taste_is_sweet (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
taste_is_sweet) wrote2011-04-01 12:59 pm
taste_is_sweet) wrote2011-04-01 12:59 pm
Entry tags:
Sometimes I just want a grown-up to look after me. And then I remember I am one.
My son is supposed to be starting kindergarten in August at the local school. I realize this isn't such a big deal--my child is hardly the first five year-old to do this--but I get anxious if I don't feel like I know exactly what I should be doing, especially when someone is depending on me. And even though the stupid school is within walking distance of my house, I have no idea what the fuck I'm supposed to do.
Apparently the registration will be some time in May, but there's no info on that yet. There is also a special bilingual Spanish/English kindergarten I'd like to get my son into, but I have no idea about that, either. Apparently I need to do something to get his language abilities appraised, but I don't know how to do that, either. The website for the school board is about as unintuitive for me as a grad-level physics class, and the pages for the local school aren't any better. And all I was able to find out when I called the school was that I needed to keep checking the website.
So I've contacted a friend of mine who will also be sending her child to the same kindergarten and who is the one who told me about the bilingual classes in the first place. She always knows what to do for things like this, or the magic words or links to use to get the information if she doesn't. I don't know why she's so much better at these things than I am, but she is. At least she can help me. I hope.
Meanwhile, I'm so upset about my inability to find out this simple information that everyone should be able to know that I'm sitting here in tears. My son needs me to know this stuff and I don't know anything. I'm meant to be an adult but I can't even navigate the fucking local school board. And there are so many things I could have enrolled him in but I haven't--sports clubs, sports lessons, extra-curricular activities--and one of the big reasons I haven't is because it scares me. I'd have to get him there and I don't drive. I'd have to deal with all the other suburban parents who always seem to know what the hell they're doing when I feel like I never do. I don't really want to be a soccer or softball or whatever mom, but meanwhile Jav isn't getting to play in a team sport. At least we'll get him swimming lessons once the pools open. I suppose that's something.
Sometimes I really wish I just had someone who would always be able to tell me what to do. Mostly I just wish I was better. At everything.
Apparently the registration will be some time in May, but there's no info on that yet. There is also a special bilingual Spanish/English kindergarten I'd like to get my son into, but I have no idea about that, either. Apparently I need to do something to get his language abilities appraised, but I don't know how to do that, either. The website for the school board is about as unintuitive for me as a grad-level physics class, and the pages for the local school aren't any better. And all I was able to find out when I called the school was that I needed to keep checking the website.
So I've contacted a friend of mine who will also be sending her child to the same kindergarten and who is the one who told me about the bilingual classes in the first place. She always knows what to do for things like this, or the magic words or links to use to get the information if she doesn't. I don't know why she's so much better at these things than I am, but she is. At least she can help me. I hope.
Meanwhile, I'm so upset about my inability to find out this simple information that everyone should be able to know that I'm sitting here in tears. My son needs me to know this stuff and I don't know anything. I'm meant to be an adult but I can't even navigate the fucking local school board. And there are so many things I could have enrolled him in but I haven't--sports clubs, sports lessons, extra-curricular activities--and one of the big reasons I haven't is because it scares me. I'd have to get him there and I don't drive. I'd have to deal with all the other suburban parents who always seem to know what the hell they're doing when I feel like I never do. I don't really want to be a soccer or softball or whatever mom, but meanwhile Jav isn't getting to play in a team sport. At least we'll get him swimming lessons once the pools open. I suppose that's something.
Sometimes I really wish I just had someone who would always be able to tell me what to do. Mostly I just wish I was better. At everything.
no subject
It's no big deal or 'wrong' to walk him to school every day -- that's par for the course with little ones. The first day get there about 10-15 minutes early to mingle with the other kids.
Look, I owe you a long ass email. I'll continue in that -- you're a wonderful mom, so don't sit there berating yourself.
Love you, sweetie! Hugs!
no subject
I didn't mean to be confusing about walking him to school--I'm actually quite happy I'll get to do that, even if it's ungodly early in the morning. (School starts at 7:50 AM! WTF?)
As for the sports--I definitely don't want to burden him, and I think parents who have kids doing stuff every night of the week are asking too much of their children. But maybe it's a Texan thing, but I'm one of the only parents I know who didn't start their kid in a team sport at three or four, so I keep wondering if I'm retarding Javier's development. I just wish these things were within walking distance or not in the middle of the day. At least I know for sure Jav loves swimming, so we can do that.
Love you too, Shi! Thanks!
no subject
(I snapped both of mine playing football.)
no subject
American or British football? Either way, what a hideous injury!
no subject
Oh - and I made a mistake - the second one I did fencing, not playing football ...
I didn't do them both at once, and the first one, it was really painful but I didn't even realise what I'd done till years later, when I had an MRI after I'd done the second.
So, if he plays soccer, tell him it's okay to fall over if someone bigger crashes into you! My mistake was fighting to stay on my feet!
no subject
I would say a resounding 'no,' he sounds like he's happy and healthy and fine. :-) I was near San Francisco when my little one was this age, and all the parents around me do the same thing: everything is starting around age 3-4. Preschool, music lessons, sports, academic tutoring and teaching. We didn't have the money to do the same, so ours weren't.
My oldest is 12 now and I can honestly say that based on my experience, not only will you not retard Javier's development, he's likely to be happier without all the added stress.
Seriously, you should see some of these poor little guys. By the time they're in second grade, they never have any free time to DO anything, or play, or just use their imagination. Everything is always formalized into lessons and classes and practice. It's always someone else in control. Javier sounds MUCH better off.
I think of it like that Christmas wrapper moment when you have a baby and you worry about getting just the right toy. Then the baby is happy as can be playing with the wrapping paper and discovering how it sounds, how it tastes, how shiny it is, etc... And they're learning just as much about the world as they would with the educational toy, only it cost a lot less. :-D
The lessons are just like that toy, you know? Most of the times, kids this young would have been just as happy running around the playground with other kids instead of a formalized soccer game. :-)