School closures/delays?

Karen Richardson3 said:Honestly, I don't get why everyone treats starting school like it's some tragic end to childhood or something..
whereas I totally vibe with what summer was saying about worrying if their kid is just going to be stuck at home all day.

but yeah, generally speaking, we tend to turn everything into a massive drama when it comes to those "enlightened" parents.

And don't even get me started on all these posts complaining about how overwhelmed first graders are. If parents actually had the guts to just shut off the PC and the TV, I bet they’d find plenty of time for everything, including playing outside for a bit. Kids over five aren't missing out on parks because of their schoolwork; it's because they're glued to screens, playing video games and liking duck face selfies on Facebook.

P.S. "I'm chasing my career," says mom 🤣 I tried to cut back on the forums, but since I'm clearly terrible at self-control, I just banned myself until I finished everything I needed to get done.

😂

It feels like this school has developed this massive reputation here, but I swear I haven't heard a single parent say, "Oh, don't worry, it's not that bad for them."
Instead, everyone is crying foul—it's a nightmare, it's too much work, the curriculum is way too advanced for their age, the kids are struggling...
I don't know why it's almost taboo in America to admit that school might actually be easy for a child. I guess it's the same reason people feel awkward admitting they have money, or that they think they look good, or that they actually like what they're wearing. 😂

Karen Richardson3 said:Honestly, I don't get why everyone treats starting school like it's some tragic end to childhood or something..
whereas I totally vibe with what summer was saying about worrying if their kid is just going to be stuck at home all day.

but yeah, generally speaking, we tend to turn everything into a massive drama when it comes to those "enlightened" parents.

And don't even get me started on all these posts complaining about how overwhelmed first graders are. If parents actually had the guts to just shut off the PC and the TV, I bet they’d find plenty of time for everything, including playing outside for a bit. Kids over five aren't missing out on parks because of their schoolwork; it's because they're glued to screens, playing video games and liking duck face selfies on Facebook.

P.S. "I'm chasing my career," says mom 🤣 I tried to cut back on the forums, but since I'm clearly terrible at self-control, I just banned myself until I finished everything I needed to get done.

I completely agree.
Honestly, let's just hope some of these overachievers decide to take their talents elsewhere instead of clogging up the system.😁

Susan James said:I'm planning on using after-school programs too, and honestly, I won't stress over it. I'll just request that all the schoolwork gets completed while they're actually at school.
By the way, do they still push for nap times in after-school programs? (I remember that being a thing back in my elementary school days here in the States)

On another note, regarding things like addresses, birthdays, and phone numbers—I actually see that as part of "school readiness." It's important for them to know who their parents are and where they live, so if they ever get lost, they can actually tell someone who they are.
They might not need to be able to write it all out perfectly yet, but they definitely should be able to say it out loud.

What do you mean, napping in after-school care?🤣
That hasn't been a thing for twenty years, if not longer.

I mean, seriously, what are we even talking about here?
Address, full name, and the parents' names—my little guy has known all of that since he was two and a half, so I'm not quite sure why there's such a fuss.
I imagine by the time they start kindergarten, they'll probably have their birthday and phone number down too; we've got about three and a half years left, so I guess we'll manage to learn it by then.😳

I think everyone is overthinking this.☕

Susan James said:I'm planning on using after-school programs too, and honestly, I won't stress over it. I'll just request that all the schoolwork gets completed while they're actually at school.
By the way, do they still push for nap times in after-school programs? (I remember that being a thing back in my elementary school days here in the States)

On another note, regarding things like addresses, birthdays, and phone numbers—I actually see that as part of "school readiness." It's important for them to know who their parents are and where they live, so if they ever get lost, they can actually tell someone who they are.
They might not need to be able to write it all out perfectly yet, but they definitely should be able to say it out loud.

