Leilani’s Back to School!

Last year I imagined myself being a super involved mom at Leilani’s school. After all it was her first year of school and I wanted to be the chaperone, the class volunteer, the PTA attending, class party planning mom.

However, I wasn’t.

I was the mom that dropped her off late numerous times, the one that didn’t attend a single field trip, PTA meeting or class party. More than once I left my school so late that I was horribly late to pick her up! In fact I missed her earning the title of Student of The Month.

All those things considered, I was the mom that attended most of the monthly grade level assemblies, I watched Leilani not enjoy kindergarten and pushed for her to be put into the first grade. I was heard and then I watched my five year old thrive in the First grade.

I admired her when she memorized choreography and verses to material she would perform with the rest of her class on stage in front of the school. I helped her with her homework, read her bedtime stories and when I did walk the halls of her school I was known by the teachers and staff as the title I absolutely love being called, Leilani’s Mom.

See being a mom is an honor but being Leilani’s Mom is more than I could ever imagine. Being Leilani’s Mom and watching HER defy stereotypes she doesn’t even know exsist means more to me than any class party or field trip.

As Leilani enters the second grade this year I plan on being more involved and I plan on learning from my missteps of last year.

However, I plan on most importantly not trying to become The Mom and continue to be Leilani’s Mom.

Check out Gloria Malone’s blog, TeenMomNYC.com.