For some reason, the end of kindergarten always hits me much harder than the beginning. I’m on my fourth child now, so I think I can say this is a strong pattern. Kindergarten is such a sweet year of learning to read and write, singing songs for everything, being the tiny people in the hallways.
I haven’t made it through yet without crying buckets of tears. And as I face down my last April and May with a kindergartner…I’m a little scared of the emotional onslaught.
Unsurprisingly, I was in the minivan recently — where I spend what seems like half my time — and I started thinking about a kids’ music album I thought my two-year-old niece might enjoy. Which then got me thinking about all the playlists on my Spotify account I might never get to use again.
I spent so much time finding train songs for my toddler son who was obsessed with Thomas and Chuggington.
It took me FOREVER to compile Star Wars songs that were appropriate for children for that same son when he was five.
I have kid-friendly playlists about horses and birds (for themed weeks we did in the summers), Holy Week, Advent, Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving…
What do I do with them now?
It’s so strange to go from being a mom of toddlers and preschoolers to one of elementary-, middle-, and soon-to-be high-schoolers (!!!). With four kids spanning eight years, I spent a LOT of time in those little years.
I became a stay-at-home mom when my oldest child was 14 months. For more than 12 years, I had a baby, toddler, or preschooler home with me at least some, if not all, of the time. Having everyone in school this year has been a major life adjustment!
What do I do now?
I hope to encourage and help moms with younger kids. I certainly don’t know everything — each kid is totally different — but I can help answer questions about standardized testing and school choice and summer camps.
I can tell the woman juggling a preschooler, toddler, and baby that it DOES get easier and she’s doing a great job.
I will try to encourage my sister, mother of the two-year-old, and tell her that toddlers are ALL like that, it will work out fine.
And I can pass on my Spotify playlists to other moms with little ones who love trains, Star Wars, and birdies. Here you go:
- Kids Place Live Songs (songs they play on the Sirius/XM station)
- Star Wars kids
- Choo Choo Songs
- Birdies
- Horseys
- Llama Songs
