Starting Kindergarten

Relax.

I doubt that the Open House will answer all your questions because what you really want is a 180 day blow by blow description of your son's kindergarden time--in advance.

The Open House will give you a chance to meet the kindergarten teacher and learn the set up in the kindergarden classroom. Pay close attention to the classroom--this will reduce daily frustration.

Kids assume that Wise and Loving Parents know everything (because of the eyes in the back of the head). You will ask, "How was school today."

"Fine."

"What did you do."

"You know."

"Did you have a story."

"Unhuh. Can I have a cookie?"

If you want to worry, worry about your first born daughter who is shut out of Kindergarten Glory. I'm guessing that her ego may be a bit bruised.

Get film for the camera and enjoy.

Hold your dominion.

Thanks, Noddy. I was a little worried about first-born daughter because she really wants to go to school too. But I promised her I'd find her a 4-year-old kindergarten next year and she seems happy about that.

It's only half-day kindergarten too, which makes it easy on her. She'll only miss him in the morning.

He's just gotten so big all of a sudden and I find myself off balance or feeling unprepared. But you're right, what I really want to know is what exactly will be going on with him every single day.

FreeDuck--

He knows how to say "Please" and "Thank You"--two words which give every upper-middle class child a distinct advantate.

He knows how to sit still and follow instructions. He comprehends that adult time must be shared with other children.

He can take turns.

He knows that reading is a Very Desirable Accomplishment.

He trusts adults.

You might not be ready, but he is.

Hold your dominion.

It seems like yesterday, when my little girl entered Kindergarten,
and now she'll be in 4th grade. Every school
is different FreeDuck, but with us it was a nice transition
to let go (parents more so than the kids). Every morning
the Kindergarten kids assembled outside the classroom and
waived the parents good bye. Parent helpers in class were
always welcome, so if this is an option in your school, and
you're able to make some free time, I suggest you'll do it -
it is so much fun to work with the little ones.

We also could volunteer for lunch duty to supervise the
little ones which I liked a lot, since I got to know all the
classmates of my daughter very well. Plus I could make
sure, that my daughter is eating her lunch.

Somehow the teacher made sure, we parents had a lot
of interaction with the kids during class and on field trips.
We got weekly newsletters and every morning before class
we were allowed in the classroom to see the kids artwork
and whatever they were working on.

I am sure, the school you've selected will make the transition
easy for parents and kids alike. Chances are, it's going to
be much harder on you than on your son.

You know, we have a custom in Germany where every child
that enters school will receive a giant colorful cone filled with
candies on their first day of school (to sweeten the task) and
I gave one to my daughter as well on her first day of school,
and that's about all she remembered

Noddy, how do you know so much about my boy? You describe him perfectly.

Calamity, thanks so much for the advice. He'll be taking the bus to school, which is part of my worry. Will someone meet him when he gets off? How will he know where to go? Unfortunately, all of his neighborhood friends who are starting kindergarten this year are going to a different school, so probably won't know anyone at all.

I think I'm more nervous than he is.

FreeDuck,

Every kid in his class will adjust/cope slightly differently. Some will run over to the teacher and never look back, some will take a few days to settle in and not be scared. They all get there eventually though.

Is it possible for you to put your son on the bus and then drive over to school to meet him for the first few days? Our school encourages this for the first week of kindergarten. It lets the kids get used to riding the bus and it lets you know he's gotten there safely. It also lets you have the same early morning interaction as the walkers during the first week.

He'll be great, even if it takes a day or two.

Has he been going to preschool?

Perhaps naively, I felt that nothing to preschool was the big leap, and that kindergarten will just be an extension of the same concept.

Maybe on Friday you can keep an eye out for a kid who seems simpatico and suggest to the kid's parents that you get together before school starts so he knows at least one person? Hmm, if it starts "next week" there might not be time for that. Will the kids be at the open house? Keeping an eye out for simpatico kid could still work if so -- anyone that he hits it off with, get the kid's name and talk about him (or her) a lot... "Hey, I bet you and ___ will have fun [insert a favorite activity here, coloring or building blocks or whatever] together."