Actually, they are required to write it down.😁

I agree about the homework, though; if they're in after-school care, there shouldn't be much left to do at home. That said, I know sometimes if a kid has language arts homework, they're told they have to do it at home because of some silly argument that the after-school teacher isn't a "language expert."
😕
I don't really get why the teacher needs to be an expert in the subject; it's the student doing the work, not her.🤷

rowdypanther12 said:Actually, they are required to write it down.😁

I agree about the homework, though; if they're in after-school care, there shouldn't be much left to do at home. That said, I know sometimes if a kid has language arts homework, they're told they have to do it at home because of some silly argument that the after-school teacher isn't a "language expert."
😕
I don't really get why the teacher needs to be an expert in the subject; it's the student doing the work, not her.🤷

Honestly, I'm just not sure how everyone envisions this after-school program working out.😁
Do you really think the instructor just sits there at their desk for four hours, lost in their own world, while a room full of kids works frantically on assignments without a single break?

I'm not quite following what you're getting at here 🤷
as if a kid could actually get their homework done before after-school care ends at 4:00.

rowdypanther12 said:Actually, they are required to write it down.😁

I agree about the homework, though; if they're in after-school care, there shouldn't be much left to do at home. That said, I know sometimes if a kid has language arts homework, they're told they have to do it at home because of some silly argument that the after-school teacher isn't a "language expert."
😕
I don't really get why the teacher needs to be an expert in the subject; it's the student doing the work, not her.🤷

I mean, kids who can already read and write can just knock it out during after-school care—it only takes a minute.
But what about the little ones who haven't mastered their letters yet? How are they supposed to do homework at home?
Or will Mom end up doing the work for them? 😠🙄
(It’s funny how Mom is allowed to help them sound things out, but if an after-school instructor tries, suddenly it's "unprofessional.")

rowdypanther12 said:Actually, they are required to write it down.😁

I agree about the homework, though; if they're in after-school care, there shouldn't be much left to do at home. That said, I know sometimes if a kid has language arts homework, they're told they have to do it at home because of some silly argument that the after-school teacher isn't a "language expert."
😕
I don't really get why the teacher needs to be an expert in the subject; it's the student doing the work, not her.🤷

True, ☕
but then they end up looking silly in front of the kid if they get asked a question and are expected to be an absolute genius.😬
Plus, they might feel embarrassed in front of their coworkers if a student shows up without their homework or with the wrong assignment.🤣

It shouldn't be seen as a problem if a child doesn't understand something; they should just be able to ask their teacher for help first thing the next morning.

urbantinker8 said:Honestly, I'm just not sure how everyone envisions this after-school program working out.😁
Do you really think the instructor just sits there at their desk for four hours, lost in their own world, while a room full of kids works frantically on assignments without a single break?

No way—homework usually takes maybe thirty minutes at most. The rest of the time should be all about play and having fun!

rowdypanther12 said:I'm not quite following what you're getting at here 🤷
as if a kid could actually get their homework done before after-school care ends at 4:00.

No, I’m actually just responding to what you said about why they don't finish their language arts homework, since the teacher isn't the one doing the work for them anyway.
Look, rowdypanther12 is actually in after-school care right now, so maybe they can give you a better idea of how things actually play out there.
When they're working on assignments, they're usually talking through the material with the teacher; the teacher explains things if something seems fuzzy, everyone asks their own specific questions, and if the instructor notices that most of the class is struggling with a particular concept, they'll try to go over it more thoroughly to make sure it clicks.
So, what happens if she doesn't speak French, but the kids happen to have French homework?
Should we just give them thirty minutes to struggle through it entirely on their own, without any guidance or oversight, just so parents don't have to deal with it once the school day ends?🤷

And obviously, after-school programs are about way more than just sitting there grinding through homework—I mean, rowdypanther12 could probably tell you all about everything else they do during those few hours.

What does it mean if my child can only attend classes taught in English, simply because both my spouse and I only speak English? There isn't anyone at home who could help her with German, and honestly, it shouldn't matter whether she's studying in a park, at home, or in an after-school program.

Susan James said:No way—homework usually takes maybe thirty minutes at most. The rest of the time should be all about play and having fun!

