Noivous about 1st day Kindergarten!

[lumpkin]

Date: 8/21/2007 11:42:25 PM
Author: diamondfan
I hate to say it but convincing a small one to go to kindergarten is the tip of it all! I am in the thick of girl dramas...my son wants a girlfriend and is mixed up with a girl who is problematic for him. He really likes her and she is kinda a game player, and it is so tough to get through to him. He just does not think his old mom has any sense or idea of having been a teen ager too...oh yikes!

Ugh, then I''m in for a rough ride. I hope your son figures out she''s a player and moves on. Chances are he''ll have to figure it out for himself, though.

 

[lumpkin]

Date: 8/22/2007 12:05:09 AM
Author: Miranda
Oh wow, lumpkin! You are so patient! You really did the right thing. My little one starts preschool on 9/4. I''m nervous, but, she''s so excited. She''s been begging to go for a year, but, I wanted her home with me for one more year. Next year it is the big kindergarten! One of her big brothers will be there so she is so excited to be at school with him. And I hear ya on the teen thing. My oldest just turned 13. He''s a sweetie SO FAR...We''re just waiting. I have noticed that he seems to think DH and I morphed into morons

Good luck at school tomorrow!

Sounds like she''s more than ready. Isn''t it funny when they''re ready to go, we aren''t always ready for them to go, but when they lag behind we''re pushing them? Ahhhh, the joys of mother hood, LOL!

 

[lumpkin]

Date: 8/22/2007 12:26:04 AM
Author: Skippy123
I talked to my nephews today and this was their first day of school. The youngest is 6 and he was excited to be in 1st grade; he kept telling me he was now big since he no longer was in kindergarten! They are so cute at that age. . . full of discovery!

It really is fun shen they get excited about things and tell us all about them, as though no one has ever had that experience before and they are the first. When my K''er saw the first grade class he asked why they didn''t have individual desks in his class. I think he''s going to feel quite grown up when he gets to first grade.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 8/21/2007 2:32:05 PM
Author: lumpkin

ITA, especially about not going home. The one thing that frustrates me very much is my husband''s desire to always take the path of least resistance in rearing the kids. Sometimes I feel very alone in parenting -- I always have to be the hard one and the enforcer, but they NEED that. If we don''t show them that we EXPECT certain things and follow through, I think they will grow up thinking that we believe they are not capable individuals, and they''re defeated before they begin.

Oh, I hear you on that one. I WAS the wicked witch of the west, while he was the wonderful wizard of oz.

Eh, I''ll be taking most of the credit on how well they turned out.

 

[lumpkin]

Date: 8/22/2007 9:00:38 AM
Author: Ellen

Date: 8/21/2007 2:32:05 PM
Author: lumpkin

ITA, especially about not going home. The one thing that frustrates me very much is my husband''s desire to always take the path of least resistance in rearing the kids. Sometimes I feel very alone in parenting -- I always have to be the hard one and the enforcer, but they NEED that. If we don''t show them that we EXPECT certain things and follow through, I think they will grow up thinking that we believe they are not capable individuals, and they''re defeated before they begin.

Oh, I hear you on that one. I WAS the wicked witch of the west, while he was the wonderful wizard of oz.

Eh, I''ll be taking most of the credit on how well they turned out.

Heehee! Me too! And I''ll deserve that credit, thank you very much!

Well, today was day 3. We got there about 10 minutes early and went into the Library again. We read one book and then visited the restroom and went and looked in on his class. He was only 10 minutes late today. I''m betting tomorrow he''s on time. AND, I came home after I dropped him off. Hurray! I''ll have over 2 hours to myself and I can''t tell you how ecstatic that makes me!!! I''m going to just throw in some laundry, already got the kitchen cleaned up, and I''m going to sit down, put my feet up and relaxxxxxxxx.

Hope everyone has a great day!

 

[Ellen]

Yay!!

Got yer box of Bon Bon''s??

Have fun lump!

 

[lumpkin]

Well, I had my Good Humor bar, does that count?

I can tell already this is going to be a difficult year with him. I had a bit of trouble with the older one at this age, too. He did not want to get up and get dressed, but once at the building he went right in. The younger one gets up and is ready to go, but when we get to the building he wants to bolt. This year my older one is doing very well so far. Thank heaven for small favors!

 

[diamondfan]

It is never easy!!! My oldest alternates between wanting to go to high school and telling me how great it will be and how well he will do, to being completely freaked out and pissed off he has to be in high school. My middle school son, who is super bright but is not one who loves being told to do things on someone else''s schedule, has read all of his summer reading books and seems to be starting off with the right attitude, which I can only hope continues! Not looking forward to issues though!

