This article addresses the social-emotional aspect of early childhood learning, specifically within the context of the transition to kindergarten. The author writes from a mother's point of view, and through focusing on her son's transition to kindergarten, she critiques the ways in which teachers too often ignore the social-emotional learning that takes place within schools. Arguing that "academics" cannot be separated from the emotional aspect of schooling, the author asserts that there are many key "lessons" that students learn outside the official curriculum and calls for teachers to heighten their awareness of these lessons.