Well, yeah, I suppose, but my point is that the assignment actually needs to be graded correctly, and how is a teacher supposed to know if a Spanish assignment was done perfectly if they don't speak a single word of Spanish themselves?🤷
Doing homework during after-school programs shouldn't just be some formality or a way to kill time; there has to be some actual substance to it.

I’m talking about after-school care in general here, not just specifically for first graders.
I suspect that any foreign language curriculum used in first grade would likely be manageable even for a teacher who wasn't formally trained in it.
Especially since, at that level, everything mostly boils down to drawing pictures and practicing basic vocabulary anyway.

Plus, it means the kid comes home from after-school care having actually learned something because someone sat down and explained things, rather than just grinding through homework alone.

rowdypanther12 said:What does it mean if my child can only attend classes taught in English, simply because both my spouse and I only speak English? There isn't anyone at home who could help her with German, and honestly, it shouldn't matter whether she's studying in a park, at home, or in an after-school program.

It isn't really the same thing, I suppose.
If she’s just playing in the park or hanging out at home, nobody is actually being paid to teach your child anything.
But an instructor in an after-school program, for instance, is actually tasked with making sure homework is properly explained and completed correctly.
Because, you know, I imagine if a parent were to find out—and God forbid this happens more than once—that a teacher miscommunicated something regarding a foreign language assignment they don't personally understand, leading to kids getting their work wrong... well, I think people would lose their minds.😲
Heads would probably roll.☕

rowdypanther12 said:Plus, it means the kid comes home from after-school care having actually learned something because someone sat down and explained things, rather than just grinding through homework alone.

I suppose, eventually, that kind of support tends to get scaled back or becomes much more limited in scope.
It really all comes down to how the teacher decides to frame the situation, I guess.

Come on, give us a little credit here; it’s not like we all dropped out of school without a clue about basic pedagogy or how kids learn.
What you're describing is something parents are actively doing, I'm fairly certain, rather than anything the after-school staff is handling.

urbantinker8 said:It isn't really the same thing, I suppose.
If she’s just playing in the park or hanging out at home, nobody is actually being paid to teach your child anything.
But an instructor in an after-school program, for instance, is actually tasked with making sure homework is properly explained and completed correctly.
Because, you know, I imagine if a parent were to find out—and God forbid this happens more than once—that a teacher miscommunicated something regarding a foreign language assignment they don't personally understand, leading to kids getting their work wrong... well, I think people would lose their minds.😲
Heads would probably roll.☕

She should just be upfront at the parent meeting and say she doesn't teach languages, and that's that. If the kids want to do the work themselves later, or with their parents—or if they just don't do it at all—that's on them.
If a kid is in an after-school program for five-year-olds and they're expected to finish language homework there, that seems really strange to me.

rowdypanther12 said:😂

It feels like this school has developed this massive reputation here, but I swear I haven't heard a single parent say, "Oh, don't worry, it's not that bad for them."
Instead, everyone is crying foul—it's a nightmare, it's too much work, the curriculum is way too advanced for their age, the kids are struggling...
I don't know why it's almost taboo in America to admit that school might actually be easy for a child. I guess it's the same reason people feel awkward admitting they have money, or that they think they look good, or that they actually like what they're wearing. 😂

What really gets under my skin is seeing parents obsess over the syllabus instead of actually focusing on their kid (and themselves).

The curriculum is what it is. There will always be some kids who find it a breeze and others who struggle to keep up. It's just how it works because some kids are naturally more driven toward academics while others are clearly destined for sports, music, or working with their hands.

In my opinion, the real issue today isn't the coursework; it's that kids—at least from what I hear—are having major concentration issues because they're glued to the TV. Plus, a huge number of them are left unsupervised on computers because their parents aren't tech-savvy at all. So, the parents think their kid is studying just because the room is quiet, which is pretty naive—I mean, I've seen it myself, and I used to fall for that logic too, thinking everyone was on the same page, but I'm making sure my kid won't even have a computer in their bedroom until they hit high school.🤣 )

Then you run into these authority issues, which probably stems from that whole mindset you see everywhere online: "Oh, if I raise my voice at my precious little one, will they be traumatized and end up hating me? I just want them to grow up to be perfect little beings who love me forever as the ultimate mother."🙂
(Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you should go around yelling at kids constantly, but we need to raise them to understand they aren't the center of the universe. We shouldn't be walking on eggshells around them, terrified that setting a boundary or expecting them to listen without a meltdown will somehow damage their psyche.)

