The Parenting Thread • Page 140

My son turns 5 next June so we're now starting to have the discussions about school and Kindergarten. I'm dreading it already and I don't know why. Probably because I'm afraid to make the wrong choice for him, and also because I think we should hold out a year and send him to Kindergarten the year after that when he's already turned 6. Most of the research I know if points to kids who wait rather than get in young tend to do better overall. My wife disagrees so we've had lots of discussions just around that haha.

But then there's all the options. We're both public school teachers so both huge public school proponents, BUT the elementary school curriculum in our district/state SUCKS. It's all built around testing of course so basically they get VERY little social studies and science. Reading/Writing/Math all day. Sucks. So we're also considering a few options. There's a Gifted and Talented program in the district that doesn't just ignore science and social studies, but he'd have to test into that. There's a charter Montessori school down in the city which we would love since he's in Montessori pre-k now. Then there's some private options, including a private montessori school right up the road from us, and another pretty prestigious private school that one of his pre-school friends just transferred to because his mom got a job there and is talking it up to us. Which are expensive but we'd probably get tuition assistance. It would just be nice to not have to pay for school anymore, especially since we'll eventually be picking up another payment when baby number 2 happens.

Sigh. I hate all of this. I just want him to stay 3/4 years old. It's been so fun.

 

Yeah man my daughter just started kindergarten, she’s 5 and a half. Academically she is ready but socially/emotionally I’m not so sure. We decided to roll the dice.

 

My oldest daughter we held back a year because she was supposed to start kindergarten during Covid and would have been online the whole time. She wouldn't even sit on a computer or ipad to talk to family for more than 5 minutes so we knew a whole day of that wasn't going to work. Her birthday is also in June so it was a little easier to make that decision. However, now she is a full year older than some of her classmates and you can tell the difference occasionally and sometimes she gets upset she is a year below her other friends from sports that are her same age. Ultimately I think it was the right decision and will help her out in the long run too

 

See right now I think we're the opposite. Socially/emotionally I think he'd be great, but def not there academically yet. I mean he's only been 4 since June so obviously a lot of time this year to work on the academic things haha, but still. He's very smart and intelligent but also can't read any words yet and doesn't know what sound every letter makes. We really gotta start working with him at home tbh

 

My wife will probably end up homeschooling tbh

 

We will too.

 

Now that my kid goes to daycare he is tired AF from waking up early and goes to bed at 7pm. So I only get to spend about 2 hrs with him per day. Sucks.

 

why

 

Among other reasons, we both work from home and can facilitate it and I'm not really keen on the Prussian model.

 

you'd have to ask her tbh

 

We don't make enough money to drop an income and learn how to be a teacher

 

My son did three years of preschool and didn't start kindergarten until he turned 6 - even though he would have been eligible a year earlier (September birthday). Academically and socially, we feel we made the right decision with him as he is now in third grade and doing very, very well.

We had planned on doing the same with my daughter - who has an August birthday. We were going to send her to preschool for 3 years and then start her in kindergarten as she turned 6...BUT with COVID and her spending so much time at home during what should have been her preschool years and honestly, the preschool around us just generally sucking, we ended up sending her to kindergarten the first year she was eligible and we already regret it (she's now in 1st grade). Academically she's struggling pretty bad and so far this year, she has no interest in school and tell us the day is too long and it's boring and she doesn't want to go. I think the real reason she doesn't want to go is because it's too hard for her right now.

There are piles of studies that show you should always lean on sending them later rather than earlier. Wish we had done that with my daughter.

 

Original due date was today, but my wife is being induced Tuesday. I’m so terrified and anxious and stressed but very excited.

 

it’ll be okay buddy, y’all got this

 

Think of it this way @Joe4th - Your kid is being born into a better world than you. They’ll only know the Lions as a playoff contender for the immediate future.

 

Regarding kindergarten, my son is 5 and just started and seems to enjoy it. But it really seems structured to just learn basic life skills and routines than any academic learning. My son went to a synagogue daycare/preschool from 6 months old until the beginning of the summer and feel like they did more academic things than kindergarten is doing (it's only been two weeks so that might change).

Also, my son goes half day because in my district, full day costs 5,000 a year. Absolutely criminal to charge for full day kindergarten. We decided to just do half day because we feel he's at or beyond where he needs to be.

 

Also think homeschooling could be cool if you do programs with other homeschooled kids in the area. But if it's just you and your kid all day every day, feel like that would be a big negative overall.

 

thats crazy that you don’t have a free full day public school kindergarten!

 

Stoked for you! It's a wild experience

 

My wife was homeschooled until high school and had a really hard time adjusting. You do have to be very diligent about getting them out with other kids as much as possible.

 

This is what we do. They go in person twice a week with other home-schoolers in the program.

 

Daughter was born this morning at 3:52. They had to take her to NICU immediately because she had a bowel movement while being born :( she’s doing okay now and is already off oxygen and is on antibiotics but it’s been a tough day seeing her in there and not being able to hold her. I’m pretty sure they also are going to send us home before she can come too and I’m just sad. I know it’s for the best and it’s what she needs but idk I’m an emotional wreck right now.

 

I’m sorry to hear about the circumstances but congratulations!

 

Today is weirdly enough NICU day, so instagram is flooded with the wins that ward has produced, including my cousins kid. Got the best people in the world looking after her.

 

congrats, sorry about the scariness, here if you need anything!