Dad gets emotional about son's first day of kindergarten striking a chord with all parents

Kids react differently on their first day of kindergarten—some cry, some are excited to see other kids, and some are just confused. But one thing is universal: parents get emotional. Even if their child has been to daycare, that first school drop-off hits differently. One dad, u/Much-Drawer-1697, opened up on Reddit about his experience. In a heartfelt post, he gave a shout-out to all the dads who watched their little ones toddle off to kindergarten for the first time.

Watching their oldest child head off to school for the first time is a major milestone for parents, and one that’s often filled with heartache. This dad expressed that feeling perfectly. "Shout out to all the dads sending their oldest kids to kindergarten," he wrote in his post. "Just got mine off the bus from his first day. The emotions were there today," he shared. He later explained that although his kids had been in daycare, kindergarten felt different. "The switch from daycare to formal education is big though. Emotionally, it’s a big milestone," he noted.

This sparked waves of wholesome responses from other dads who shared the same emotions as the dad who posted. "My 5-year-old son’s first day is tomorrow. I took the day off to hang out with him and his little bro. Went to the zoo, splash pad and just been chilling at home. Just now in the truck, he says 'I’m just going to miss you, Mom and my brother.' Grown man over here just crying behind my sunglasses and trying to drive," said u/SumYungGuy89. "I have a 4 and 2 yr old and time has already seemed to fly by. I know they will be out of the house before I know it and would love for time to slow down just a bit," chimed in u/spade_st. 

Some dads with older kids reminisced about their child's first sendoff to kindergarten and it's tear-jerking. "That brings back the 'feels.' My oldest is 24 now, but I still remember that first experience dropping her off, felt like the whole world was crazy. How can we just drop our kid off and walk away?" wrote u/Manonajourney76. "My kids are in 4th grade and 1st grade this year. It's crazy! I remember my oldest just starting kindergarten. My wife works at their school, so she does drop-off. It's a bit sad but I haven't dropped off a kid at daycare in two years. Two years of hugging them at home and sending them with Mom," added u/NameIdeas.

On a similar note, another dad weeping adorably when dropping his 3-year-old off at preschool won the internet. The preschooler's mom, Mary Mo Harper–who goes by @marymoniharp on TikTok– recorded herself being teary-eyed after sending her son Isaiah to his first day of school. But the mom's emotions drastically changed when she saw the dad crying his eyes out and sitting next to her in the car. She burst into laughter seeing the grown man bawl like a child and the video amassed many views online.