School closures/delays?

Richard Morris43 said:And trust me on this one, I really do😵 :panic-mode:

Honestly, so many people just flat-out ignore what the experts say, and they'll tell me that every single kid is somehow "ready" whenever it suits them.

If the professionals say he's ready—and if he’s actually excited about his schoolwork and talking about wanting to start school—how do you think he’ll feel if you tell him he can't go just because you personally feel he isn't prepared?

You’re totally right, and honestly, I’m being a complete lunatic for spiraling like this over nothing. Thanks to everyone for the reality check and all the advice

rowdypanther12 said:If the professionals say he's ready—and if he’s actually excited about his schoolwork and talking about wanting to start school—how do you think he’ll feel if you tell him he can't go just because you personally feel he isn't prepared?

True. You might not have to say it bluntly... but you're definitely going to have to explain why he isn't going.

Richard Morris43 said:You’re totally right, and honestly, I’m being a complete lunatic for spiraling like this over nothing. Thanks to everyone for the reality check and all the advice

The kid wants to go to school. 😉 If things get bumpy, you can just deal with them as they come... and honestly, there's always going to be stuff to figure out next year too, whether it's this or something else.
What would you say to sending a kid to school when they clearly aren't feeling it?
This was ages ago... but maybe it helps to hear.
My mom wanted me to start school early (not sure why... doesn't matter), and I wasn't some genius or anything. I couldn't even read yet. (To be fair, hardly anyone could back then... not like now.)
During my interview, they asked if I wanted to go to school or if I was excited... and I just told them no, that my mom was forcing me.
They decided I was ready anyway and sent me in early, so I was one of the youngest kids in class. Turns out, I didn't have any issues at all.

James Cox6 said:Mine was born on June 15, 2009...
We aren't required to enroll next year, but I have to say—my friends living abroad are genuinely baffled by how I can send my kid to school at 7 years and 3 months instead of 6 years and 3 months. Apparently, in the rest of the Western world, they start earlier... (and I’ve already made it clear: no way am I sending them in at 6 years and 3 months)

Now, kill me if I don't get it—I just can't figure out what stops parents in this country from starting kids early, when in neighboring countries, it's basically the standard practice🤷

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education...at-school.html

Richard Morris43 said:And another thing... we're all just sitting here waiting for some big-shot expert to come along and solve the mystery of why the curriculum feels so bloated 🙂

Plus, honestly, after being at the testing site earlier, out of those eight kids, not a single one could actually read, so now I'm wondering about the whole mystery of how kids are supposed to be "ready" for school when they can barely string a sentence together.

If you’re actually looking at what kids in grades 1 through 4 are tackling in the US right now, I honestly don't see how anyone could call it "too hard"—it’s definitely not significantly tougher than what used to be expected back in the day...
For instance, right now, first graders are working on addition and subtraction up to 20 in math, practicing their reading and writing in English—they've already mastered all the print letters—and in social studies, they're learning the differences between rural and urban life.
Then you've got second graders doing multiplication and division in math, a little bit of everything in English, and learning about traffic and road safety in social studies. That's just what's been covered over the last few months.

Does that really sound difficult to everyone? Like, way too much? Or...?

I mean, I guess... I just see that most kids already know a ton of this stuff before they even get to class... so, the material feels a bit... well, light...
And despite all those workbooks, worksheets, textbooks, and practice books they have, most students breeze through them so fast that they actually need extra problems assigned just so they have something to do during class instead of sitting there dying of boredom.

Richard Morris43 said:And another thing... we're all just sitting here waiting for some big-shot expert to come along and solve the mystery of why the curriculum feels so bloated 🙂

Plus, honestly, after being at the testing site earlier, out of those eight kids, not a single one could actually read, so now I'm wondering about the whole mystery of how kids are supposed to be "ready" for school when they can barely string a sentence together.

hehehe... please, that's just total fiction. Don't fall for those stories, people.
Kids don't know how to read, and frankly, they shouldn't have to before they even step foot in a classroom.
They'll learn everything they need to know—but they're gonna learn it in school.

