The Meanest Mom on the Planet

Yep, that's me. At least that's what I feel like right now. Why? Because I just dropped off my kindergartner screaming, crying, and begging to stay home with me. This same thing happened with Katie. She absolutely loved the first few days of school, and then started crying when I would drop her off. EVERYDAY. FOR THREE MONTHS. I was hoping that Sarah wouldn't go through this. Maybe it was because she was tired. Or maybe it was because she was having a bad hair day, or so she thought. Her hair was actually pretty adorable today. I had gotten up early today to curl Katie's hair because she has been wanting me to curl it all week. When she saw me taking Katie's hair down, she asked if I could curl hers. I told her we didn't have time, and I could curl it on Monday for her. But she started to get upset, so I decided to try to rush and get it done so she wouldn't get upset. So she was happy while I was putting the curlers in. But when I started to take them out, she started to get upset. Since her hair is so much shorter and finer than Katie's, hers really curled up, so much that it looked super short, and she did not like it. She kept saying that she wanted it long like Katie's. I told her not to worry and that I'd make it cute, when I got all of the curlers out. She didn't like it down at all, so I put it up in a ponytail and it was so cute with all of the curls in the back. She was okay with it, but still not happy, and that's when she started saying that she didn't want to go to school. I asked her why she didn't want to go and if it was because she had a bad day yesterday. She said it wasn't because of the ketchup incident, or because of the "mean guy", or the "snoring guy". She said she would tell me why if I'd let her stay home, so of course I didn't find out "her" reason. The first two days I walked them to class and then yesterday I dropped them off at the crosswalk and watched them walk across, but today I knew that it might get sticky so I went through the drive through. Sarah kept saying she didn't want to go, and I kept trying to tell her that her teacher and her friends would miss her if she didn't go, but that didn't work. So then I tried bribing her with a Sonic treat after school, which also didn't phase her one bit. So we finally get to the elementary drop off and I open the door. Katie gives me hugs and kisses and gets out and Sarah sits there and says she's not getting out. So two teachers come over to coax her out, but that just made it worse. She started crying as they unbuckled her. She got up and came and hugged me and wouldn't let go. So one of the teachers took her arm and started to gently pull her out and then she really started crying and screaming. I told her I loved her and I would pick her up later and closed the van door. I drove away crying as I watched the teachers trying to calm her as they were carrying her crying into the school. It's hard enough to drop them off, but when they're crying when you drop them off, it's a million times harder. When Katie was going through the same thing when she started school, she used to tell me that she wished I was five so that I could go to school with her. And today......I am wishing I was five again.