Oh, the Places You'll Go!

My first day of Kindergarten was terrible. I did not know that school involved leaving your parents behind so I cried and screamed and clung to my dad’s leg. My Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Pilgrim, was very kind and caring. She held my hand and said it would all be okay. Unfortunately, I did not believe her and continued to hold onto my dad. It got to the point where he was going to be late for work, so Mrs. Pilgrim picked me up and carried me into her classroom as if I was her own child. 

My Kindergarten Class Photo with my teacher, Mrs. Pilgrim. (Hint: I am the fourth person from the right in the back row!)

I remember coming home and saying that I hated school and never wanted to go back; that I could learn everything I needed to at home with my dad. My dad knew from the incident in the morning that I would probably have a rough day, so he got me a new book after work, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss. We read it together that night and I absolutely loved it. After reading the book, my dad talked to me about my experience at school and told me that even though I did not have a good first day, I must go into it with a positive attitude and try my best, and that is what was most important.

A quote from the "Oh, the Places You'll Go" book by Dr. Seuss

I was really shy and quiet outside of my home environment, so one of the main reasons I did not like school was because I did not know how to make new friends or want to put myself in that position. To overcome this shyness of mine, my dad would take me to the playground after work to learn how to socialize with others my age. My dad was always there to prompt me, to guide, encourage and support me through every step of the way. He would always refer back to “Oh, The Places You’ll Go” whenever I would come across a challenge or difficulty and remind me that I already had everything I needed to succeed within me. My dad would stress the importance of making mistakes and how they can help us learn what we did wrong so that we can try something different and aim to be better the next time around. So whether I was trying to learn a new word, read a sentence out loud, or spell a word correctly – I always knew that the only thing that mattered was that I try my best and never give up.

"Hangin' out" at the playground with my dad