I’ve actually got the exact opposite example from my neck of the woods. I just found out that in our crazy school system, kids born on March 31st and April 1st of the same year are treated as if there’s an entire year between them. The kid born on March 31st is supposed to start kindergarten a full year earlier than the one born on April 1st. If they both end up starting at the same time, then either one started way too early or the other was held back a whole year. It makes zero sense.
A friend of my son’s was born right at the beginning of April, and now his mom is asking for him to be tested for school placement because she truly believes he’s ready. She lived abroad for a long time, so her parenting philosophy is a bit different from the typical American approach. She isn't interested in keeping him in this bubble of a protected, perfect little world where everything is smoothed over—which includes delaying school—because she thinks that kind of upbringing won't prepare him for the "real" world. You could argue about that philosophy all day (maybe in a different thread!), but what really floored me was how the entire preschool staff basically revolted just to stop this "crazy" mom from enrolling him a year ahead of schedule. Everyone is completely shocked by her request; they’ve never dealt with anything like it in their lives. But here’s the kicker: if the kid had been born just a couple of days earlier, it would have been totally normal for him to start school, and if the mother didn't want him to go, she’d just have to file for a deferment. Isn't that absolutely absurd?

Yeah, I know a few kids who started out that way, and nobody really thought twice about it. I actually gave it some thought myself—my little one is 4 months old now, so I was wondering if waiting until 6 or 7 months might have been better.

rowdypanther12 said:Yeah, I know a few kids who started out that way, and nobody really thought twice about it. I actually gave it some thought myself—my little one is 4 months old now, so I was wondering if waiting until 6 or 7 months might have been better.

I’ve seen plenty of cases where kids start school ahead of schedule. For instance, I have a girl in my third-grade class right now who was born late in May. Intellectually? She’s right on par with everyone else. But emotionally? She’s still catching up. It wasn't even that obvious back in first grade, but now it’s glaringly apparent.

When I was stuck in that tug-of-war over whether to enroll my daughter early, almost everyone gave me the same advice: "Let her play for another year. School isn't going anywhere." Since they knew she was a bit shy and easily overwhelmed, they used that as their main argument. In the end, I listened to them.

Given how rigid the American education system can be, I have zero desire to throw my child into the meat grinder before she's ready in every sense of the word. Why rush? Still, the doubt was there. I worried she might just sit around bored in preschool for an extra year. Only time will tell if I made the right call.

I've decided to go with 7:30. Honestly, I can't think of a single reason why I'd need to head into school any earlier than that.

Maybe it’s just a little too early to call it, don't you think?

rowdypanther12 said:I've decided to go with 7:30. Honestly, I can't think of a single reason why I'd need to head into school any earlier than that.

Look, let's be real. There isn't some magic guarantee that a kid will actually thrive in school, regardless of when they start. Just thinking about the logistics makes me feel nauseous 😁 because I have no clue how we're supposed to juggle all those requirements when there aren't enough hours in the day as it is. Fine, that’s a whole different conversation. But basically? I’d gladly spare myself (and my husband, obviously) another year of that academic headache if I could.😁

hiddendriver34 said:Maybe it’s just a little too early to call it, don't you think?

Not really. I think she'll definitely be intellectually ready, and likely emotionally capable enough to handle school too. But I still don't see the point in starting her a year ahead of schedule just so she ends up being alone for more than half the day when she's seven and a half—which would only happen in first grade. Plus, she'd be the only one from her preschool group heading off to kindergarten.
That would probably mean moving her to a different preschool class anyway, rather than just having them work on kindergarten prep worksheets with her.
Most importantly, I feel like having an extra year without the pressure of schoolwork will just help her hit the ground running once she actually starts.

frozenrider15 said:Look, let's be real. There isn't some magic guarantee that a kid will actually thrive in school, regardless of when they start. Just thinking about the logistics makes me feel nauseous 😁 because I have no clue how we're supposed to juggle all those requirements when there aren't enough hours in the day as it is. Fine, that’s a whole different conversation. But basically? I’d gladly spare myself (and my husband, obviously) another year of that academic headache if I could.😁

School doesn't really worry me at all 😂 I'm not sure why, but I just don't get the feeling it's going to be stressful for me 😂

rowdypanther12 said:School doesn't really worry me at all 😂 I'm not sure why, but I just don't get the feeling it's going to be stressful for me 😂

Well, I don't know about you... I look at my kid right now. She’s six. She’s seeing a speech therapist twice a week. Then there’s the homework, where we have to drill that "r" sound. She knocks out her phonics work in under ten minutes, but then we spend another ten trying to practice specific words—assuming she doesn't melt down first. It’s a coin toss whether she stays focused or just hits a wall. And I make sure we tackle the homework the very same day she sees the specialist, which is an absolute grind because by the time we pull into the driveway, it’s already 7:00 PM and everyone is basically ready to crash in the tub or pass out.

