Parents of toddlers are at an interesting juncture in their life right now: on the one hand, they feel that their precious little baby is too young to be at school, but on the other they—especially when both parents are working professionals— feel a little outside help with the kid would not be unwelcome.

Either way, the moment all parents have been dreading and looking forward to at the same time is here—your baby is fast growing up, and in most cases, a little too ‘faster’ than you would ideally like. After all, we humans have come to expect to have the best of both worlds.

Your toddler is ready to take the next giant stride—she is now considered “big” enough to be on her own, but just about. You hunt for a preschool, and after a round of tut-tutting about the various aspects you were made to cough up for admission, you are now ready for the big day. Or are you?

If this is your first time and you are labouring under the impression that depositing your kid at the preschool would be a cakewalk, you have got another think coming! After all, what can go wrong with as a simple task as driving her to school, planting a kiss or two on the kid and walking away whistling a jaunty little tune.

You are wrong! The moment you turn around to leave, your kid is wise to your ‘evil’ intentions, and being a smart kid she now realizes she should have paid more attention to all the hushed conversation that went on between mum and dad as they hatched the ‘conspiracy.’ Too late.

After that, the expression ‘clinging on for dear life’ assumes a whole new meaning for you as your baby clings on to you, determined to not let go come what may.

Now that we have managed to spook you up as best as we can, we feel a sense of remorse. We are not leaving you to fend for yourself—in fact, her are some tips, just right for the occasion.

But, to be honest, we don’t have any!

Your child’s first day at school is an important milestone for your family; grab your camera to capture the highlights. When your daughter comes down from university many years from now you can have a good laugh or two with the whole family in attendance.

The ‘going down with memory lane’ with the personal photo collection is a great experience for all families—the photographs may have faded a little physically, but in your heart they evoke fond memories and strong emotions from an interesting time in your life.

Finally, if you are still intimidated by the ‘Mission Preschool,’ you can draw solace from the fact that the first day tends to be usually the hardest, but things do start looking up from the next day—if you are lucky, that is. Good luck!