OK, first a confession. I am a worrier. Actually more than a worrier, I obsess. I saw a quote yesterday that said “I’ve got 99 problems and 86 of them are completely made up scenarios in my head that I’m stressing about for absolutely no logical reason.” Yeah, that’s me. I think the worse is always going to happen and am pleasantly surprised when it doesn’t. I don’t think I am a negative person or an “Eeyore,” just not a “Tigger,” more like a “Piglet” rather than a “Pooh Bear.” So what does this have to do with middle school?

In less than a month, my eldest, Frick, will be finishing elementary school and heading to middle school in the fall.   How did this happen? Isn’t this the baby I just held in my arms a minute ago? Yes, I am going to start singing “Sunrise, Sunset” in a moment, at least to myself.

Anyway, in the past few months, we have visited the middle school that he will be attending in the fall and I have been trying not to freak out. Or at least, I have been trying not to freak out in front of him. Here starts the worrying…

MIDDLE SCHOOL. The kids seem so big. I know some of them will be mean. I’ve seen the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies. Heck, I went to middle school – we called it junior high – I remember what it was like. The hallways seem so large. The amount of homework seems insurmountable. My kiddo has dyslexia and I am so afraid that speed of classes will be a struggle for him. (Yes, here’s where the obsessive worry really kicks in…)

Also, he will be going to school for at least a ½ hour longer per day. He will be going from class to class. He will have a locker that actually locks. His elementary school is just down the street. Yes, I still walk with the boys to their classes. Hey, I am a working mom…I want to be with them as much as I can. And I only get to walk them to school two days a week. The middle school is a LONG walk or a public bus ride away. (Ok, I really need to breathe here…)

I remind myself that he is a really good kid, even when he’s being a tween who likes to tease his little brother. He’s got a good head on his shoulders and I know that he will be fine, if not a little grumpy due to the longer day.

I know it’s me who is the mess.   All this change…and my first born is growing up so fast. I know, it’s not like he’s going away to college (just yet…) but somehow it feels like a BIG transition.

So when I talk to him about middle school in fall, I am always positive, telling him how great it’s going to be. And if it’s not great, we work through it together. We will meet with the counselors at the school to make sure they understand what Frick needs to help him learn. We will make sure his 504 plan is followed, if not, make them bump it up to an IEP, Individualized Educational Plan. Yet, another blog post topic.

We are also giving up the home “office” so that he can have his own bedroom. Again, BIG change…he and his brother have shared a room since Frack, his little brother, was a tiny baby.

And I am trying to just hang out with him and his brother, enjoying their company before they become teenagers who may not want to hang out with their mom.

I keep reminding myself that change is what life is all about…and I have stopped watching all of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies.