This morning hubby and I got my son out the door for the bus and then my daughter off to preschool. We notified her teacher and the director of the preschool that we'd be picking her up after only an hour because the school district had scheduled us for her kindergarten pre-screening. We went home and threw breakfast down our throats and went back to pick her up. After getting to the school my daughter began to panic. She was terrified and kept hiding behind me. They were going to take her off to different stations to test her level of abilities and motor skills while we got to watch an informative and entertaining (not) video telling us what to expect. Ummm been there, done that.
Well nothing went as planned. We sat down with a teacher in the large gym and she was terrified and began to cry. Within a few minutes of trying to coax her to cooperate it seemed we put a monkey wrench in their uber schedule because the Assistant principal came over and asked if I wanted to reschedule a time alone so she wouldn't be overwhelmed. NO!! I love my daughter but TOUGH! You see, she will HAVE to go to school and will HAVE to get used to these things and letting her manipulate this (which is a phase she's in) would only strengthen her resolve that she was right and I was wrong and I should listen to her more often. OH heck NO!! I kept the wolves at bay trying to get her to start to participate in the 'that's a red block, that's a blue triangle' stuff. Finally my son's kindergarten teacher came over to work with her. My daughter knows her but I'm not her biggest fan with what she put my son through last year. But I zipped my lip and let her take her off to a smaller room with us and got what needed to be done done.
Still my daughter didn't do half as well as she would have done if she had just calmed down but she FINALLY did finish it. *phew* That's station one of 3. I know.
We had her sit down to make a bear out of paper to wait for the next station (language.) I got to fill out an 'oh so much fun' questionaire where they want you to tell them the weaknesses of your child (I KID YOU NOT!) Of course my daughter has NO weaknesses except for she was nervous. End of story and that's what I wrote .... so stick it!
She did great on the language station (except rhyming words) and began to come out of her shell. Waiting for the motor skills station she was full blown peanut. Hopping on one foot, laughing and greeting other kids. One of the teachers said, "Boy, she's a completly different girl." I replied, "Yep this is the real Peanut." Of course I said her name but you get the idea.
As it turned out in motor skills she crushed! She could cut better than my husband and her printing is leaps and bounds ahead of her brother (who hubby said writes like him. LOL)
She was singing and dancing on the way out and got her goodie bag decorated by the 4th graders. After getting her coat on she said, "That was fun."
*note a big exhale here of frustration, stress and complete mental exhaustion.*
Thank god the new school year is months and months away. *phew*
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7 comments:
Is this public school? And what do they do with the information? Do they seperate children by skill/maturity? Because if so, they are worlds ahead of the system here where you have children who can not write their name in the same class with kids who are starting to read.
This is a public school and in the two years since my son started it's become a bit more advanced. I'm not sure how they use the information. I know they might suggest speech class for those who need it or special other classes if needed.
My son is working ahead in his class and while they are doing addition and subtraction he can do multiplication. His teacher has him on one of the computers along with two other kids working ahead.
Mom always knows.
Which is the one thought that always cause ME the most stress...
I have two boys, is this what I have to look forward to? I best prepare myself a year ahead of time. Breath, no yelling, relax, relate, release!
Mike.... I like to think I do but I've been down this kindergarten road with my son and am skeptical of the motives of the educators to pigeon hole my kids.
Augs casa... both of my kids have been through preschool and my daughter told me both years the first day "Go mommy. I want you to leave." So separation anxiety she doesn't have. But she is in a phase right now that I hope subsides before the big yellow bus pulls up to take her and my boy away the first day. Just know they need to learn ALL their letters including printing them uppercase, their numbers, concepts like over under, beside, on top behind... blah blah. They have to be able to print because in first grade they start to learn to write personal narratives and really early geometry. That has been what the school here requires. Preschool was a god-send because they know the pre-k curriculum.
Good to hear that she broke through her anxiety....
Hey, I am totally with you on toughing it through t he process. if you lose the battles you lose the war. She will do great.
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