 

[lumpkin]

Thanks, DF. I know change is hard, and for some people change is REALLY hard. He is doing much better, although some mornings are better than others. He''s still not anywhere near as hard as my first one was at this age, so I count myself lucky there. Where my little one is initially EXTREMELY difficult, he settles down into a routine pretty well eventually. My first one starts out well, but as the weeks go on and the academics get more demanding, he requires a lot of pushing the rest of the year to do homework and stay focused on his (very limited) responsibilities. Sometimes I wonder if I''m expecting too much or too little -- seems like a fine line between being overly hard on him or letting him slack and get lazy.

Today was the first day I volunteered in my kindergartner''s classroom and he has a great teacher. She''s very organized and manages the class well, she''s young and pretty (unfortunately that''s important to little kids) and energetic. The kids are nice, too. The principal is very open and encouraging of parental involvement so I''m confident that what''s going on at school is as it is supposed to be. My dear son had homework to do this afternoon and he really enjoyed doing it. We spent over an hour working on it and he was very creative and engaged. It''s not the work or the academics that he''s got the issues with -- it''s the change and the sensory stimulation. I think once he''s been there a full month he''s going to be well adjusted there.

I must say, though, I have a few more gray hairs than I did at the first of August, LOL. Ahhhhhh, the joys of parenthood!

 

[diamondfan]

Lumpkin, have things continued to go well? Thinking of you...

 

[lumpkin]

Diamondfan, they are going great, thank you for asking and thinking about us! He still sometimes says he hates the school, but every day he enthusiastically tells me about what's going on. The two times I've been in his classroom, he's been very attentive and fully participates. His teacher tells me his attention wanders, but we think he's quite a bit ahead academically, so as long it isn't disruptive, she's okay with it. The school tests the kids constantly (it's more like a game in kindergarten) and she says he's testing very high. She has started the ball rolling for him to be evaluated and wanted me to know that so when they call me I'll know what's going on. It's partly to evaluate him for his autism in case he might need an aid at some point. I have to say, I don't think that's going to happen, but I don't blame her considering what his first week was like. She also said it puts things rolling in case he needs more challenge academically (IEP type thing).

The down side of having a young teacher is she's squarely in her child having years. My son told me Friday that she's going to have a baby and that when she goes to the hospital, someone else will be taking over her class. CRAP!!! I'm not sure when she's due, but I'm hoping it's at least a month after they come back from the winter break. At least his classmates won't change!

 

[diamondfan]

Well, the first month we moved here and my son started Pre K his teacher announced she was pregnant and she left at the winter break. He liked her a lot and all things were so new that I was concerned, but it turned out fine. They of course had a sub for the second part of the year. All three of my kids have now had her.

I did not know about your son''s autism, but it is nice she is being conscientious. A lot of times things get overlooked and it is not great, so hopefully she is on top of things. I am glad he is adjusting nicely, and hey, my two older sons still tell me they hate school sometimes!

 

[lumpkin]

DF, good to know your son adjusted fine to the substitute -- and that she ended up being there for several more years. I don''t really know how mine will adapt. He''ll probably do fine. But sometimes when I think he''ll do fine at something he doesn''t, and sometimes when I brace myself for the worst it goes smoothly. I''m sure with your background you know the wide range on the autism spectrum. Fortunately he''s way on the high functioning side and our elementary school is amazing with a very involved, well informed principal. There seem to be more than our fair share of Aspie type kids so they are well versed working with them and they have professionals come and update the teachers and staff frequently. Like any other parent, I''m sure this is harder on me than him.

 

[mrssalvo]

lumpkin, hopefully the substitute will be scheduled in advance and come and participate before the teacher goes on maternity leave. I would think there would be a good chance he''d get to know who it is and possibly even like the teacher so the transition might not be a huge deal. at least you can hope they do something like that.

My daughter is in kindergarden too. the classes were overcrowed with over 25 kids in each one. so for about a week they had a new teacher come into all the classes and read stories etc. then last tuesday at around 10:30am they took about 5-6 kids from each of the 4 classes and made a 5th class with the *reading teacher.* The parents knew none of this was going on and my daughter came home on tuesday and said, hey mom, i''ve got a new class. I thought she must have just been confused but when I took her to school on wed. sure enough, we were sent to a new class and met the new teacher. Not one letter or anything which was very strange IMO. Fortunately my daughter actually likes her new teacher better than the original (and i must admit so do I) and i''m glad the kids at least got to know her bit b/f just up and one day changing classes. I hope your school will do the same, but give you the prior warning that ours didn''t.