OMG! We're On Pins and Needles

My first grandson will be off to Kindergarten this year. My number one concern is "How is he going to do?" Well we all hope he does very well. I have my fingers, my legs, my toes, everything crossed in hopes he soars high above all expectations (especially those of the te

acher so he can be promoted to 1st grade).

My daughter is ready to give up life as she knows to deal with his ensuing new phase in life. And since I am not gainfully employed I plan to be available to him morning, afternoon, and evening as well. I can work from home. Making it 5 minutes up the street should be a breeze. Most of my clients work during the day so evening and weekend appointments are going to be my forte for probably at least the first month he starts school. I figure after about a month he should be fine. Thankfully he will be close enough for me to have all types of backup resources if something unplanned crops up.

He is very outgoing, playful, friendly, team player type person who is very loveable. He has the luxury of having two very supportive parents, and two very supportive grandparents. He is very articulate. He gets his point across very well. He doesn't start any trouble but people seem to be drawn to him to start trouble. He is tall for his age. Very attractive and I guess other children see a challenge in him.

I am on pins and needles. Why did I have to be privy to recent articles concerning the number ratio of the number of black males incarcerated based on whether them having failed Kindergarten? I'm just going to try and focus really hard not to think about all the statistics in relation to black males in Kindergarten and the number of prisons they build in correlation to the number of black males retained in Kindergarten. I want his first year and every year thereafter to be full of successes for him. We just have to wait and see where the ball bounces. His parents don't know who his teacher is going to be as of yet. Now we do know he can only be retained if his parents agree to it for his Kindergarten year. I can't foresee his feisty mother letting her son suffer any unwarranted atrocities.

I know how much of an impact the person standing in front of him day after day during his first year in school is going to leave an impression on him for years to come. Not to mention the family as a whole. I just hope he gets a fair and equitable shake.

I don't want him to be counted in one of the numbers to statistically determine how many black males failed Kindergarten to translate into the number they use to project how many prisons America will need to build in the future.

I want him to be one of the ones whose foundation is built solidly enough where he can make straight A's throughout his primary school years through the sixth grade and receive a certificate signed by the president of the United States for his academic accolades.

Say a prayer not for him but for me. He's cool, calm, and collective. He can't read the negative hype. His report is "he knows everything."