Yeah, JB, I might do that. I will definitely walk hiim to the bus stop and wait with him, and I might as well drive to school on my way to work to check on him, even if he doesn't know I'm there.

No, soz, he doesn't go to preschool. He goes to a family day care run by my friend. It's not a classroom environment, but it is very structured and she stresses a few key things that I think are very important, like manners and friendship and creativity. One of the things I love about it is that it is on the next street so he actually has made a lot of neighborhood friends. And he'll be getting off the bus right in front of her door and then follow the same routine he does now from lunch to the time I get them. So, it's not really that big of a disruption. And he really is ready, socially and every other way. I just can't get over being nervous for him about the first day. I'm also so proud of him I can hardly stand it. He's just such a big boy.

I'm sure the open house will go a long way toward easing my nervousness. Thanks for all the advice everyone, and for listening.

It's good that he's been going to a day care. He's learned to be around other children. Also, the day care does have a structured environment, so he's used to following rules in places outside of the house.

My daughter started Kinder this year also, but we had put her in preschool, so she's already used to the more formal setting of school as compared to day care.

What we stressed before she went to preschool is that she is would be going there to learn, and that she would learn a lot of great and wonderful things. Also, that she must pay attention to the teacher, and always mind what she'd tell her.

My daughter was raring to go on that first day of school.

Yeah, my son can't wait. He is a very curious boy with oh so many questions. We have a system where, when he asks about something that I don't know anything about, which is a lot of things, we go to the library and get a book. Then over the course of a few weeks, we read it together. Right now we have books on bats, submarines, and black bears. My daughter picked the black bears, she's just now getting old enough to get in on the fun.

Anyway, my point to all that is that sometimes he asks questions that require an understanding of physics or chemistry or history to explain. For those, I tell him he'll learn all about it in school one day. Sometimes I guess which grade he'll learn it in. As a result, he definitely sees school as a place where he can go to learn all sorts of new things. I don't know if that will last past the third grade (it didn't for me), but it certainly is working now.

Well, freeduck I went through that last year. My daughter is starting 1st grade this year. Her school did an excellent job of giving the parents an "open house." It was more a meeting for the parents to meet the kindergarten teacher and for her to go over what is typically going to happen during the school days, what is expected of the children and parents, and what they are going to teach and how. Also, suggestions on how to help your child doing their homework (yes they had homework!)

I also visited the school and met the teacher before even deciding on this school and even requested a tour for my daughter ahead of time as she tends to be shy. This made us all feel better. Even for my shy little daughter she soon fell into the routine and their really were no worries after that.

It sounds to me that your little boy will do fine. He sounds eager, which to me will make this transition easier. Also, if you act positive about the school and kindergarten and not nervous, it will definitely help him.

Well, he's off. He woke up this morning before I did, took a shower and got dressed all by himself, including putting on his belt by himself, which is a first. Reminded me to put his name tag (for the bus) on. Couldn't wait to go to the bus stop. Kissed us goodbye when the bus came and never looked back. I'm just so proud of him I can barely contain myself. He's such a good boy.

I'm going to take off at lunch time to meet him when he gets off the bus. I can't wait to hear how his first day went.

Awww...

Great news! I hope he had a great day.

I stopped off on my lunch break to meet the bus. He was so excited and so happy. Nope, nothing to worry about. He had a great time.

That's so cute to read FreeDuck, and you can be proud of
your little man. I told you that parents more often have
a harder time adjusting as the kids themselves.

I am glad he likes it and has such a good time in Kindergarten.

We suspected that you'd survive.

Curiosity killed the cat,
But satisfaction brought her back.

How is younger sister?

Younger sister is A-ok. In fact, she's great. Not a peep about wishing she could go since our last conversation. When duckie comes back around lunch time, he goes to the same day care where she is. She gets to wait and watch for the bus. The rest of the day is just like normal. She seems to hardly notice.

It helps that she was asleep for the furious "getting ready for school" routine this morning, complete with picture taking. So when she woke up, the only thing different was that he was already gone.

I'll keep my fingers crossed. She was a clever child to have a lie-in this morning, wasn't she?