This topic has been addressed many times but I would like to hear from the moms who have been there. I currently have my trio in the same class for all day Kindergarten. They are doing well. I know the school will encourage me to separate them next year. In our state, it is parent's choice. Did you separate and at what grade and why? Did you wait for your children to tell you they were ready or did you make the call? On a side note, I am hearing some not so great things about one of the first grade teachers and if I separate next year, one of my girls will have her. I guess we will end up with all of the teachers (good or bad) in the school since we have 3 teachers per grade if we choose to separate.
Thanks for any advice/help!
T
ggg '04

Our kids were split 2/1 for K. We put our shy DD in the class by herself. She had been letting the boys do her talking in pre-school and had difficulty making friends other than her brothers. I was really worried about her being by herself and I doubted our decision was really going to be good for her. At the end of the school year, we knew that split classes would be the best for all three of them. The boys never had any issues being in the class together but we felt they all deserved the bennifits of having their own classroom. The boys K teacher and the school principal talked with me about my decision to split them up. The principal mentioned a set of twins that had always been in the same class together since starting school. She said they both were great students and there were never any issues that came about because they were together but in 4th grade the one decided since she could never perform as well as her twin in school, she just wouldn't even try anymore. It's hard to feel good about your B that you worked so hard for when a sibling got an A without much effort.
My kids are close, and being in seperate classrooms has not changed that. I do believe that having their own classrooms, experiences, & friends, has helped all three see that God made them as individuals, not as a set. They all have things to be proud of, they all have different intrests, they all have something to offer. All I want as a parent is for each child to know how special they are all on their own. They get excited for each other when something good happens, they sometimes play together at recess, they sometimes talk to each other when they have a problem at school, but they stand on their own in their accomplishments and learning to deal with their problems. My daughter is still shy, but she has grown so much! I think the earlier she learns to stand on her own, the stronger she will be when peer pressure escalates and the consequences of giving in are so much more serious.
I know it is a hard choice to make, and if you are like me you'll probably second guess yourself many times once you make your decision. Just trust in yourself, you want what is best for your kids and only you know what that is.
Good luck

Shell~
B/B/G 1/7/2000

My kids were together for Pre-K 4, Kindergarten & 1st Grade. Our school gave me the choice. Since my kids did really well together (they weren't clingy and teachers never had an issue with them together) the choice was easy. For me it was also much easier to deal with one teacher. Personally I liked them together for many reasons. Class parties for one and volunteering. When they are in different classes you are really stretched thin.

This year in 2nd Grade they are separated. I didn't really have a choice because the school separates the students academically. They have different academic levels and my trio happens to all be on a different level. I was a little apprehensive about it, but the kids were so excited to have their own teachers and class. They truly were ready. For me it's a little crazy having so many teachers to deal with. But it was going to happen sooner or later. And honestly I think they are at a perfect age to separate. The hard part for me is dealing with different homework, teaching styles and volunteering in classroom (now I have to volunteer more often to hit all 3 classrooms). Also in a way I like one teacher better than the other two. But that's just the luck of the draw.

So all that said would I have kept them together for 1st Grade if I had to do it over again? Yes. For us it seems 2nd Grade was the right age to separate. I say go with your gut. Ask your kids what they want? As for getting a bad teacher. Well we are going to have many years of different teachers. I am already seeing that they are not all equal. Sometimes you get a fabulous teacher, an average teacher and sometimes you get a dud! LOL It's just the way it goes. You just pray next year you get a better one.

Good Luck & HTH!


Terri~
12/21/01 at 33 weeks

We've done it all. My boys were together for preschool and kindergarten. We separated them into individual classes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade. We did a 2/1 split for 4/5 grade. They were back together for 6th grade. Now, they are in junior high and don't have a single class together.

Our elementary school was wonderful. The principal gave us the choice. She said they let twin parents decide so that triplets shouldn't be any different.

This situation worked out great for my boys. They loved having their own teacher. They are individuals who happen to share a birthday. My boys are very different individuals with strengths and weaknesses. They have never had any issues being together or separate.

I have told all 4 of my boys that they will have teachers they like and dislike along the way. Luckily, elementary school was amazing. Junior high is only been an option for a few weeks but things are chugging along. No big problems. Some teachers they like more than others. That's life.

You may want to see if matching your child's personality to the teacher is an option. Or do a 2/1 split and alternate who gets their own classroom each year.

Best wishes on your decision.

Sharon
12 year old b/b/b + 16 year old son

>You may want to see if matching your child's personality to
>the teacher is an option. Or do a 2/1 split and alternate who
>gets their own classroom each year.
>
>Best wishes on your decision.
>
>Sharon
>12 year old b/b/b + 16 year old son


I do like the alternating. My 3 are only in Kindy but a while back someone here mentioned a plan with her 3 of switching who was alone each year. I think she also included a year or 2 of them all being together.

Andi
g/b/g
6 yr old kindergartners

My kids were together half of kinder and were in a 2/1 spilt for the remainder when we changed schools. Both combos worked out fine. In 1st grade I intended to split, but the school placed them 2/1. This was a very hard year with my boys together. They are both smart, but one emerged as an overachiever. This really shook the confidence of one DS.

This year we have them all separated and I love seeing all three shine.