And that’s just the pre-school stuff. Think about the actual school year: the homework, the studying, the required reading lists, the massive group projects (where parents end up doing all the heavy lifting, obviously 😁), the daily reading drills... damn, I’m already starting to feel the panic. It’s not even about forcing her to do it—I doubt I’ll be that strict—it’s about the sheer math of it all. When are we actually going to find the time?

I’m not entirely sure, but I think for first grade, if we get home by 5:00, she’ll have most of her schoolwork finished already. For second grade, she’ll probably tackle her homework on her own right after school, so we can just spend the afternoon going over anything she finds tricky.
maybe that’s just how little Johnny imagines it working out, but I really hope it goes that way.😁

Why does it feel like there are always so many projects popping up at the last minute? It seems like everyone is complaining about them lately.
I actually lost my cool at daycare the other day because they sent home a note asking us to bring something in tomorrow. I was already starving, so I had to run out to a damn 7-Eleven just to grab something. Stuff like that just completely throws me off balance. 😂

frozenrider15 said:Well, I don't know about you... I look at my kid right now. She’s six. She’s seeing a speech therapist twice a week. Then there’s the homework, where we have to drill that "r" sound. She knocks out her phonics work in under ten minutes, but then we spend another ten trying to practice specific words—assuming she doesn't melt down first. It’s a coin toss whether she stays focused or just hits a wall. And I make sure we tackle the homework the very same day she sees the specialist, which is an absolute grind because by the time we pull into the driveway, it’s already 7:00 PM and everyone is basically ready to crash in the tub or pass out.

And that’s just the pre-school stuff. Think about the actual school year: the homework, the studying, the required reading lists, the massive group projects (where parents end up doing all the heavy lifting, obviously 😁), the daily reading drills... damn, I’m already starting to feel the panic. It’s not even about forcing her to do it—I doubt I’ll be that strict—it’s about the sheer math of it all. When are we actually going to find the time?

I'm totally with you on that. It feels way too early for me to be losing sleep over this stuff, but I just can't help myself! I'm already getting worked up just thinking about the logistics—trying to juggle my work schedule with our family routine. At our local elementary school, they have these first graders doing a rotating schedule where they go in the afternoon one week and then the morning the next, and frankly, I can't wrap my head around why anyone would think that's a bright idea. Like, if he's in school in the afternoon, I don't get home from the office until 5:00, he's out by 5:30, we grab a quick bite, and then what? Boom, straight into homework time. How is a kid supposed to focus when he's totally wiped out at the end of the day? It would make so much more sense to knock out the homework in the morning while he's fresh and has plenty of time before the bell rings. But since he'd be home alone then, he probably wouldn't be able to manage it without some help. Plus, switching back and forth between mornings and afternoons just completely wrecks their ability to build a solid routine, which is exactly what all the other parents at the school are complaining about right now.

And don't even get me started on the after-school program, which is only available when they have those morning sessions; if they're there in the afternoon, there's zero childcare options. 🙂

It’s not like someone just dreamt this up; it’s really the only way forward since there's simply no more room 😁 The plan is for everyone to chip in during the morning hours, but we’d actually need to invest in building more schools first (instead of wasting money on things like public fountains, for example 😁)

One way to flip the script would be to schedule the first two sessions in the morning and then move the third and fourth ones to the afternoon. Especially since those big groups from 5th to 8th grade only ever happen in the AM—it feels less like we're prioritizing what kids actually need and more like we're just catering to whatever is most convenient for the teachers.
It’s kind of like how some cities go all out on fancy water fountains, while our local landmark is that statue of Franjo Harmon.🙂 Sure, maybe it costs a bit less, but you still have to wonder... 🙄