In Woodbury, A Bittersweet Moment

The first day of kindergarten: Who is it harder for—the parents or the kids?

“The parents. Absolutely the parents,” said Jamie Kuebler, co-president of the Middleton Elementary PTO.

As parents and students trickled into the Woodbury elementary school on Thursday morning, it was clear that Kuebler was right.

The kindergarteners were merely bewildered by their new surroundings. Many parents dabbed tears from their eyes.

The PTO for the past several years has hosted a “Boo Hoo, Yahoo” event for parents on the for kindergarteners. The program helps parents share their experiences and connect with each other after the “bittersweet moment,” Kuebler said.

Ryan and Tiffany Dagon dropped off their third child at kindergarten on Thursday.

“This is our last, so it’s tough,” Tiffany said.

Ryan, meanwhile, said he was a bit conflicted about seeing his child head off to school for the first time.

“You’re excited for it, but it’s also hard. This is it—they’re not going to be at home anymore,” he said.

The Boo Hoo, Yahoo event is a good opportunity for parents to meet people in the same situation and get a sense of what their child’s classmates will be like, Ryan said.

Most elementary schools have similar events, said Julie Nielson, Middleton Elementary principal. Parents are always eager to see their kids off for the first time.

“You can’t keep them out,” she said.

Josh Shaffer was on hand as his first child headed to kindergarten, which he said ranks with his boy’s first words and first steps.

“It’s a big milestone for the little guy,” Shaffer said. “He seemed a lot more comfortable with the idea of taking off and being on his own than we were.”

Though his son was enrolled in preschool, this will be the first time he will be on his own all day, five days a week, Shaffer said. He, too, said the event for parents was beneficial.

“We’re not the only ones that are a blubbering mess,” Shaffer said.