Lisa
Mom to Aidan, Christian, and Rachel (10.03.01 @ 36wks)

What wonderful insight all of you have! This can be one of the more stressful areas with multiples as you know and you have given me much food for thought. Great ideas too! Please feel free to share more if you like, I am learning a lot from our experienced mommies! Thank you SO much!
T
GGG '04

I know I am late answering - however I did want to share our experience..
my boys were together until this year -3rd grade.
My baby "C" William decided he wanted to be in his own class this year...
He has grown alot this past year - and really declared his independence .. I think his experience on a seperate baseball team and also joining travel baseball when his brother's didn't - helped boost his confidence to take on things by himself.. After speaking to his teacher this afternoon I am happy to report he is doing very well.. Meanwhile his brother's are in the same class - however like to keep it low-key.. Jonathan is very shy - where Guillermo is very social - I know Guillo keeps an eye on Jon, and Jon depends on that..

I love watching them growing up, and no matter which direction they take - they ALWAYS come back to their brothers..

good luck!

Lisa mom to Melanie(29)
Guillermo,Jonathan,William(10.9.01 @34 weeks)
Grandma to Brianna(6).

If you are really concerned about a "bad teacher" it probably would not hurt to keep them together another year as long as they are doing OK that way.
Try to keep an open mind about teachers though. The worst teacher I had was one that everyone wanted to have. I've been told that our school tries to match kids and teachers....like if a girl is softspoken and needs to be drawn out she may do better in one class but a boy who needs to be kept in line more might do better with another teacher.
Right now I'm starting to wonder if one of my daughters would do better with a teacher with a different personality/style than her current one. The triplets are all in the same class but she just seems to have more trouble than her brother and sister. I have heard good things about the teacher and they do seem to like her, but DD just seems to not be getting the positive feedback that she needs and it seems to be affecting her self-esteem.

Andi
b/g/g
Aug. '03
kindergartners

Just ask your children what they want to do. You may be surprised at what they say. I had mine together in kinder and was sure they would want to stay together in first. I asked and they all wanted to be in their own rooms. I was shocked. Devlopmentally it's supposed to be best for them and if that's what they want, then you should probably do it. Let them see how they like it this year. It's too soon to make the call. I would wait until closer to the end of the year to ask them though.

As for the bad teacher, who's to say if you keep them together they won't all end up in her room? Or that she will even still be there next year?

Tracy
Mommy to Lindsey, Patrick and Brooke
Born 1-14-03 at 32weeks, 3 days and ^i^ twins Dylan 1-12-02 and Cole 1-21-02

Dear T: Here's my experience. Mine were together for PK and Kindgergarten too, which also worked out great for us. For first grade we chose a private school that had 2 classes so we could separate them. But before we officially enrolled in the school I asked the principal if I could sit in on both first grade classes, in order to meet the teachers and observe their teaching styles. We separated my one son who is very confident, outgoing, makes friends easy. And put my other two(more introverted) Boy/Girl together. So far, it is working out beautifully. We are very happy with our decision. For next year, we will reevaluate the dynamics and see who will be together and who will "go it alone!" I am a big proponent of separating for sake of individuality, identity, etc. And a big bonus of all this: they are SO happy to see each other at the end of the day. On your side note, what some parents may view as a "bad" teacher, may stem from gossip or a negative experience involving a misbehaved child. Unless you know the circumstances, look at the teacher from your own perspective and your child's personality. Then draw your own conclusions. Also, if he/she turns out not to be a stellar teacher, do whatever you can to get in that classroom as a helper, room parent, etc. so you can make it the best experience possible for your little one. Good luck with your decision.

my girls have never been together. I wanted them together for pre-k but as I walked them up to the classrooms, I heard the teachers say " I want R", I want A." I was going to protest, as it was the first time the girls were apart from me AND each other but I decided that second to let it go and see what happened. They have never been together in school, except for lunch and recess, and they are in 4th grade now. Both have totally different personalities, needs, and friends and they do great. Neither one has ever asked to be with the other.

Korrie~
^i^B/G/G 24 w 3d,1/17/00
B 10/31/01
B 1/27/03

<a href="http://lilypie.com"><img src="" alt="Lilypie Kids birthday Ticker" border="0" /></a>

i have all girls, and they did great last year in the same kindergarten class. we switched schools this year and the principal pushed us to seperate the girls 2 and 1, and it's been tough. the homework isn't that difficult, but it's taking us an hour most nights.

they are still young enough that the teachers expect them to need a lot of help on the homework each night, so someone is always waiting on me.some of it is worksheets where they need help with instructions, but we are also working on spelling words out loud. one teacher may also throw in some extra math assignments as well. i'm just not able to give them much individual help, because i'm so busy just getting everyone started. i'm at home full time so we are making this work.

for now my 4 year old will do puzzles or play on the wii while his sisters do homeowork, but with him in kindergarten next year, i'm expecting homework from him as well. it would be better for our family for the girls to have the same teacher, and i'm really not seeing the benefit of them being seperated.

our state doesn't have a multiples law, so if we find we are butting heads with the principal over this again, we will have to go to the superintendant. i didn't want to do that this year so we gave this a chance, but i think it was a mistake. now i feel like its to late to change classes when they are starting to make freinds, and they like their teachers.

jen- mom to
leah,lynnette and lorraine 28w2d

ray 30w5d

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Thank you so much for your replies. They have been very helpful. I anticipate that the school will push us to separate. I do want to get the girls' input and see how they feel about it but will wait until closer to the end of the school year to ask. Thank you for sharing your experiences with me!
T
ggg '04