A question for you experienced parents.

[Faery-Wings]

This is response to Semele and my posts that our babies are going to kdg this fall. Do any of you have any suggestions on how to make the transitions easier for my son? He is shy and sensitive and gets nervous in new situations. And how much should I make sure he knows before schools starts? He knows all of his letters, can write his first name and is learning to write the rest of the alphabet. Some days he cooperates and others, pfft..nothing. How much should I make him do so he doesn't have a hard time learning,

OK and now to the heart of this, what do I do???????8O 8O

My baby is getting so big! I swear I am going to cry when he gets on that bus the first day.


I am sure my daughter wil keep my busy while he is gone.

BB

Chris

[Swanspirit]

Merry Merry,
Just let him go at his own pace..... and as far as kindergarten goes , all children respond differently , even in the same family, so i would say tailor your actions to how you know he responds to other situations. How does he handle meeting strangers etc etc. And is there a way you could take him to the classroom setting ahead of time? so the place isnt unfamiliar?
My daughter had her daughter in a Montessori School, and they are very sensitive to the individual emotional issues of the children . Is it possible for him to meet and spend some time getting to know the teacher ? Those are some of the ideas I would suggest, but as I said,
its up to the individual. As OLD as I am LOL i still remember my first day of school, vividly , and I remember thinking "Why are all these kids crying ?"
(of course I cried much later LOL in high school I think LOL) but that is another topic :>
Best of luck and keep us posted >:
Mommy HUGS
Swannie

[tigger759]

Well i held my son back last year and he is so ready and i'm glad i did!!
Experienced i wouldn't say i am but i know that he will be just fine!! If not i'll get that call!! But you know we have to let them grow so be supportive and interested!! they have so much to say that first day!!
Be involved i know here kindergarten is the only one you can really help with. So go help you'll love to see him grow in school.

[Yvonne Belisle]

One thing you can do is talk to the school and see if you can stay in the room for half a day the second week of school. Then if you think he needs it you can let him know that you are going to come and visit him in school and tell him when. Let him know he you are hoping he will introduce you to a few of his new friends. You can set up with his teacher to bring in some storebought cookies and Kool aid most schools now have policies that it can't be homemade. If he knows you will be there to see him he may feel a little more secure by giving him a week you give him and the other children a chance to adjust to his new surroundings.

[Lavender]

Hi Chris!

Are there any playgroups in your area? It's a good way to ease them into school. Most of them are about an hour or so...once or twice a week. If your son is not used to being in groups of kids by himself, that might be a good way to start. You may have to stay with him for the first bit.

What I did was phone the school ahead of time & arrange to meet the kindergarten teacher. Actually, I had interviewed 3 schools & teachers before I found one I was happy with. :) In fact, on the first day, I had expected him to be shy & maybe needing me around. I was already prepared to spend the week adjusting him to school. As soon as we got there, he ran off to play & barely gave me a wave of his hand. :( I barely got a "bye mom!" I hung around a bit & he looked up & said "are you still here, mom?" 8O I think the start of kindergarten was much more tramatic for me tha for my son!

[Loki]

My son started this past year and I think my wife and I had more trouble with it than our son. We had to get him on the school bus and we were afraid he wouldn't go. But he got on that bus like he had done it a million times before. Of course my wife and I were in tears the whole time, but he did great!
I would let your child go at his own pace. Don't put too much pressure on him to learn things before he goes to school. He will learn them in good time.
My son was reading by the end of Kindergarten this past year. I can't believe what they teach kids in Kindrgarten now. Man for me it was all play and art projects, at least thats what I remember. :)

[Faery-Wings]

Thanks for all of your suggestions. :) Now I just want to know which of you lovely people will come hold my hand when he gets onto the bus? :p 8O

He has been in preschool since he was 2.5 yo, and has had some difficulty separating at times. One year, I taught in the class next to him and when I was trying to run the PreK graduation, they had to pull him off of me, screaming. Yikes!:eek:

He is signed up for a Kgd prep program that runs 1 week in August and I hope that will help. He cried the day of Orientation...

Goddess, please be with me that day!

Chris

[Rævyn Cigány]

It's funny, but my youngest son, Christopher, was SO shy up until he headed to J.K. (junior kindergarten, in case there's no such animal where you are...age 4 kids), I was afraid of major problems...but the minute I walked him into class, he was off like a shot...no good-bye no nothing!!! I bawled then only because I knew he would be just fine without me :)

BB

Rae )0(

[Swanspirit]

Merry Merry,
I would gladly come and hold your hand .... but since I cant just remember that I am , and probably the rest of the people in this thread and some that only read it ... will be there in spirit, so if your hand feels alittle warm about that time , its because so many people are "virtually" holding it :>
When my son used to have to go back to school at the end of summer I used to cry.......
felt like they were "stealing my kid ".
Love and HUGS
Swannie

[Mariposa De La Luna]

If the prep course is also an orientation for K, with the same teachers he'll be Ok.

My daughter was nervous starting school but they had a meet the teacher day and I made sure she went to that. After that she was eager to get started and had no problems the first day.

Last year was her first year in a private Montessori, 2nd grade. She got to meet one of the teachers when she was tested and they fortunately had a parent meeting before school started, by coincidence that year. So she was OK when she had to change.

I guess I was OK to let her go that first time because I thought she was getting started late. If we could have we would have put her in a pre-K program.

[MammaStar]

I'll hold your hand!!!!!!!

He'll be great. I do think it's harder on us Mom's the first day of school than it is for the kids. My son was in daycare from age 2 on and he andled the first day just fine. I was sad, I still do get sad each new school year (he's going into 4th grade this year!). This year is gonna be tough, because our elementary school ends with 4th grade and next year its <gulp> MIDDLE SCHOOL!!!!

Playgroups would certainly help a lot for him. I also think you've taught him alot already, so try not to fret over how much he needs to know. Don't pressure him too much and I'm sure he'll do fine!

<BIG HUGS> :heartthro :heartthro :heartthro

[Faery-Wings]

I would gladly come and hold your hand .... but since I cant just remember that I am , and probably the rest of the people in this thread and some that only read it ... will be there in spirit, so if your hand feels alittle warm about that time , its because so many people are "virtually" holding it :>


Swannie, that was one of the sweetest things I have ever read. Thank you, thank you for saying that!! How can I go wrong when I have my MW friends spiritually by my side? :)


Thanks, as always, everyone for your support.

This mom is a big baby!


:p
Chris

[Swanspirit]

Twerent nuthin!
HUGS
Swannie