Comments on: Why is this giving me heart palpitations? It is just kindergarten. The child-eating machine.

By: I have entered Mike into the Matrix. Just for him I chose the Red Pill. :: Plain Jane Mom Blog.

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 22:11:14 +0000

[...] So I did it. I registered Mike for kindergarten. There were no lines. I had the million pieces of paperwork I needed to show I really live here in this supposedly coveted school district, and it all went fine. It just felt so weird getting him into a computer in an official school building. I know, I’m a freak, but this has clearly hit a button with me! [...]

By: This is me Maria » Mommy memories

This is me Maria » Mommy memories — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 09:41:40 +0000

[...] Anyway just a memory I wanted to write down before I forget. Plain Jane’s post about Mike going off to Kindergarten is what reminded me. [...]

By: Maria P.

Maria P. — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 09:28:34 +0000

I know just what you mean and I have similar worries for my littles as they progress to the higher grades. So far they are doing great but I always worry, will they able to adjust as they get older to keep up with the things that happen?

Oh and my son is a spanish immersion school (which we love but let me just say homework is veeerrry interesting because “Moooom YOU don’t know. You don’t speak spanish.”

By: Jamie

Jamie — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 18:23:05 +0000

My oldest daughter turns 5 in June and I’ll be registering her for kindergarten in April and frankly just thinking about it freaks me out. I hope when the time comes your boys have a kindergarten teacher who is nurturing and that they truly love school and flourish in the environment. It’s just the unknown that is so scary. Kindergarten is a huge milestone and one that is just as significant for the parents as the kids.

And homework? In kindergarten? WTF? NO, just no.

By: Liz Ditz

Liz Ditz — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 20:45:49 +0000

Delurking a bit….

Boy are we on the opposite ends of the curve! The last one is just completing her college applications.

Didn’t really have to think about it — DS1′s birthday is February; DS2′s birthday is in August but his kindergarten teacher STRONGLY recommended a second year in K — starting from after the Thanksgiving break (“He’s just not ready for 1st grade structure”), and DD1′s birthday is late in the year after the cut-off.

And don’t get me started on homework before 4th grade — let alone kindergarten. It is EEEEEEVVVVVILLLL.

By: Patti

Patti — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:12:31 +0000

i recommend not putting the november b-day child in kindergarten. he will be so much more able to adapt being one of the ‘older’ kids in the class. i have 3 boys myself and my son with the August b-day struggled from about 4th grade to 8th grade. High School is ok but he’s ‘smaller’and a little less mature. the area really is “maturity”. most of the boys will be ‘older’ and more mature, and more athletic and this will really be a problem during the jr. high years. you will find that all the other parents have kept their kids back for this very reason so it will make him even younger than the others. also, sports sports sports. by the time they hit middle school you will find all the more popular, more athletic, more well adjusted kids, have been in sports since they were 5/6 years old. not to mention these boys need to run off the energy. good luck – been there.

Patti.

By: CrankMama

CrankMama — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 05:13:02 +0000

Is this twins you’re talking about?

Mine will be starting KGarten in the Fall and I’m just now descending into THE KINDERGARTEN VORTEX OF ANXIETY

At least now I know I’m in good company.

By: andria

andria — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 23:18:02 +0000

I went through the same emotions last year at this time contemplating sending my oldest to kindergarten. I think it’s normal, it’s a big milestone! If you can, some schools have open houses before kindergarten and maybe you can chat with some of the teachers and get a feel for them and if you find one you like (or don’t) you can request the right class. You have every right in public school to request the teacher you want, you may not get him/her, but you can voice your opinion and I know all the schools I worked at honored those requests.

By: Plain Jane Mom

Plain Jane Mom — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 22:13:27 +0000

Thank you to everyone who tells me it won’t be as bad as I think. You are all so sweet! I feel like so much of this will be out of my control, and that really bugs the crap out of me.

By: Beth

Beth — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 21:01:38 +0000

I know that you are in the Bay Area. Have you considered a developmental progam? There are many in the around here.

We started my son in a Spanish Immersion program that turned out to be very academic. It just didn’t suit my son’s personality to the point where he was crying every day when I left him and throwing crayons across the room while working on his homework. Finally one day, he ran out of the classroom and hid behind a garbage can sobbing. That was it for me. You can read more about all this on my blog if you’re interested.

Our school district has an “alternative school” that is part of the public school system but is based on a developmental philosophy. He started there after Thanksgiving and has transformed back into the happy, confident child I used to know. He is still doing a lot of schooly kind of things just in a more organic way and there’s no homework in Kindergarten.

His teacher just won the Teacher of the Year award from our school district. She’s fabulous and it’s just a great program.

Email me privately if you would like a link to their website.