My baby is going to school! I am not ready!

Question

Technically he is my oldest of 3 kids. My son is 5 and in about a week is off to the big K....I am not an overly emotional mom when it comes to giving birth or milestones. I was even fine as he went to preschool. But now I am in complete tears over him going to all day kindergarten! I am like you want me to hand my child to a stranger all day????LOL He is ready and so exited! Its me with the problem!

I am also really concerned cause the schools out here aren't great so I think thats adding to me not wanting him to go. I first enrolled him in a charter school but they seem to be having issues getting their permanantly building up so I pulled him from that and enrolled him in the public school. I want him to go to another district which accepted him but the drive is just too far and would make his days way too long.

Do you think a less than perfect school will ruin him? I know its just kindergarten. We are moving next year to the better district we want him in and I just hope for the best this year!

Answer 1

u just got to let them grow up

Answer 2

Once your son settles into Kindergarten and comes home excited to share his day with you, you'll start being more excited and at ease.  He'll tell you about the kids, the teacher, everything he's doing, and he'll share great projects.  You'll see, things will fall into place. :)

I suggest you also consider getting involved in the classroom.  I was the roomparent last year for my daughter's Kindergarten class and it was a BLAST!  I got to know all the kids and parents.

Let the teacher know you would like to be involved and volunteer whenever you can.  Part of your anxiety may be due to the fact that you feel you are giving up some control of your son's growing up and guidance to someone else.  ;)  This doesn't have to be the case, and it isn't the case.  Get involved!

Good luck!

Answer 3

There is no such thing as "just" kindergarten anymore. It is a lot different now then it was when we were in kindergarten. He will be learning how to read and will be reading by next summer. If he isn't the new school will probably make him repeat K. You can check your states guideline for K curriculum and help to keep your son on track. Also Walmart and Target both have K workbooks that you and your son can do together. Good Luck!

Answer 4

If I were you, I would not worry too much. Just work with him on things that you think he should be learning while in Kindergarten. reading , writing & basic math. My daughter is also starting Kindergarten this Fall. I am excited for her. Her new school is great. She has Summer reading and projects that she has to turn in the first week of school. Nothing really major, just to keep them learning throughout the Summer.

Answer 5

I think you hit the nail on the head with its just kindergarten. If you were talking about upper grade or middle/high school, I would be a little worried, but one year in kindergarten in this school should be ok. Many moms go through the separation anxiety when their little ones start to school. Think of it this way, it is a new adventure for him and be happy for his new experiences. He is beginning a 12 yr journey of learning. Be excited for him! Good luck mom!

Answer 6

So the real question is will the school ruin him?

Absolutely not and there are things that you can do to ensure this. What I would do, however as a former teacher and now a mother of two, is be sure to fortify what he gets at school with extras at home. Find out what they are talking about at school and go an extra step at home. Be sure to continue to read with your son everyday. Depending on his level (reading already or not yet) invest in some phonics material (games, flashcards, books, etc.) to help him learn the basic letter sounds as well as blends and get him up to the point of reading simple Level 1 readers (or beyond depending on his abilities).



The other thing to consider along with the academics are to be sure that you are asking what happened at school socially. This will let you know if he's following rules, making friends, etc. As a parent it is SO important for us to enforce what the teacher's/school's rules are and be sure that there is consistency at home and at school otherwise kids can get mixed signals which can lead to behaviour issues in the classroom (which them lead to learning issues if the teacher is having to take time to discipline your child instead of teach him those important kindergarten basics).

Hang in there mom!!! I'm sure I'll  be equally as stressed when my time comes (next fall...my oldest is still in preschool). You AND your son will both do great! Best of luck to you!

Answer 7

My son's 10 and I still cry when her goes off to school.  I'm not so emotional when my 6 year old went off for the first time.  I think it's because boys need their mom's more?  Just get a box of tissues and wait till he comes home every day.  If you miss him more than what you think, call the school and see if you can "sneak a peek" at him.  I know there was a certain spot that all the first time mommies could go and look in on their kids that the kids didn't even know we were there!

It's just kindergarten.  You can work with him at home if you are that worried.  Just sit back and see what happened with the district.  It might not be as bad as you think!

Good Luck!

Answer 8

I know how you feel, I'm going through the same thing.  You just have to remember that this is what's best for him.  He really will be fine.

Answer 9

It's just kindergarten, he'll be fine. I know it's tough not to worry, but you don't really need to worry about the quality of the curriculum at this point. He'll finger-paint and nap and learn social skills while he's there, then next year you can get him started in the better school. He'll also get more experience with meeting new people and making friends that way. Best of luck!

Answer 10

Ok Mom, I know its hard, I've been there. Try to think of it as an adventure for your little one. He is going to have a ball. Tons of kids to hang out with, games, snacks, nap time, stories, new adventures, etc. Believe me, I have been in your spot. I even went as far as "stalking" my child from neighboring parking lots with a pair of binoculars. Your little guy is going to have fun. Don't let him know that your worried. Everything will be fine. I kept looking for reasons to keep my daughter home when she was entering kindergarten (because I felt the same as you). You just need to let him go out and venture a little bit of life on his own. Its good for him. He needs his own "life" (funny as it sounds, I know), but he needs to socialize and interact with kids. Meet new buddies, have new experiences, meet new adults, see the ground rules of school. Its good for him. I'm probably the most over protective parent there is, and it took me until 4th grade to be comfortable in the fact that my daughter was "away from home", but trust me, he needs this. Your a good Mom for caring so much!

By the way: if you are overly nutty about it as I was, volunteer your time in the class room, or on feild trips, it helps to ease your mind ;)

Answer 11

awwwww its okay. hes growing up

help?

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 12

STOP WORRYING

Answer 13

What makes the schools not as great? When I lived in a city the most dedicated teachers were at the inner city elementary school because they loved it there and they loved making a difference in the lives of kids who needed it.

Wait and see if this school is really that not-so-great. Sometimes a statistically average school has some gems in good teachers and does more innovative programs to improve than the "popular" schools everyone wants their kids in. Those schools don't have to worry about money because they have parents clamoring to send their kids (with their average $6,000 per kid in state aid) to their school.

Less shiny and prestigious schools may want your child more and may be more accommodating to what he needs, whether he needs tutoring and extra help along the way or needs more challenge. He may thrive there being a great achiever in their school where he would be just another number in a popular school where all the kids have helicopter parents doing their projects for them and starting SAT prep in fourth grade.

In the other school there might be artificial grade inflation just to keep said helicopter parents from storming the principal's office in a shrieking rage. I was an assistant at one of those schools and witnessed a mother screaming that the math teacher had "ruined" her daughter's valedictorian status by "giving" her a B+. She was urged to make an appointment with the principal, teacher, and her 18-year-old daughter to go over the numbers and scores and she just kept screaming at the principal to change the grade to an A-.

Do you want these children to be your son's classmates? Because this is getting to be the climate in the "prestigious" schools.

I would say give it a year and see how the school is, how your son likes it, if he made friends there, if the teacher seemed responsive to him and if the first grade teachers have a good reputation, etc.

Answer 14

Calm down! I am a teachers assistant at a public Pre-k center. We see mothers like you all the time. And to be honest with you, you make the kids stress, he is going to be fine! As far as the stranger thing goes involve yourself, she doesn't have to be a stranger. We love parent participation, just make sure you stay away enough that your child can be independent. I am glad that you are moving to a better school district next year but for now he will be just fine! Good luck!