I was so excited to get to kindergarten. There's a picture of me in my little plaid dress on the first day, just beaming.

That said, I did go to preschool before that, and while I don't remember crying at drop-off, I might have. I do clearly remember finding my mom behind the two-way mirror during one of her visits (it was a college-run preschool for the grad students). That was fun. It felt a bit like discovering the professor behind the Great and Poweful Oz's curtain.

Can you expound? Needless to say, I did not cry, but rather told my parents to hurry out the door.

I can't, not much. I can asspull, though.

Had you been left with sitters or the like, a lot? She was very much talking about kids who hadn't been with sitters much, hadn't been to daycare -- kids for whom school was the first big step on their own.

She didn't say it meant there was no attachment, just that she'd wonder about it. Her big point was at some point, they all cry. Not always on the first day -- sometimes it takes a while.

Her big point was at some point, they all cry. Not always on the first day -- sometimes it takes a while.

Sometimes they don't cry until they're in their 30s and living in LA.

Ah, yeah. We had a lady who lived with us and looked after me during the day when my parents were at work. Also, I wasn't particularly attached to them.

shrift, have you read the latest f_w explosion about those people who were deeply obnoxious during a HP gift exchange?

Yeah, I was plowing my way through that last night when I really should have been in bed!

Going way back to an earlier discussion (so sue me for sleeping late) my ex gf who complained loudest and longest about how fat she was was by far the skinniest girl I have ever dated. I would much rather enjoy the company of a zaftig girl who knows she's beautiful than a skinny girl who thinks she's fat.

I was a total mommy's girl and couldn't be left alone with anyone besides my siblings without a lot of anxiety and/or tantrums, and I didn't cry when sent to school. Of course, I had a sister to walk me to school, and my best friend was in my class with me, and those things helped.

I don't know if I cried when I went to kindergarten for the first time, but I sort of doubt it, since I'm the youngest and my sister had been talking up how great school is since she started going two years before me.

My mom just called to let me know she found some Xmas ornaments I had made years ago that she was going to give me while I was out there last week, and while we were talking, she sort of half-assed apologized for being so gung-ho on me getting the gastric-bypass surgery that she was hardselling the entire time I was out there (the only really bad part about the visit). My sister just had it done and she's about half the size I am, but I'm still very nervous about the whole idea of being cut open and having my stomach reduced in what is practically an irreversible operation. Today, she was very supportive of me trying the diet option first (like my sister was last night).

I'm totally not sharing my example of school going anxiety, because it isn't a good one. Thankfully, I'm pretty sure it is a huge anomaly and to this day, I couldn't tell you exactly why I was the way I was.

Sounds like your Mom found her own cluestick, Kathy. I think with parents it's particularly hard, because you have to separate "self" from "child" and even as the decades go on, there's still a little unconscious attachment that works its way into attitudes.