My two oldest kids didn’t have kindergarten graduation but I’ve noticed it’s that time of year again and several schools around us are doing so. Since this curious ceremony has eluded me my entire life, I’ve been wondering what exactly goes on at a kindergarten graduation. Are there actual caps and gowns? Or just kids wandering around wearing ball caps and dresses? Do the kids write things on top of their graduation hats like high school and college graduates do? Things like, “The real world starts now,” “Party time!” or “NAPS ARE DEAD TO ME!” Is there a valedictorian? Is there one … [Read more...]
Do Kindergartners Really Need an iPad to Learn to Read?
Over the summer we received a letter from my future kindergartner’s school saying ALL kindergartener would be using iPads as part of the regular school day. These “device days” would take place throughout the school year and kids would be encouraged to bring their own tablet from home. They even had an acronym for it: BYOD - Bring Your Own Device. My acronym for BYOD was WTF, but I calmed down a bit and settled on OMG. Why would my kindergartner need to take an iPad to school? All I see her use it for at home is watching YouTube videos of other people opening toys (the pros call it … [Read more...]
What’s an At-Home Parent to Do When the Kids Start School
I’ve been home full-time with my kids for the past five years. This week, my youngest starts kindergarten. Those of you who work full-time may not realize what a huge transition time this is for at-home parents when their kids start school. This is the time we feel judged by people who think we’re home all day doing nothing. (This could be actual judgement from people or what we’ve imagined in our heads, either way, it’s all the same to us.) This is a time when whatever self-imposed pressures and expectations come to light as well. There’s a lot of uncertainty. Maybe that’s why I … [Read more...]
For Whom the School Bell Tolls When Graduation Looms
Yesterday is a blur. It is a convergence of two strong, independent streams crossed by time, so deeply intertwined that hindsight and distance often render them as one. That, of course, is not fair to the individuals bound within. Fortunately, a confluence has a way of splitting again, and two roads are always diverging in the now, stretching well into tomorrow. This is where we stand, with the window of elementary school officially closing behind the last one out, and the boys each moving up an academic notch, to middle and high school, respectively. Between them we shall leave no path … [Read more...]