A Graduation ceremony? At her Nursery?  Give over!

This was my response just over a year ago when friends of ours who had their child in the same nursery as us told us about what they were up to this week.

However, after seeing their photos I was instantly a convert to the celebration and today it was our turn.

iBear has been ridiculously excited for today for the best part of a week.  She’s been telling us that they’ve been practising every day she’s at nursery.  She also told us that we had to wear the clothes we wore to our wedding day…. Back to the hire company for me then!

On our way to the ceremony (bonus half day holiday for me) the gravity of the whole situation hit me. This is a celebration for her three and a half years at Nursery and to wish her well on her onward journey to school.

School.

She’s not little anymore.  Where has that time gone?! How has this day arrived?  School, so we’re constantly told, changes our kids and their personality apparently gets an overhaul.   I don’t want it too.  I want her to stay the way she is.  Thoughts turn to the years ahead when she no longer wants to play our daft games and even worse doesn’t want me around at all (Tough iBear, I told you the day you were born I was going to be the pinnacle of embarrassing and cool dads).  This doesn’t feel right at all.  Have I cherished her enough? Made the most of these first few years?  In all honesty,  deep down I think I have but the doubts are still there.

Anyway, all these anxious thoughts disappear as we enter the preschool room and the whole class are sitting patiently in a line wearing their gowns and mortar boards. Our eyes meet and I receive a lovely smile.  She’s ready.

The whole ceremony is cute overload.  Each child waits patiently for their name to be called before heading to a podium (iBear skips) and collecting their certificate and a little year book thing from the nursery nurses.  A photo and a round of applause and then it’s back to their seat to watch the next in line.  iBear looks so happy and our tears almost flow. She gives me the thumbs up (it’s our thing) and I’m gone.

I can’t imagine how tough it is for the Nursery staff having to go through this every year.  They watch the kids develop more or less from the age of one to school age and then they have to say goodbye and hope that they’ve made a positive contribution to their lives.

Believe me they have and I will thank every single one of them on iBears final day.