My stomach is in a knot and I’ve spent the last couple of weeks second guessing myself.

My little girl is going to pre-kindergarten and Summer’s first comment upon learning this is: “I HATE school.”

You’ll meet a lot of new friends I tell her. “I already have friends,” she tells me while rolling her eyes.

My second attempt: Don’t you like to read books, paint and color? “I can already do all that at home,” Summer says.

My third attempt: School is so much fun and you learn new things. How do you know you hate school if you haven’t even gone there yet? “Because I’ll miss you mommy,” she says.

Cue the guilt.

Now what?! I ask friends and family for advice.

A friend suggests I take Summer school shopping. Yes, now that’s one thing I know she enjoys.

We check out all the school supplies at Target and I stress how only she will get these because little sister, Saylor, is too young to go to school. 

Don’t you like all the neat things for school, I ask. “Yes I do,” Summer says. “But I STILL don’t like school.”

Something tells me we’re going to have a memorable first day.