entering, waving at her mom and dad. Dad waves back and wipes a tear from his face. Dad hugs mom, and she tells him, “She is ready. She’s got this.” Mom and Dad both get back into the car, and drive home for the first time after dropping their little girl at school.
Near wooden cubbies under warm classroom lights, Eleanor clings to Mom and Dad in a tight hug. Mom's cheeks glisten with tears, and Dad pauses at the doorway, looking back with a trembling smile toward Eleanor's shining eyes.
Ellie’s mom and dad are sitting at home watching tv. The house feels quiet, more quiet than normal. Dad looks at Ellies empty spot on the couch, and you can tell he is worried about his little girl. Mom notices that he is looking at her spot and says, “I know you miss her already. I miss her too.” They both embrace in a hug.
In a brightly lit desk row, Eleanor sits at a small desk while Madison settles beside her. The girls lean together with shy smiles, hands folded on their desktops as a shared giggle sparks.
While sitting on the carpet, Ellie sees another girl wave at her. She waves back. “Hi, I am Eleanor, but I go by Ellie.” She says, the other little girl smiles and says, “Hi Ellie, my name is Madison, but I go by Maddie.” They both smile at each other. As they sat on the carpet waiting for circle time, Maddie asked Ellie, “Do you want to play with me at recess?” Ellie confidently said, “sure, I would like that.”
Under soft classroom lights, Ms. Kennedy sits cross-legged on the colorful alphabet rug, clipboard on her knees. Opposite her, Eleanor speaks with raised hand and a bright yet nervous smile as classmates sit quietly around them.
As Maddie and Ellie were playing together outside at recess, Ellie tripped and fell scraping her knee. Maddie went over to comfort Ellie, letting her know that it was going to be okay. The teacher, Ms. Kennedy came over to help Ellie. “Ellie are you okay?” Asked Ms. Kennedy. “Yes, I just fell. I think I need a band aid.”
At a sun-drenched art corner, Eleanor and Madison sit side-by-side before easel paper, swirling bright paints with chunky brushes. Specks of color dot their cheeks as they laugh, a drying rainbow painting hanging on the rack behind them.
Mom and Dad have been checking the clock for the last hour. Dad looks at Mom and asks, “Do you think she is okay? Should we call or message the teacher to check on her?” Mom nodded and said, “She is strong. We raised her to be strong and brave. She is learning and making new friends. The school day is almost over, why don’t we head up there and wait in the pick-up line?” Dad agreed, they both got into the car and headed to the school to pick up Ellie.
In the classroom doorway lit by late-afternoon sun, Mom and Dad burst in smiling as Eleanor runs toward them. Dad scoops Eleanor into his arms while Mom wipes happy tears beside cubbies lined with backpacks.
As the Principal came over the intercom congratulating everyone on finishing their first day of school, Ellie kept thinking about her mom and dad. They finally called her name for the car-rider pick up line, and when she saw her mom and dad standing outside of the car she smiled so big and ran into their arms! “Mom, Dad I did it! I made it through the first day of school, and even made a new friend, her name is Maddie.” Mom and Dad both looked at each other and smiled because they knew she would do great.
Under warm lamplight, Eleanor sits between Mom and Dad on the couch, excitedly recounting her first-day adventures. Mom and Dad lean close, grinning proudly; Dad's arm circles Eleanor as an open picture book rests on the coffee table.
Sitting down at the dinner table Ellie looked at both of her parents and said, “Today, I had a lot of feelings. I felt happy, scared, nervous, and proud.” Ellie’s Mom nodded and said, “We felt those same feelings today too.” Ellie looks at her dad and he says, “Everyone can experience big feelings, and that is okay. It is okay to have those big feelings.” Ellie looks confused, “Even adults or grown-ups can have those big feelings too?” Ellie’s mom hugs her tightly and says, “Especially grown-ups.”