Kindergarten. A new way of life begins and you’re tested on all your p’s and q’s. A mix of fun, confusion, and discovery abounds during kindergarten. My first year of school was a blur, but some of it stands out vividly, like naps, yes…naps. Each child brought a mat to sleep on and mine was red and blue with a strong vinyl smell. I remember taking a nap next to Darin, my buddy from Church. It was comforting being beside someone I knew outside of school, even though he wouldn’t play with me because I was a girl.

One day I had the hardest time falling asleep. Earlier, we were instructed to draw and color a picture of anything we wanted. We were told that our teacher, the aide and the principal would judge the pictures and pick a winner. Everyone worked hard on theirs, but I knew mine was the best. An orange pot with a yellow and green flower decorated my paper. It was symmetrical, colorful, and just perfect. Next to me, working on his picture, Darin drew a tree and a pole with the American flag on it (the flag was crooked). He had extra time, so he took the blue crayon and started making clouds, but then he messed up and scribbled at the mistake. Then he picked up the red crayon, held it with the blue crayon, and made squiggles all over the ‘sky’ of his picture. I knew he had just messed up the whole picture, the sky was purple and that just didn’t make sense.

When it was time to get up from nap, my heart was pounding. I was so excited to be recognized as the best artist. The three adults made nice comments about all the pictures then singled out three: a turtle, my flower and pot, and Darin’s picture. The principal asked each of us to explain our pictures. All I remember was Darin standing up and explaining that the purple sky wasn’t actually purple but was red, white, and blue to stand for America. Darin’s picture got first place, mine second and the turtle third. I remember wondering how I could describe my picture as an homage to America and if the adults would reconsider the standings. I felt so sad and let down, and angry at Darin for being so clever.

A new crop of kindergarteners will be starting school very soon. Here are some tips to help with the transition.