Home My kindergartner has had a busy year already!

[lumpkin]

Starting the second day back from winter break, he has started to walk into school without me. We used to have to park and I'd go in with him to his classroom, and at the very beginning I had to take him early and go to the library and read for awhile, so this is a tremendous step forward! The first day back after school he began telling me how bad his day was and I kinda lost it on him -- mildly. I told him I was very discouraged and that he gets to go to the very best elementary school in the district and all he does is complain. I told him if he didn't have anything positive to say then keep quiet because I'm fed up with hearing how he hates school. I was really kind of harsh about it. The next thing I know he's telling me that, well, there is one good thing, computer lab!!! The next day he walked in on his own (well, with his big brother). So then he started talking about the games they played and describing some of the other activities. He got his report card today and it had a lot of S+ grades and only two S-, one was working independently and one was solving his own problems. The S+ ones were all in reading and math.

Then Sunday afternoon he cracked his elbo. He and his friend were playing and they were chasing each other. His friend was on a big wheel and he was on foot. His friend hit him with the big wheel and he fell on his knee and forearm on the sidewalk. He cried for the longest time and wouldn't tell me what happened, but after about an hour I noticed he was favoring his left arm. It took another hour to determine that it hurt for him to straighten it, but he was in very good spirits by that time. I called our nearest urgent care and they were closed so we had to go to the children's hospital urgent care. I almost didn't take him because there wasn't any bruising or swelling and he wasn't complaining much. I figured it would be a good opportunity to desensitize him to hospitals, and when we got there there were a LOT of sick kids with respiratory stuff. I almost took him home because I didn't want us to be exposed to all those germs just for the sake of this "experience", but he insisted that it still hurt to straighten his arm, and though I thought he might be milking it for attention we stayed. Good thing, too! The x-ray showed a fracture so they set it in a splint and in a week we have to go see an orthopedist and probably get a cast. He had a great time at the hospital. He saw 6 different people, who all asked what happened, and he told his story to each one of them with great enthusiasm. I was very pleasantly surprised at how articulate he was and how thoroughly he told the story. He got to pick the color of his splint wrap and he's just having a great time with the whole experience. I could not be more surprised.

I'm also talking about maybe working this summer and my older son said he thinks he'd like to go to summer camp. Now the younger one is thinking he might like it too.....could he be coming out of his shell?????? Hmmmm!

ETA: I was afraid his new progress of walking in to school without me would be lost because he had only done it once, and then broke his elbo. I was afraid he would not want to walk in without my carrying his backpack for him, but NOT SO!!! He had his bad arm inside his coat (not in the sleeve) and still carried the backpack on his good arm and didn't want me to go with him (I didn't ask if he wanted me to and he didn't ask me to). I'm so proud of him!

 

[mrssalvo]

lumpkin, sorry about his elbow. but that is good news he''s wanting to go in by himself. I still take my kindergarter in everyday. I''m also the room mom and it''s the only time I usually get to talk to the teacher but I know she really needs to start going in on her own, at least some of the time. We''ve talked about just choosing one day a week for her to do it and then take it from there. they are just back to school today, so I figured I''d give her the week to get used to being back in and then we''ll attempt the one day walk in thing.

 

[somethingshiny]

He may have stayed in his "shell" because he thought it would hurt YOUR feelings if he seemed excited to do things without you. Kids are really sensitive to not wanting to upset others.

That''s quite a playground injury! What a brave little man!

 

[Kaleigh]

He''s making such strides, that''s great news!! Sorry about his elbow though. Sounds like he''s one brave little man!!!

 

[lumpkin]

Mrssalvo, that''s a great idea about picking a day or days for her to go in by herself. Does she seem to be okay with that idea? I asked him every week, "Are you ready to walk in with your big brother?" and he would say no. In November I talked to him about how most of the other kids were walking in by themselves by now and I really thought he could do it. Then I said, "Do you think you can do it in December?" He said yes, but then when December came he wanted to wait until January. The first day back I said, "It''s January. Are you ready?" He said yes but when we got there he wouldn''t get out of the car. The principal was right there in front and offered to walk him in but no go. We talked about it after that school day and the next day he just got right out. It was as though he had to decide for himself he was ready. I knew he would do that -- one day not want to and the next decide it was time.

Somethingshiney, oh, I wish that were true! I know one of his classmate''s mom is still so sad to see her little boy in school and we''ve talked about it. He''s ready to go and she''s kinda like, "Oh, I remember when he was just learning to walk..." That''s not us. My son loved his preschool and made up his mind he was not going to like kindergarten. We have had a very difficult time, I have been inordinately patient, the school has been very supportive, and we are just now getting to where I had hoped we''d be two months ago. We also have some PDD-NOS and sensory integration issues (if you haven''t seen my past posts about it you''d have no idea). That''s why this is such a big deal. I''m amazed at how common things (school) seem to throw him completely for a loop and he just breezes right through the "hard" things (like going to the hospital).

Kaleigh, he IS making great strides! All at the same time, it seems. He was super brave and I''m soooooooo proud of him.

 

[somethingshiny]

Lumpkin, I hope my previous post didn''t offend you. It just sounded like my little sister and that was her thinking. She didn''t want to seem happy to be without my mom. (even though there were four kids and my mom was never clingy)

I didn''t know about the PDD-NOS. I thought he was brave enough for toughing out the elbow injury, he''s even braver than I thought.

 

[KimberlyH]

Wow, lumpkin, that boy is making great strides...how phenomenal is he! And what a great mama you are.

 

[Miranda]

Awww, kid boo-boos are so tough. It sounds like he handled it like a champ, though. What a tough guy. I can just *hear* the pride coming from you! I''m glad he''s doing so well...And you too for that matter.

 

[lumpkin]

Somethingshiney, no offense taken. I''d think the same thing if I didn''t know the whole story.

Kimberly and Miranda, thanks! I am really proud of him.

He is just shining right now and it is so encouraging. He''s going to be FINE when he grows up, and that''s always been my biggest concern.

 

[mrssalvo]

lumpkin,

she''s ok with the idea of picking out her days, but i''m not sure how smoothly it will go when that day actually gets here....we''ll find out next week...lol...

 

[lyra]

When my youngest started kindergarten many years ago (12?), it was awful. For me! She would yell "Bye!" about 30 ft. from the door, and run. She didn''t want a goodbye kiss or even a hug ever again.

She continued to become and stay more and more independent as the years went by.

It sounds like your son is really taking your advice to heart, which is wonderful. Sounds like he''s really starting to come into his own.

 

[lumpkin]

It comes down to personality, I guess. Some kids are just really outgoing and ready to take on the world and take in everything they see and hear. Other kids are somewhat overwhelmed by it all. And they change sometimes, too. My older son was timid as a toddler, but once he got into preschool and kindergarten, he became much more outgoing.