and Steve is mostly with me. Steve has really been serious about not even wanting to talk about Andrew not going to Kindergarten in Aug. It seems like he thinks that means that Andrew is stupid. Which is no where near accuate.
I pointed out a few days ago that if we had left Andrew in the Montessori school we had him in, he wouldn't go to K until he was 6. That's just the track they have. Then he "ran the numbers" (seriously, that's what he said) and figured out that HE didn't go to Kindergarten until HE was 6. He also went to Montessori. Now, it seems like a doable idea.
All of a sudden my reasons for wanting Andrew to wait one more year are valid... MEN!!! Which, I guess I shouldn't care why Andrew waits, since that is my goal; but, just the fact that I went from beng overly clingy, to doing something his mother did that worked well, really irritates me.
I feel that with the all day 7.5 hr school day, having never been gone that long, the big push for them to be writing well, having a new baby come one the scene just a couple of weeks before school starts... I feel like waiting one mre year will only benefit him.
But, also, I don't want him to go. So, I'm scared that I'm being selfish. I don't wanna hold him back.
At least you and Steve are talking it over. Its better to lay it all out on the table and discuss than to have one idea when he has another. It sounds totally feasible for Andrew to wait another year for school. And its not going to hurt him, only benefit him in the long run. Fwiw, if it were me I would do the same thing. Andrew is going to be thrown off enough just by having a new baby in the house. Don't let it bother you that you are following something your MIL did though, its whats best for YOUR son. : )
I think it's hard no matter what you decide. As a mom, we always are revaluating what we do, but it sounds like this is the what is right for Andrew. As a mom, you know what it is he needs to thrive and do well in school, not just barely get by. You are setting him up for success.
So, made the decision, and last night Steve says he wants him to go to K and not PS. ARGH!!!
1) He doesn't want Andrew to be a bully because he's older and bigger then the kids next year. Which won't happen. Andrew is just too sweet and gentle. I'm worrying about him being bullied if he goes in Aug. The PS kids will walk all over him, take toys from him, and he still doesn't speak up for himself.
2) He doesn't want Andrew to get made fun of for being older when he gets into the higher grades. I don't think it'll matter.
I talked to his PS teacher today, and she said that she thinks he's boarderline, and that we could try K, but that the more she thinks about it, with the baby coming so close to when school starts, she thinks it will be really hard on Andrew, not to mention him not writing as well as the school would like and having no other experience being away from us for so long. She thinks the extra year will help.
So, I've decided (I'mpretty sure) to stick with my gut, and keep him in PS. Though, today Andrew said he wanted to go to K and have no more PS. I don't want to hold him back. I don't want to make the wrong decision about this.
So, made the decision, and last night Steve says he wants him to go to K and not PS. ARGH!!!
1) He doesn't want Andrew to be a bully because he's older and bigger then the kids next year. Which won't happen. Andrew is just too sweet and gentle. I'm worrying about him being bullied if he goes in Aug. The PS kids will walk all over him, take toys from him, and he still doesn't speak up for himself.
2) He doesn't want Andrew to get made fun of for being older when he gets into the higher grades. I don't think it'll matter.
I talked to his PS teacher today, and she said that she thinks he's boarderline, and that we could try K, but that the more she thinks about it, with the baby coming so close to when school starts, she thinks it will be really hard on Andrew, not to mention him not writing as well as the school would like and having no other experience being away from us for so long. She thinks the extra year will help.
So, I've decided (I'mpretty sure) to stick with my gut, and keep him in PS. Though, today Andrew said he wanted to go to K and have no more PS. I don't want to hold him back. I don't want to make the wrong decision about this.
I can tell you a little about having a son that is older in school. Granted my ds was born in the begining of October, but he was an older kid in school. He was 18 almost his entire senior year. Never once did he have a problem because he was too old. As for the bully part, my son never was and in fact there were times that he was on the receiving end of bullying. So the age thing really does not hold weight at all for boys.
I don't think you will be holding Andrew back. As I said in another thread, if a child does not feel emotionally secure and is in distress at school, he/she will not learn well except to learn to hate school. Further down the road, it also may help Andrew to have more confidence to pursue other intrests.
I hope I don't come off as bias because we are waiting to send Elizabeth, but I have been told both by the preschool teachers (which are surprsingly highly educated for preschool teachers) and the actual kindergarten teachers that they have never had a parent come back and say they wished they would have sent their child to kindergarten sooner.
