Susan James said:I don't think that's the whole story, though. Usually, all that restless energy comes from not having enough physical activity during the day. 😠
Personally, I see staying in preschool a little longer as a huge plus. I mean, if you look at those daycare centers where kids get to go outside twice a day to run around and climb on things... they can stay active even without a formal sports program built into the curriculum.
At our local elementary school, if the weather holds up—meaning it isn't knee-deep mud or pouring rain—they go out at least once, sometimes twice a day. But kids in preschool? Sometimes they don't go out at all, even when the weather is perfectly fine.
Susan James said:From what I understand, the whole excuse note situation varies quite a bit depending on the school district, and even more so depending on the individual teacher. According to this year's handbook, parents have to sign off on medical excuses, but the actual number of days a parent can justify without a doctor's note is pretty small🤷
What I meant was, school is a commitment—it's not like daycare. It actually just hit me that we won't be back in the States for two months🤷 Even for someone like me, who doesn't hold any strong opinions about schooling, I'm not the type to pull my kid out of class just because I feel like traveling or because I have a gap in my work schedule and want to bring them along...
Yesterday, I was chatting with some people who didn't get early enrollment last year (around the same time of year). What was driving them was actually the finances; they were talking about their bills and how much easier school makes their household budget this year. It honestly surprised me that people calculate how much cheaper school is compared to other options😕, because I've always felt that the older kids get, the more expensive everything becomes.
School isn't cheaper.😁 After-school care$67 Food is $180-$200 depending on how many days they attend.
Plus there's everything else at school: field trips, art supplies, nature outings, museums, theater trips... you're looking at spending at least $17 every single week on something. Compare that to daycare: the occasional pack of cups ($2.00), a pack of wet wipes ($5.00), maybe a show here and there ($20-$8.25).
Then there's sports for both kids (totaling $100 since they go to the same program, so the second child is half price) plus extra sports activities for the little one in daycare ($67).
Daycare + activities = $200 School + activities = $200
I’ve had two different experiences here- My oldest was born on April 7th. He practically begged to start school early because he was already bored out of his mind in preschool; he could already read and write, though he absolutely hated coloring. He breezed through all the assessments, but the teachers advised against it, suggesting he should just keep playing for a bit.. That ended up causing issues once he actually started school, mainly because he would get frustrated having to write lists of five animals or repetitive vocabulary over and over again (since he’d basically spent two years doing "school" work in preschool). Either he knew everything instantly and finished his work way too fast because it was mindless, or he’d just end up distracting the rest of the class. 😁 Now, toward the end of second grade, things have finally leveled out because the curriculum has actually become challenging enough to pique his interest.
My younger one is a completely different kid temperamentally—much more patient and level-headed. We are currently looking into early enrollment for him (born May 6th). He handled the Tetsov assessments brilliantly. His focus is actually better than his older brother's, and so is his persistence. He has this real sense of responsibility; he remembers and tracks everything that happens to him (something his older brother still occasionally struggles with)..
The oldest is still playing most of the time; the only real obligation he takes seriously is his reading assignments. Honestly, I don't think he'll lose anything by starting this year. There's zero challenge for him in preschool; they mostly just play board games like Sorry! 😁 and he finds it incredibly boring....
I actually find managing a school-aged child much easier than a preschooler (even though I thought it would be the exact opposite). We drop him off in the morning since it's on our way to work, and he just comes home on his own to grab a snack. You don't need to write a formal apology for being absent for a couple of days. I just jot a note in the parent communication log explaining why he wasn't there and clarify that we didn't visit a doctor. In the lower grades, missing a few days for travel isn't even an issue (some friends were just away for 12 days in Thailand, and my boy didn't miss anything significant at all)..
