My oldest has reached the magical age of five and a half and will begin kindergarten very soon. We’ve gotten to enjoy all these new firsts: picking out a backpack, getting the supplies list checked off, and now anxiously await being told which classroom he’ll sit in throughout the next year. In our district, you have an option to go to part-time or full-time kindergarten (for an additional fee). I know some of the other moms who were at the kindergarten open house night in the winter were unsure of how to know if their kiddo was ready for the full day, so I figured I’d share how I came to the conclusion that my son was ready.
Practiced for Kindergarten with Pre-School
Gabe has participated in two years of preschool, both of which were three, half-day programs. As the oldest with twin younger siblings, when he first started school, one of the big perks was just getting to be with other kids his age. He never fought going to school and enjoyed every activity. Most days he would tell me he wished he could stay there longer. Giving him the chance to be independent, meet others and start to understand how to respect the teacher and take directions from someone other than family seemed to be a really great help. When we talk about kindergarten, he does not share anxieties about being away from us, just more interested in what they do, riding the bus for the first time, and for us, figuring out how to handle going #2 at school.
Curiosity
Of course, we all know our kids are the smartest in the room. Mine too – ha! But seriously, at five years old, my son knows more about space, the presidents, and dinosaurs than I’ve ever known. My son has questions. And I’m talking a lot of them. Questions about questions even. Right now, I swear his best friend is Alexa and Siri, and he tries to stump both of them. He demonstrates an interest in learning more and seeking answers on his own. He never seems to slow down or want to stop learning, so having a chance to be actively engaged in learning for an entire day at kindergarten seems to fit his need to know. I was that parent that raised my hand at the kindergarten info night to ask how they handle kids who get things done ahead of others, as my biggest fear is him being made fun of for asking too many questions or getting bored and acting out. Learning patience is important, but I know this first year sets the stage for his relationship toward school in a big way – let’s hope that his curiosity lets him succeed.
Stamina
This was the biggest comment I heard at kindergarten orientation night: “How do we know if our kid has the stamina to make it a full day?” This is something I don’t see an issue with as our family seems to have a lot of energy, and we test that by scheduling full, active days. My son stopped napping by three years old, so he is very able to manage a full days’ activities. If you haven’t yet started to do so, I’d suggest weaning or at least cutting back on naps, but more importantly, plan days that are very stimulating and involve others to see how your kiddo can handle themselves.
Brave
Bravery comes in a few forms when starting down the path of full-day school. First, it’s being away from parents while being in the care of someone that is not family. We’ve been sure to give our son opportunities to do this, showing him that we are always there when the day is over. He’s learned to enjoy the moment, the activity, the people he is with, and also learn how to listen to others (he listens better to other adults than he does to me…but that’s another blog for another day).
The other aspect of bravery is what to do should he be faced with something that is scary and he doesn’t have his mom and dad there to comfort him. We’ve talked about what to do if he doesn’t feel good or the unfortunate experience of having an accident. Many conversations have centered around what to do if someone else isn’t behaving well or even trying to hurt someone. In our house, we discuss safety and all the “what to do ifs” anyway (I’m a big dork), but my son has started to ask about other places he could be, mainly when he’s in his kindergarten classroom. So when he’s calmly asking questions like what to do if there is a fire at school or what should he do if his school bus got in an accident since they don’t wear seatbelts, I know he’s thinking about things now. The approach he has about it shows me that he feels confident he can handle anything that comes his way, and also asks how to help others in need. This is what gives me the most strength to send him on.
Thoughtful
As a big brother, my son has many opportunities to step up and help out. We were blessed enough to have a few teachable moments this summer where he encountered kids who may learn differently than he would and talked about that. He and I discussed how we all have unique and special aspects of ourselves, and we all do some things really great and other things we may struggle with, and that’s ok. When it came to school, we talked about how not all kids may have gone to preschool, so this may be their first time going to school and they could be nervous. My son offered up that he could help them by talking to them or making sure to sit by them. With a girl we met at the park who had a health condition that prevented her from speaking, my son asked about why she may be different, and how she is able to live her life that way. After we talked some more, he said he’d make sure to say hello to anyone he sees at school, no matter if they can say hello back or not. At five years old, yep – I’ll take that. He is a genuinely sweet boy that has always shown an interest in others feeling okay and following everyone else, that I think he’ll be the leader at school as well.
It’s Time…
Let’s be honest – it’s time. Time for me to let my little one grow up and start to take charge and own what he’s into in his own way. I am so excited (though a bit nervous) about how he’ll handle the many new students and faculty he’ll encounter when he starts kindergarten in the fall. My biggest worry is what he may hear from others that could skew his innocent mind and the openness we’ve taught him. He has already shown me he doesn’t notice the color of skin and doesn’t seem to take notice that his parents speak differently (his father with a Turkish accent) – which of course I’m very proud of. I know we’ve raised him to see that everyone has something to offer which we believe will lead him to finding many new friends and being seen as one too.
I raise my coffee to all of us as we get closer to sending our babies on to this next chapter – let another year of firsts begin!
