Noah is now four years old.
Last year, I sent him to 3K at a preschool – for many reasons.
It was quite lovely.
This year, he is doing 4K at home – for many reasons. It will be lovely.
Dear God please let it be lovely.
We’re four weeks in, but that first week had a massive rollercoaster of emotions – for all involved. Herein lies the steps that a mother goes through when transitioning between homeschooling one very studious child and homeschooling two children, one of which is…not so studious.
1. Anticipation: The glee and excitement of First Day of School pictures. Because two students makes this opportunity so much more adorable!
Noah. Smile like a normal human. Ali. Look at me, not your alien-smile brother.
Hold your sign down. I can’t see your smile.
Thank you. Now smile.
Not bad. Hold your sign a little higher please.
I said a LITTLE.
Put your head down. Hold your sign up.
Okay fine. Good enough.
(Drops the Mic)
2. Excitement Building: The presentation, and following thrill, of the rewards sheet.
You, dear child, will get to earn REWARDS with your AWESOME school achievements!!
3. Realization: The adorable promise of a student doing their first assignment: this year is going to rock.
4. Darker Realization: the older child is going to have trouble paying attention when I’m talking to the younger child. How do teachers teach more than one child at a time? This seems completely impractical.
5. Shock: SECONDBORNS ARE SO MUCH LESS DEVOTED STUDENTS THAN FIRSTBORNS.
6. Baffledness: What does one do when the four-year-old realizes that he has the power within him to simply…not do school?
“Yeah, I’m not doing school today, Mom. It’s really just not fun.”
A dark power indeed.
7. Strategy Shift: FaceTime with Principal Daddy.
8. The Abomination of Convenient Memory.
“But I forgot how to do that.”
“You KNOW EXACTLY how to do this, son.”
“I weewy weewy forgot!”
9. Justification:
“Eh, 4K isn’t that important. Right? He’ll be able to get a job…somewhere…without 4K.”
10. This Feeling. For Everyone.
We’re working on strategies to make school more fun and palatable for everyone. Educational iPad games are a big part of that, as they were for Ali at the age of four. He will live. As will I. Dear God please let me live through 4K.
….. I have parked Ryan at the end of the table with numerous workbooks that require little to no explanation. They take him max 20 minutes to motor thru and then i let him run wild. He is learning numbers, alphabet, colours and shapes. Thats it. Thats all I got.
And with all the upheaval we have had this year Tendai is still only 2/3-3/4 of the way thru Kindergarten… sigh. SOOO we are trying to focus on the most important stuff (alphabet and writing, math and science and throwing in some reading when we can. Really want to start Gr 1 before Christmas!!!
Number 5 – he is a boy. Number 6 – he is a boy. Number 8 – he is a boy. He is a BOY!!!!!! Lots of luck and prayers you all survive.
Number 6. Oh, number 6. When my son’s kindergarten teacher suggests we can do things like work on his handwriting at home, I might smile and nod, but inside I am bracing myself for The Cold War of school work. Child just shuts down. Nope, not doing it for Mom. He’ll do it for his teacher, or a tutor, but me? Forget it. I mean, logically I know it’s just kindergarten. But these days it seems like people judge kindergarteners like they judge Harvard law students. “Oh your son is struggling with writing his name? Well, my five year old just crushed the Mensa exam.”
*facepalm*facepalm*facepalm*
You are way more dedicated than I am. I figured if they know their letters/sounds, colors, shapes, numbers at that age (which all three of mine have with little to no instruction on my part) then their most important job is playing. Sure we do a few cheap workbooks when they are interested, but if not I let them go play.
I have been shocked by how basic the Kindergarten material for S has been, exactly what I think my preschoolers should know. Her current math unit is “Count to Five”. Seriously?? My 3 year old can do all of her work!
You’re probably completely right. It’s hard when they’re four years back to scale your mind back to 4K when you’re living in Third Grade world – I’m probably expecting WAY too much out of him – quite accidentally! I’ll try to calm down. :-)
Oh God bless you for this! My kids seem to have similar temperaments to yours and I could not handle this!