New School Year, Old Habits

The calm before the storm.....

My oldest daughter, who is now 10 years old, has been going to daycare/school since she was 18 months. She somewhere along the school journey developed a habit of letting her nervousness turn into uncontrollable, can't get a hold of yourself, tunnel vision, on the verge of panic attack, type of thing. You'd think after many, many years of me dealing with with this it would get easier. Easy as for me to just give a hug and a kiss good-bye and off she would go. Soooo not the case. Still at the age of 10 and going into the 5th grade the habit that I thought would be gone, since she is now in the double digits, crept up and has returned. We were walking with her best friend and when it was time to go to her class the panicked face of sheer terror was there, in full force. I had a couple options. I could just take off and leave her. Wasn't really into that because I don't every want her to feel abandoned. I could give in to her drama and say, you're right Tay, let me home school you. Yes, she did ask that in the middle of her meltdown. Or I could talk to her like the 10 year old she is and say hey, you'll get through this day. And that is the option I took. I told her that it was perfectly ok to feel a little nervous on the first day, new teacher, new classroom, new desk, etc. But I assured her that she was going to be ok and that before she knew it school would be over. She turned toward her class with tears running down her face, it was a cry that was silent and I could tell she was trying to put on a brave face. I then took a deep breath and said to her, "you can do this." As I left the school I was thinking, were did I go wrong? Where did she learn this from? Does she have issues with being put in unfamiliar situations? I just don't want her to be known as the girls that is always crying. Today is day 3 and the crying is still there. She cries when I wake her up, she cries while she is getting dressed, she cries all the way as we walk the 7 minutes to school. But when it is time to say good-bye she does. Crying all the way to class, but she goes. I am hoping that this will be the last year I have to deal with this, the last year that she will have this anxiety habit of starting a new school year. It is funny because when I pick her up it is like nothing has happened. She says that she had a good day and that she is liking her teacher so far. Is she going to be going to Jr High and High School, crying? You'd think after this many years I would not only expect it but know how to deal with it it keep it from coming back. No such luck. Anyone else have this issue with their child???
On another note, I have started running again. It has been hard to get back into it, and my body is sore as all heck, but a good sore. I walk Tay up to school and then I just take off running from there. It is nice to get it over and done with early in the day. The baby falls asleep in the jogger so it is a nice and quiet run. By the time we get back to the house it is time for breakfast and then I sit with baby and play while I drink my coffee. As much as I hate to say this, I really like being on a schedule. It just makes the day run much smoother.
Alright, I am off. The girls are downstairs watching, The Lorax. They love that movie. If you haven't seen it, you need to. That Lorax is just too cute. I mean look at him...

Great movie!!

Here's to wishing a better, happier, less tearful morning tomorrow.

Night Friends.