Five! When my daughter was a baby, I thought that five seemed so far away. Other children we knew who were five seemed like such big kids Kindergarten? I thought it would never come. She was my baby girl and I couldn't grasp the idea of FIVE!

Now, that she is FIVE, four seems so young, and five still seems so old. But really, four and five are merely separated by one day! But oh, how things can change overnight.

Leading up to the big five, I drowned myself in party plans, for no other reason than I thought if I could keep busy enough planning the big event, I could remain in denial about it. Now that it has come and passed, and I'm a certified mom to a five year old princess (five going on tween is more like it) I can't help but wipe away a secret tear when she runs down the stairs exasperated: “Mom do I look older?” “Seriously Mo-oom, I look older, right?” When there is still no response from me, “Ok, I must sound older cuz you aren't answering me. It's MEEE. Don't you recognize me? Do I sound like I'm five. Do I look like it? Answer me!!!”

As I watch her eying herself up and down in the mirror, and listen to her practicing her new five year old sentences, I explain to her that you don't suddenly look or sound older just because you had a birthday. I explain that these things are gradual. That there is a lot of time between being a baby and five. That there really isn't much difference between yesterday and today.

But the reality is, that when she bounced down the stairs on her first morning of being five – She DID look older. She DID sound older. She even BOUNCED as though she was older. Suddenly, her sentences were little-lady like, her mannerisms had matured, and the eye rolls and voice tone was resembling that of a tween.

I think the reason many parents take five so hard is because it is a year that means so much. There is a big difference between four and five. When you're four, you can get away with more because you're “only four”. But when you're five, you are arbitrarily older. You're arbitrarily ready for big important things, like real school! You're itching for a little independence, autonomy, and life in a big kid world. And you feel SO old. And suddenly, adults start telling you, “you should know better.” At least, that's how I assume my five year old feels (my five year old, just had to say it again to let it sink in) after all, she can't stop talking about real school, she's suddenly conscious of having time to herself, and she's assuring me that a little independence might be a good thing.

And for mom and dad – when your child turns five you're suddenly a parent of a school-aged child. You're preparing yourself for homework, scholastic book order forms, school concerts, and parent-teacher interviews. Suddenly, someone else will be spending a good portion of their day with your child and you can't help but wonder if it will be okay. Will they like school? Will they make friends? Will they respect their teacher? Will they use their manners? Will they be responsible? Will they be caring and kind to their peers? Have I prepared them enough?

So when five suddenly becomes overwhelming, I just remind myself to relax! She's ONLY five! At least she's not 16, asking for the keys to the car. Or 18, venturing out on her own in the real world, for real. Five – maybe it isn't so bad after all! Maybe it isn't such a big deal. Just don't tell that to her!