Three years apart, my kids, Robert and Julia, graduated from preschool in the cutest of ceremonies. They marched with their classes up the steps of the school’s front porch and sat on a long bench until it was their turn to receive their diplomas. Brothers and sisters, moms and dads cheered from tiny chairs lined up in the parking lot.

All the kids were a bit fidgety, but they were also very proud. They had successfully learned to take naps as a group, to share even the most coveted toys and to file outside in a polite line without pushing. They knew that playground time was fine for running and shouting but story time was for sitting still and responding with indoor voices. Some of these were hard lessons for our kids, and Bob and I listened to their tales of woe or triumph with the same attention that we now listen to stories of GPAs and job interviews.

Robert graduated from Pace University this year and worked hard to get a job at the social media company Sprinklr. Julia is on her way to a semester abroad with Franklin Pierce University.

They were both unconventional students, and we still treasure their
stories of woe and triumph. They don’t share as freely—no longer
do the tales spill out in a torrent after school like they once did—but
they do share. And we still feel helpful from time to time.

It’s a great privilege to guide our children through the maze of schooling that shapes their early lives. Enjoy the journey!