Profoundly Seth: Third Time is a Charm

Third Time is a Charm: Seth Starts His Third Preschool Year

Seth has officially kicked off his third year of preschool. While we wait to hear about his placement at the school we relocated for, he's enrolled at a local preschool right here in town. Seth has always been a genuinely shy little guy, and he's especially attached to me, so sending him off to school each year has never been simple.

He's always been "that kid" — the one wailing outside the classroom door while other parents try to make their own drop-offs without triggering a chain reaction of crying children. During his first preschool year, he cried every single day for the whole year. Last year, the tears at drop-off lasted through the first half of the year.

As Seth's language and understanding grew, I was able to work with him more on planning ahead. Last year we also put in a lot of effort at school helping him enter the classroom calmly, greet his teacher, find his name on the chart, and put his belongings away. We finished the year on a real high note, with Seth finally excited about school. Seth is incredibly stubborn — he does things on his own timeline. Would his third preschool year finally be the charm?

After a summer away, I truly had no idea what to expect. Seth has really come out of his shell over the past several months, so I suspected this year might be different — but I was still completely unprepared for what happened. I pulled up in the car line, unbuckled his car seat, and stood there as my four-year-old grinned at me, shouted "Bye, Mom!" and ran off into the building without even a backward glance.

I texted John: "Seth just ran inside the building happily. He didn't even look back. This has never happened... I don't know how I feel about this!" He replied: "You're crying, right?" And now, back at home, my emotions are still all over the place.

Of all five of my children, Seth has always been the one who needed me most. My other kids are independent and social and have never felt a moment's hesitation about heading off to school, church, or anywhere else. I'm proud of that — proud that they feel secure leaving. I know Seth gaining this confidence is a wonderful thing and that it means we've done something right. But of course, I still cried. Happy tears at how he's growing up, sad tears at how he's growing up. I'm a girl — I'm allowed to have conflicting emotions, right?

Here's Seth on his first day of school at ages 2, 3, and 4.

About Ellyn

My name is Ellyn. I love God, my kids, and my family. I also like to read — a lot — and to shop. I'm creative but not crafty, and sarcastic (though I'd prefer the word witty). I'm a fan of texting, a huge procrastinator, and almost never on time. I'm doing my best to navigate life with laughter and grace as it takes its unexpected twists and turns.

I have six awesome kids.

Ava — Dramatic. Theatric. Operatic. Wants to be an archaeologist. Currently living life as a musical.
Jace — All green, all the time. Very brave. Official bug-killer in our house. Wants to be a knight when he grows up.
Eli — Greatly loved and so, so greatly missed. Eli was stillborn into our waiting arms and born alive into the arms of our Savior.
Seth — Our answered prayer and a miracle in his own right. He came early and his list of issues was long, but he has stormed through every difficulty with the grace of God. Diagnosed as profoundly deaf as an infant, he received bilateral cochlear implants at 8 months of age. After seeing the character of our son, we say he is PROFOUNDLY SETH.
Evany — The fifth piece in our family puzzle. She entertains us all daily and is an immeasurable blessing to our home.
Coen Rhys McCall — Quickly learning to hold his own with his siblings! He's pretty great.