To be fair, 😉 I don't have any progress photos from when I started about six weeks ago (this is my first time ever actually lifting weights). My focus has been primarily on lower body training—since sitting at a desk all day combined with being less active during the winter months is a recipe for disaster. I'm 32 years old, 5'11", and 152 lbs. I manage to hit the gym 2-3 times a week, though my schedule rarely allows for more than that. I think I still need to drop about 6 or 7 lbs; in my opinion, hitting somewhere between 150-154 lbs would be my sweet spot. At this point, I feel like I don't really need to focus on bulking up anymore.😬
Larry Walker24 said:Wait, there's actually such a thing as a kids' Mass?! Never heard of that. What's the big difference?
Usually, you just get the youth choir and a few more altar servers. Everything else stays the same. It really just depends on the specific parish. The service here starts at 6:30 PM, though we haven't made it out yet.
I would have preferred to go on my own; frankly, I don't believe religious studies belong in the public school system at all.
It breaks my heart that kids feel like they "have" to attend Mass. The church needs to find a way to actually engage them, because right now, service is just boring for kids. They can't follow what the priest is preaching about, it drags on forever, and they're expected to sit there perfectly still and silent the whole time. I honestly don't know a single child who attends Mass because they actually want to be there. They either go because their parents drag them along to check a Sunday box, or they're forced to show up just so they can receive their sacraments.
We’ve officially entered the era of First Communion prep in our neighborhood... second graders are already being sent to religious education classes at the church twice a month, plus regular Mass attendance if they want to be eligible for their sacraments in third grade.
I was honestly floored when we received the invitation to the parent meeting regarding First Communion.
And then, get this—the priest actually has the nerve to claim that the religious curriculum taught at school has absolutely nothing to do with the church.
I agree that every kid is wired differently. My own isn't exactly thrilled about the idea of being left to his own devices, yet the moment he's actually alone, he claims he's having the time of his life. Boredom is an absolute inevitability, so they really need to experience it occasionally; it’s a vital lesson in learning how to entertain themselves (which is a massive struggle for my kids)
In fact, my son has actually cooked up some brilliant ideas and projects just because he was bored out of his mind. And let's be real—I wouldn't expect the nanny I hire to spend all 8 or 10 hours of her shift acting as his personal cruise director🤷.
rowdypanther12 said:I've been thinking about this for a few years now—what would it actually take to start an after-school program through parent-led initiatives and private funding? It feels like something that could really gain traction here if we pushed for it.
The school has to actually have the staff and the physical space available before the Department of Education will even consider approving it. That’s how it worked in my district.
Well, look at that—finally getting a straight answer from a rhino. 😁
rowdypanther12 said:I'm curious about what the total cost might look like. I'm thinking about paying for someone to pick up my kid, handle meals, and help guide them through their homework 😁 while they're under supervision all day during school breaks . I don't have all the details yet, obviously—it's hard to say how much an 8.5-year-old can actually handle, but I'm sure they won't be able to focus for ten hours straight every single day .
We really underestimate them. 🙂
I didn't have anyone else to leave my kids with. At our local daycare center, there are 27 groups spread across two buildings, but in the summer, only about 4 or maybe 6 groups are even active. I only have two kids per year.
I can't rely on other parents to help with childcare. And the prices for private daycare or sitters are just insane—starting at $1,500 and going way up from there.
My child started coming home from school starting in the second week of first grade; he'd head to the convenience store or the bakery and was totally fine being home by himself for nine hours.
He’d sleep in a bit later, eat, watch some cartoons, work on crafts, or tackle some printed worksheets... he actually enjoyed it.
Maya, mine could easily stay in after-school care until we pick him up at 4:30, but he’s still over at the daycare center... and honestly, he hasn't been in the after-school program since 3rd grade.
He was there almost all summer, basically all day long.
