It’s that time of year again…back to school.

Every year, when Moose goes back to his school, I find something new to worry about. The very first year, of course, I just worried about him going at all. After that, the worries changed a bit, mostly to more academic concerns. For example, last year I was really worried about him learning to read. And I shouldn’t have been, because he excelled at it.

This year, my worries don’t focus on the academic, because I realize that he’s risen to every academic challenge that’s been thrown at him. Instead, I’m more worried about the social aspects of his first grade year. He’s going from a specialized class, of about 10-12 students, one teacher, and two aides, to a mainstream class that could have close to 30 students and just one teacher. Oh, and no classmates from his previous classes. That’s a huge change for anyone, but especially distressing to a guy like Moose. I worry about him getting the help and attention he needs, about him getting lost in such a big group and withdrawing, about him making friends, having someone to eat lunch with and play with on the playground.

He’s done well in everything he’s needed to do so far, and I’m sure this year will be no exception. As his mother, however, it’s my job to worry about these things…if I worry about them, then he doesn’t have to!