What A Difference 20 Years Makes

What a difference 20 years makes. That is the number of years I have been teaching preschool. Today was the last day of school for my graduating class of 4 year olds and as usual it was an emotional day. Lots of hugs, a few tears and off they go. Twenty years, and it never gets easier. On days like today I reflect back on my very first class. Those children would now be 24 or 25 and possibly even parents themselves. I wonder if they remember me, if they ever look at their old class photo as I do and have fond memories of school and a much younger Ms. Donna. It’s doubtful but one can always hope. Teaching preschool was a job I took when having had just moved to Nashville Tennessee, my husband’s company restructured and his job was phased out. We had a new home, two growing boys and a large mortgage. My next-door neighbor knew I needed work. She was the director at her churches preschool and one of her teachers had had emergency surgery. She needed a teacher and I needed a job. And so it began. I took the job out of necessity but stayed all those years because I truly enjoyed what I was doing. Who knew? In the years that followed my husband has had several great jobs. We moved to North Carolina and in the midst of life my boys grew up, went to college and became exceptional men. One has married and now is a father himself. My husband and I have been blessed with a precious granddaughter. What a difference 20 years makes…. So very much. I remember each class, each child, their names and even the nuances of their blossoming personalities. Over the years I have taught, disciplined and loved hundreds of children. As individually unique as each child was, the one constant would be the anxious doubt and worry of their parents. That has never changed nor will it ever change. Parents worry. Today after saying goodbye to my class I made a decision that what I have learned these past 20 years was worth sharing. And so today I will begin doing just that. I will be here several times a week to encourage parents, to answer questions and to share helpful no nonsense tips to help you parent your preschool child. So take a deep breath, write down your questions and…………… “ Ask Ms. Donna.”