Graduation Disaster

There are so many times, as a parent, that you get all excited for something, only to have it turn out a totally different way. Konnor's Kindergarten Graduation was one of those times. Let me give you some details that lead up to this momentous occasion.

1. Konnor has attended North Phoenix Baptist Preschool and Kindergarten(where I am the Director) since he was 7 weeks old. He knows every teacher, child and parent that comes into the school and they know him. He loves it there and he loves his friends.


2. Weeks before graduation the diplomas and sashes were ordered, the cake was ordered, the kids were practicing their Italian songs, the video yearbook was put together, and the invitations were passed out.


3. Monday before graduation Konnor had a soar throat and when I took him to the doctor he was diagnosed with strep throat. He could not go back to school until Wednesday.


4. Wednesday Konnor brought home all of his final projects and it was officially the last day that he had to wear a uniform.


5. Thursday morning he was crying that he didn't want to go to school. What? He never says that! He loves school and he wasn't even wearing his uniform! He never really said why he didn't want to go to school but it was really hard to get him into the classroom. I thought maybe he was sad that he was graduating that same night. This was definitely one of those times that I wished I could just read his mind!!!!!!


6. Daddy picked him up from school at 3:30 and I stayed to at school to help prepare for graduation. I was planning on Welcoming all the parents and talking about all of the kids that we have had since they were babies, including my own son Konnor.


7. I got home at 5:00 and started getting Konnor ready. I knew dressing him would be the hard part because he hates dress clothes. I pulled out every pair of nice pants that he had, but he hated all of them. I pulled out every button down and polo shirt that he had, but he said he hated all of them. It was a battle for the next 30 minutes to get him dressed. I think I bribed him with everything I could. I just wanted him to get to graduation. and at this point I did not care what it took


8. We finally got in the car and he looked great. Then he started screaming," I am not doing graduation. I hate graduation, I hate my clothes, and I am not graduating."

As a Mom I was devastated. Kindergarten graduation only happens once and I did not want him to miss it. He screamed all the way there and honestly, I started crying as well. I think I was overcome with the emotions that go along with your children growing up and I was upset that he did not want to do graduation. I didn't know what was going on.

We got to the school and somehow I got him up to the room. All of his fellow graduates were so happy to see him and were saying Yeah Konnor's here, come on Konnor we are getting in line. But, they could tell something was wrong. Konnor couldn't hold back the tears and started crying as he wrapped himself around my legs and pushed us both into the hallway. He said he didn't feel good and that he was going to throw up. O.K. I thought, now this is serious. I didn't know if he was sick, sad, mad about clothes, or angry at me, or just not wanting to get up in front of the 70 people who were in the room for graduation.

After much consoling, and giving up my role as Director and welcoming of parents, I convinced Konnor to at least walk in to get his diploma along side of me. In the end I couldn't even get him to do that. We almost left altogether, then Keith came and got Konnor to just sit in the audience with us.

So....I was very disappointed that my son did not participate in his Kindergarten Graduation and I guess I'll never truly know why. But I also know that I felt so guilty for feeling disappointed when I was so proud of everything that he has accomplished so far. Konnor did, however, give me a gift that night and get his picture taken with his teacher. So, although I don't have a picture of him receiving his diploma, I will always have this very memorable story and this picture of him eating cake afterwards with his teacher Mrs. Harren.

My sister did help me feel better by reminding me that one day, Konnor would have kids and they would have a Kindergarten graduation and that will be a perfect time to bring up this story again..... Thanks Sis!!!