I thought I was being a smart mom. The other day, I took my almost-kindergartener and her three older siblings to the school playground. I figured this would be a fun way to introduce my youngest to her recess wonderland a month prior to school starting.
The experience was fun enough. She hung from the bars, tried out the balance beams, and went down the slides. When we were walking hand-in-hand to the car, she proclaimed it was “so much fun.” But in the few days that followed, she was a mess — clingy, cried easily, and easily angered. It hit me that no matter how our typically easygoing, excited kids are, if they’ve spent much of their childhood sheltered at home during the pandemic, school is going to be a harsh reality check.
Like many parents, our children’s pandemic preschool years weren’t at all typical
I decided that my daughter wouldn’t attend preschool masked and distanced. I work from home, so I opted to keep her home, teaching her some of the pre-kindergarten skills. I am thankful for the days we had together — reading, playing games, learning to use scissors and hold a pencil — while listening to jazz and sipping tea.
Her school experience is one of learning alongside mom. Despite having three older siblings, going to kindergarten with 20 peers her own age is going to be tough, requiring major adjustments. I can teach her how to sound out words, but she didn’t learn to stand in a line without touching others or raising her hand to ask a question.
I’m trying my best to help her warm up to kindergarten
We’ve been reading tons of books about going to school and enjoying the adventures kindergarten will bring. All talk is positive talk — that kindergarten is a “big kid” experience that’s exciting. We’ve pumped her up for lunch, complete with a lunch box she unzips herself. Recess? Who doesn’t love recess? Thus, the visit to the school playground.
I’ve stocked up clothing she finds comfortable but is also functional for kindergarten. Forget about snaps and zippers. The more that can be pulled on quickly, the better. Together, we chose a pink backpack, her favorite color, big enough to accommodate her daily take-home folder.
We’ve told her she’s going to make tons of friends, practiced how to include others, and reminded her when she needs to ask a teacher for assistance. However, I’m well aware that no matter how much we prepare and remind her, kindergarten after two years at home is going to be a bit of shock.
It’s never easy to send a child to kindergarten — but for our COVID-kids, kindergarten is going to be drastically different than what our older kids experienced. Are any of us really prepared? None of us know what this year will hold. Will there be many more changes in policies and procedures due to the ever-changing virus? (If you’re like me, you’re praying there will not be remote learning again.)
I’m experienced enough to know that we have to take this year in stride, being flexible and forgiving
Easier said than done, right? However, if we want our kids to have a good school year, the positivity and preparedness starts with us. Then we wait and see what happens next.
