My Kindergarten School experience has been bad.

On Fri. the teacher tells me that DS#1 had peed on himself. She tells me that he must assert himself to let the teachers know, on and on. This is done in the few minutes during pick up time in the school yard. I touch his pant they seemed dry. On and on, finally I said didn't you speak to him about this?

Well at home I find he has peed into his boots, his pants were dry the boxers must have channeled the pee down the leg. I really was upset.

I asked DS#1 about it. He said "Well they tell us that we should raise our hands and not call out. "(right thing) "but the teacher said she was in conference and talk to her later." THen he had his accident.

I am upset with myself for not being able to say the appropriate things. I just had an odd feeling at the time and didn't process it out, then I am frustrated that I didn't "protect" my sons.

Then they forgot to test DS#2 to see if his reading level improved, he was sick the last Fri in Jan, but when I asked she told me that she would test him this Friday 2/12. Now we have a week off so he's not tested till 4 wks later??

The other teacher one day said "My son had forgotten his spoon for his yogurt again and that she was not going to give him another one next time. " All I could say was but I put it in there it is not possible.

When I got home and thought "he is only 5 and she is going to let him go hungry, b/c there is no spoon?"

To me, I don't think 5yr olds have a complex thought process to think of what to do in an uncommon situation, let alone know what to bring to school each day. They rely on the adults to help them.

What should I say to those teachers? It takes a few hours to days for me to process what has happened. And it's too late to bring it up wks or a month later.

Is there any method to approach strange situations?

TO ME:it seems they are not the most competent teachers or they're burnt out. I had put it back on them in Sept and they just kind of laugh or answer vaguely.

I know my sons are not the only ones in the class, plus I don't want them to take it out on my sons either. The mess ups are done and cannot be undone but I would like in the future that these things don't happen to them or any other 5 yrs old in the class.

What is the order of steps to take to improve things?

DH will do what I decide but he really hasn't a clue he has admitted.
His suggestion was email teacher and principal. But I don't want to shift blame but want things to improve.
Thanks in advance. Emm

Honestly I would ask for a conference. I would bring a box of spoons and give them to her for the class. (Do they not keep a little box of things like papertowels, napkins, wipes, hand sanitizer, spoons, forks etc. for these occasions?.....IMO they SHOULD!!)

Also when my kids were in kindy we had to provide a zip lock bag of extra clothes in case of an accident. They are FIVE and yes some kids will still have accidents! One of my DS's did and he was able to change.

I wouldn't go in there accusing...but just address the things you are concerned about and see what she has to say. Hopefully she will hear you and correct those things.

Good Luck! Speak up you are your kids only advocate and you are right they are only 5 and still little yet.


Terri~
12/21/01 at 33 weeks

I second the suggestion of a conference.

Make some notes. Get your ducks in a row and be prepared with the issues you want to address.

Some of the things you're dealing with is typical Kindergarten stuff and the teachers should be experts in dealing with these situations!

They should have a million spoons in a drawer.

There should be extra clothes for each child in case of an accident.

The list could go on and on. That's what a Kindergarten class should be: ready for accidents and equipped with spoons! LOL!

Good luck. I hope you get some answers and things start to go more smoothly for you and your kids.

Lisa

First don't be miserable and don't blame yourself. It's all new and just like your kids you're learning too. In Kindergarden two of my kids peed in their pants (same day), they said that they tried to tell the teacher and the teacher told everyone to put their hands down. I tried to tell them that no matter what if you have to go to the bathroom you make it a point of telling your teacher. There was a day my son came home and said he dropped his spoon and he didn't eat his lunch, so I told him what to do next time. They are learning to be away from you, the person that got them everything, did everything, knew what they wanted, YOU! It's hard you wish you could make everything perfect, but they will learn. I try to think of things that might happen and then try to teach them what to do at home. They are in 1st grade now and now it's about teaching them not to let kids take their pencils, talk mean to them, it's never ending and I'm allways learning along with them. School is hard but you do what you can take deep breaths talk with the teachers if you are not sure what to do (even if it's a week later). I'm learning now for next year to have 2 of my 3 in the same class. It's all for homework. I need them to have the same work so I can help them at home. This I learned from another triplet Mom. She said the only way she could help her kids at home was to have them in the same class or have all the work be the same from different teachers. See there is allways something to learn. Just know you do what feels right for you and your family
Donna Mom to Tyler, Samantha, Zackary soon to be

I am so sorry you are having such a miserable time with kindergarten. Kindergarten should be FUN. Honestly, if I were you, I would park my rear in the classroom. Start volunteering and find out exactly what is going on in there.

Nothing will say, "Holy sh&t!" like your bright and shining mug in the classroom. Kill 'em with kindness. Bring spoons. Bring extra clothes too, because sometimes accidents happen, and we don't need to add any embarrassment to the situation, right? I have personally watched the teacher overlook a child with their hand raised to go to the bathroom, and I've watched that child squirming, and I've given them permission myself to go, so it happens.

But I would live there for the next month.

Michele
Sarah, Gregory, Amanda
born 1/22/04 at 35w1d

Our surprise baby Austin born 06/15/2005

www.fourtimesthefun.blogspot.com

Hillyt mom to
Ian 11
Ella, Holly, Jilly 6
Hadley 3

First of all, not one, but two of my first graders have peed themselves this year. 1) afraid to go into the RR after a fire drill went off the day before, and she would be trapped in there with loud alarm. (tried to hold it all day)
2) afraid of the Zombies that one of the other kids told her live in sink drains... It is just part of life. I had to explain to the teacher how to help them through these. 1) teacher promised to not let her go into the rr if a firedrill was planned. 2) teacher let her take a buddy to rr for a while until she was over it.

As for the rest of it, I know how you feel. I always leave thinking. "dang why did I not say that?" I have found it is okay to think it through and revisit a topic when you are not satisfied with the answer. Even if it is days later. You are the advocate for your child. It is okay to say, I find that policy unacceptable because.... 9/10 times they will come to your way of thinking, or at least see there is another side.

Good luck. It gets easier.

Request a conference with the teachers. Make a list of the topics you want to cover when you speak with them. Sometimes a teacher won't take parent concerns seriously until you request to meet with them. GL -- Gloria