I went through the exact same thought process as you and really hesitated, but I ultimately decided on the daycare center. They actually get things sorted out there, they'll explain things again if someone is confused, and the kids can just play; besides, after-school care is his absolute favorite part of the school day.
dustycobra22, just so you know, you can experience bleeding after giving birth that feels exactly like a period, but it’s actually just hormonal fluctuations rather than your cycle returning. I dealt with some spotting about three months postpartum, and my doctor explained it wasn't my actual period because my uterine lining hadn't thickened enough yet. He predicted my first real period wouldn't show up for another three or four months... and sure enough, it finally arrived at the four-month mark.
frozenrider15 said:We didn't postpone anything. My kid was born in early April, so she’ll be starting kindergarten at seven and a half. If she were the standard age for this school year, she would have been enrolled already. Academically? She’s ready. Emotionally? I think she’d catch up quickly. As for social maturity... well, she’d just have to navigate things with whatever tools she currently possesses—socializing isn't exactly her superpower. But honestly, I think she’d survive 😁
To be perfectly blunt, I'm actually relieved it's just me benefiting from her staying home. I'm simply not ready to face the onslaught of school obligations yet 😁
It was the exact same situation for us. He actually wanted to start school at six and a half; he even went to his preschool testing on his own and passed, but we decided it was better to wait until this year. We didn't even have to file for a deferment because he wasn't legally required to start last year since he was born in early April.
I honestly don't know how much delaying school entry actually impacts maturity or independence if kids are still stuck in daycare or just hanging out at home with someone. They aren't making any decisions or taking responsibility for anything because someone else is always doing it for them. Mine was right on the edge—born just a week after the cutoff—so he’s starting kindergarten at seven and a half. To be perfectly honest, I don't see any difference in his maturity or independence compared to last year. If anything, he seems to be improving. He still asks me "What now?!" every single day after brushing his teeth, and I have to remind him to wash his hands after using the bathroom—something he was already doing back when he was two! The kid just keeps coming up with wilder and wilder ideas, and frankly, it’s starting to freak me out a bit.😁
On the flip side, when he actually wants something—like when he hears a movie or a show is coming out—he knows the exact date and time and takes care of it himself. And even if there's a delay in getting them into school, so be it. They need to experience some things on their own.
Kate Morgan14 said:My kid is starting at a school where they only offer after-school care for first graders—which is going to be a massive headache down the road. I definitely can't leave her home alone once she hits second grade. Honestly, I don't trust her to just sit there, get herself ready, and actually focus on schoolwork when she gets home in the afternoon. Plus, I really don't want her spending half the day just rotting in front of a screen. Look, I don't mind if she spends some time on a tablet or watching cartoons—that’s fine—but I refuse to let her spend five hours every single day glued to a device instead of doing homework, studying, or actually playing. It’s a dilemma. I’ll likely end up paying for an after-school program or asking my mom to help out, though that's easier said than done since she lives quite a distance away from us.
She's going to do that regardless of whether she's supervised or not. 🙂 We did the exact same thing, and we were left home alone from the very first day of school (we didn't do any after-school programs). It seems perfectly normal to me.
Obviously, she shouldn't be allowed to *only* do that while she's home alone, but I truly believe we need to give these kids a bit more breathing room.
My husband has been running a fever for 2 to 3 hours at a time, and this is already the fifth time this month. His temperature hits 100 degrees, he deals with chills, and then it just drops on its own. That’s it. His doctor is completely stumped on where to even begin. He had bloodwork done three weeks ago and everything came back normal. Now she’s sent him back for more tests and a chest X-ray because he’s been coughing for a while, even though she can't hear anything when she listens to his lungs.
Has anyone here dealt with something similar or had any experiences like this?
Whenever I ovulate, I usually feel a twinge on my right side—specifically my right ovary. Sometimes it’s a sharp ache, other times it's just a dull sensation. You really need to keep a close eye on it and track exactly when that pain kicks in and how long it lingers. In most cases, though, it's perfectly normal to feel sensations on both sides.
The first time this happened was last month. I called my OB-GYN, but she wasn't available. Based on when my last period started, my sister suggested it was probably just ovulation and told me to head into the clinic if it didn't let up within two days. That was day 10 of my cycle, whereas my ovulation usually hits around day 14 or 16—plus, I typically feel my ovaries acting up, which didn't happen at all last month.
