The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn is one of my all-time favorite books that is perfect for gearing up as kids to head off to school...especially for those starting kindergarten, pre-school or even college.
My kids and I had a tradition for years that I would kiss their hands (paws) and place their kissed palms to their cheeks for times when they might miss me while away, especially at school, or in any difficult situation.
Scared Chester Raccoon didn't want to go to school - he just watned to stay home with his mama. To reassure him that she'd still be "with him" even while they were apart, his mama came up with that little "trick" to help ease his fears. When he presses the kissed paw up to his face, "Chester felt his mother's kiss rush from his hand, up his arm and into his heart."
On the first day of kindergarten orientation, as parents we were asked to trace our hand and cut it out. Our children were instructed to do the same. We each kissed our hand cut-out and placed a little heart sticker on the kiss. We put our names on our hands and the adult hands remained in the classroom while the little hands were sent home.
On the first day of school, the teachers read this little story and showed all the students where their mom or dad's handprints were displayed on a bulletin board, reminding that their love was there in the classroom and whenever they would get lonely they had that kiss to "jump to their faces and fill them with toasty warm thoughts," just like Chester.
I will admit that I was one of the extra sensitive moms who cried each time I dropped my babies off for their first day of school. (Don't worry, it was after I made it to my car...except my very first time when dropping my oldest for the first day of pre-school. I didn't quite make it to the gate before the flood of tears began.)
And I will also admit that I was also the mom who felt the tears coming on after walking my first-born into middle school for his first day as a middle schooler (don't worry, I made it to the car before crying).
We have loved this book for many years and it is in my collection of "back to school books" that I put on display each fall. I use Chester's secret "kiss" to help ease anxiousness and transitions from bed times to overnight separations over the years.
Every now and then I will feel one of my kids uncurl my hands and place a kiss in my palm while pulling it upwards to my face. It melts me everytime.
I get a pang each year at the start of school with the realization that my kids are that much closer to being grown up and ready to embark on their next journey. Although I am so far from being ready to drop our kids off at college (ugh - one in less than five years), I love the idea of sending this off with a college-bound student as a little reminder that we will always have our special kissing hands to fall back on.