Dammit, I honestly have no clue what this thread is even about 😁

Moms arguing with preschool teachers about school 😁

rowdypanther12 said:She should just be upfront at the parent meeting and say she doesn't teach languages, and that's that. If the kids want to do the work themselves later, or with their parents—or if they just don't do it at all—that's on them.
If a kid is in an after-school program for five-year-olds and they're expected to finish language homework there, that seems really strange to me.

And I guess she probably tells them that parents might just breeze through it or forget entirely, and then everyone ends up arguing about it later.
That kind of thing happens all the time, I think.🙂

Karen Richardson3 said:What really gets under my skin is seeing parents obsess over the syllabus instead of actually focusing on their kid (and themselves).

The curriculum is what it is. There will always be some kids who find it a breeze and others who struggle to keep up. It's just how it works because some kids are naturally more driven toward academics while others are clearly destined for sports, music, or working with their hands.

In my opinion, the real issue today isn't the coursework; it's that kids—at least from what I hear—are having major concentration issues because they're glued to the TV. Plus, a huge number of them are left unsupervised on computers because their parents aren't tech-savvy at all. So, the parents think their kid is studying just because the room is quiet, which is pretty naive—I mean, I've seen it myself, and I used to fall for that logic too, thinking everyone was on the same page, but I'm making sure my kid won't even have a computer in their bedroom until they hit high school.🤣 )

Then you run into these authority issues, which probably stems from that whole mindset you see everywhere online: "Oh, if I raise my voice at my precious little one, will they be traumatized and end up hating me? I just want them to grow up to be perfect little beings who love me forever as the ultimate mother."🙂
(Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you should go around yelling at kids constantly, but we need to raise them to understand they aren't the center of the universe. We shouldn't be walking on eggshells around them, terrified that setting a boundary or expecting them to listen without a meltdown will somehow damage their psyche.)

And once again, 🙏 🙏 🙏

It looks like you've found plenty of inspiration to react to while you were away from the forum .🤣

rowdypanther12 said:Moms arguing with preschool teachers about school 😁

But honestly, I feel like I’m constantly hearing all this whining about how "intense" the curriculum is or how "heavy" the workload feels, yet it’s coming from parents whose kids are basically supposed to be the brightest stars of their generation.
I mean, how do you even square those two things? 😵 😁

To be totally blunt, I wasn't in school for very long, but it never felt overwhelming to me at all. And looking back, every single classroom followed Gauss's curve perfectly—you had a few high achievers, a few kids who struggled or caused trouble, and then the bulk of the class right in the middle.
It seems to me that the real issue isn't the difficulty level; it's that parents in that middle group can't handle being "average." They demand their kids be recognized as geniuses because, in their eyes, they absolutely are (okay, I don't really buy it, but hey, let me be politically correct here😁).

(As a side note, I have this colleague who is... let's say, mediocre at best, but he's convinced he's the smartest, most talented, and best-looking guy in the room simply because his parents fed him that ego. Throughout his schooling, his teachers were always the scapegoats for his failures. It’s wild how much confidence he has, even if it’s completely unearned😁. My mom was the total opposite; whenever anyone tried to praise us, she’d immediately find some little flaw or reason to bring us back down to earth😁).

Hey ladies,

quick question for all you moms with preschoolers out there... I was wondering how often you hear about kids being told to wait another year before starting kindergarten? And if you have, did you catch any of the reasoning behind it...
I was just chatting with a friend who’s actually paying for private school prep classes for her little one (seriously?!!!???) and she’s absolutely freaking out about the idea of him sitting out a year...😲