Quail_Antwerp: Words from the Barnyard...

[hillfarm]

Head start is paid x amount of dollars per kid that is present for the day. If your kid is missing it costs them money. Same as in public schools, all about the dough.

So their motivation for being jerks is money. sadly.

 

[Farmfresh]

Another vote for your little boy to stay home.

Sounds like this is stressing him, probably the reason for the accidents. He can have a great head start right at home!

Now come on baby!

 

[abifae]

Yep. I vote for home. Just stressing him and he'll dread school before he gets into regular classes. Give him more time to enjoy being a kid before they ruin him.

Did that sound bitter? Did I mention how much I despise public school? lol

 

[Britesea]

Sounds like the head start people are insensitive jerks. Kids do not have that great of control when they are that age. By the time they realize they have to go, THEY HAVE TO FREAKING GO!!

That! Here, we keep a small potty next to the big potty. He'll pee in the big potty, but thinks he needs the little potty to poo. And he almost (I won't say never) never has an accident at home. ONCE he did pee on our floor ON PURPOSE because he thought it was funny. At home, too, we cheer for him when he makes it to the potty. I'm not so sure they do that there. It's a big accomplishment here, using the potty, and we make a big deal of it.

And he was by far the easiest of ALL my kids to potty train! We're in week 2 of underwear only - even at night!

Anyway, on a brighter note, a neighbor just stopped by and gave us some things for Baby Girl and she had purchased a new shirt for my oldest DD for school! Very pretty t-shirt with butterflies on it for school! She then asked DD if she'd like a nice pair of boots or jacket for Christmas. lol

In the bag of baby stuff is an infant tub. Never had one before, never used on, so not sure if I will use it or not??? Do those come in handy?

The tub could be useful if you have a large enough surface to put it on so you don't have to bend over to bathe your baby. We didn't, so I just used the sink in the bathroom (although sometimes it was interesting trying to avoid the faucet).

 

[FarmerJamie]

Good luck today!!!!!

 

[Farmfresh]

Yep. I vote for home. Just stressing him and he'll dread school before he gets into regular classes. Give him more time to enjoy being a kid before they ruin him.

Did that sound bitter? Did I mention how much I despise public school? lol

I have seen that a lot as a teacher. Sometimes the best thing you can do for a kid is not to push.

Look at it this way as well ... his world is about to be turned upside down with the baby added to the family. It is far better, in my opinion, that he is made to feel valuable in helping with this baby instead of possibly feeling like he is getting shipped off and replaced. NOW I KNOW that is NOT what is happening, but to a little guy it might feel that way.

 

[BeccaOH]

Yep. I vote for home. Just stressing him and he'll dread school before he gets into regular classes. Give him more time to enjoy being a kid before they ruin him.

Did that sound bitter? Did I mention how much I despise public school? lol

I have seen that a lot as a teacher. Sometimes the best thing you can do for a kid is not to push.

Look at it this way as well ... his world is about to be turned upside down with the baby added to the family. It is far better, in my opinion, that he is made to feel valuable in helping with this baby instead of possibly feeling like he is getting shipped off and replaced. NOW I KNOW that is NOT what is happening, but to a little guy it might feel that way.

I know your little guy liked the "idea" of school and copying his older siblings. I know he misses them when they are away, but I tend to agree with these ladies. He seems stressed about going on the bus and staying at school. He'll soon have more stress with Mommy away at the hospital and the added baby. And though it would be more convenient to have him in school while you are settling in with the new babe, it may not be the best emotional thing for DS to be separated from the home at that time.

 

[lorihadams]

I agree....sounds like it is causing him more stress than it is worth at this point.

 

[savingdogs]

My youngest son was just non ready for kindergarden at age five. I (dumbly) sent him anyway. It wasn't the potty training, it was his attention span, but we ended up having to repeat kindergarden with him because he was "just beginning to have beginning kindergarden skills" at the very end of the year. This is a bright child, no disabilities, no issues with potty training.

I'm so thankful now that we held him back, he is still not as mature as many of his classmates despite being a year younger. Our other two were precocious so we did not expect this at all, but we are soooooooooooo glad that his first teacher and I had that "chat" at the end of the year and had him repeat grade K.

Had I realized it was going to happen, however, I would have just not sent him to school that year and done some sort of recreational class or something for socialization with other kids. Over the years I've heard many people say that boys are not as mature as girls at age 4-6 and sometimes it is better for boys to be a little older when they begin school. My son is also very short for his age (family trait) so this makes him the same size as the other kids, which really helped when we were having trouble with a bully a few years later.

My middle child was also a very short boy and he began school at age five and did fine, but every child is unique.

 

[abifae]

I don't think I started school til second grade.

And I started ditching that year. I would just leave and walk home. Third grade, I discovered I could call myself in sick.