How Was School Today?

Post 201

A friend mentioned to me recently that she has been having a hard time getting her daughter to tell her any particulars about school. She only tells her the bare minimum and sometimes that’s hard to pull out of her. If your child is the same way, relax, it’s perfectly normal.

First of all, I think we need to remember how tired children are after a long day of school. Think about yourself after work. Frequently it’s the last thing we want to talk about when we get home! Your little one may be the same. Sometimes giving them time to have a snack and decompress before asking much is a good strategy.

You may also hear bits and pieces rather than a list of what went on all at once. My friend finds that more comes out about school when she colors with her daughter. I think that’s a great idea! Her little one is relaxed doing something she likes with her mom and therefore more likely to share.

Another way I have found works is to ask your child specific questions rather than general ones. Instead of “What did you do all day” try something such as “What book did your teacher read today” (there’s always at least one) or “Who did you play with during recess”. Asking something like “Did you get to use markers in Art today” will usually elicit more information than “Did you go to Art today”. Be patient and try not to bombard your child with questions the minute they get home. ( I know…it’s hard! Lol)

Of course, if your little one is one of those who loves to tell you everything about their day, enjoy it! But, if not, don’t give up. Tailor a couple of these ideas to them and they they will eventually share…with a little nudge from you! 😀

Take Care. 🙂

**If you have found a strategy that works with your child…such as the coloring one mentioned…please share it in the comments. We can all get good ideas from each other! Thanks.

Bussing

Post 200

I have been seeing a number of online posts about troubles with buses the first week of school. They’re running late and parents/caretakers are frantic not knowing where their children are. They also are not sure what time to have their little ones at the bus stop in the morning since the buses seem to not be keeping to the schedule they were given.

First of all, give the buses at least two weeks. Drivers are getting used to new routes. Schools are dealing with getting children on the right bus at dismissal. It all takes time but it will get ironed out. My advice is to get to your child’s bus stop a few minutes early for both pick up and drop off. By the end of this week you should have a good idea of what will be an average time for both.

Bus rules are there for a reason. Please encourage your child to adhere to them. We all make sure our little ones use seat belts and keep hands/heads out of the window in our cars. The same goes for the school bus. Frequently bus drivers give the youngest children assigned seats. This is to ensure that they drop off new students at the correct stop. It’s also to make sure that little ones who fall asleep on the bus don’t get overlooked and left on it until the end of the route. (Believe it or not, that happened to one of my Kindergarten students a while back on the very first day of school. He was allowed to sit with friends in the back of the bus, fell asleep, and never got off at his stop. His mom, of course, panicked and called the school, frantic to know where he was. I knew he had gotten on the bus but it wasn’t until the last child was dropped off and the driver checked his bus at the terminal that the child was found. Thank goodness drivers do that before parking the bus and leaving!) If your child isn’t sitting in the front of the bus, you might consider telling them to.

If your child has any problems with other students on the school bus, please speak to the driver. They are your best friend in that situation. Teachers have no control over what happens on the bus after they put their students on. Administration will sometimes get involved but please start with the bus driver first. Give them a chance to help you.

Finally, if your little one is on the school bus with older students, don’t be surprised if they get off at some point using words you’ve never heard come out of their mouth before! My own got off after his first day and told me , “That was a h*** of a ride!” Lol. Needless to say, I told him we don’t use those words. But it happens and it is very innocent when it does.

Hopefully, this will help if you’ve had any bus anxiety. If everything has gone smoothly (or you drive your child or they are a walker), that’s great. That’s one thing that was on your list that you don’t have to worry about!

Take Care. 😀

Welcome To School

Post 199

School starts tomorrow! (That’s in my area of the United States. Your little one may have already started, depending on where you live.) Whether you and your child are excited or apprehensive, a whole new chapter of their life (and yours) is about to begin.

So, they’ve picked out a first day outfit and gotten a new backpack, lunch box and snack holder. You’ve checked the bus schedule (twice) and gotten your child a haircut. What do you do now? RELAX!

Kindergarten is a wonderful time. It’s magical and your child will grow in ways you can’t imagine this year. Even if they are a bit hesitant right now, they will love it.

You, though, probably have conflicting feelings. You are excited for your little one to grow and learn and have new adventures but it is still hard to let them go. They’ve been with you for five years and suddenly someone else will be in charge for six hours a day. If it helps, you are totally normal. We all feel that way when our children start something new. And your child will still be coming home to YOU at the end of the day full of stories about what went on in school. 😀

So, put a smile on your face tomorrow and get them on the bus (don’t give in and drive them). If they see you being confident, it will go a long way in helping them to be confident. And I promise you, no child ever cried in school for the whole day! Any who are upset are so for about five minutes and then get engrossed in what is going on in the classroom. (Believe me, the school would call you if there was a real problem!)

*As a quick note, I’m sure you gotten a list of supplies to send in. They all doh’t have to go into school on the very first day. Send them in a few at a time this week so your child isn’t overly burdened down.

**Also, expect your little one to be very tired after school for the next week or so. New schedules are hard to adjust to!

Enjoy this new adventure with your child and Happy School!

Take Care. 🙂