Where do I even begin?
Following up from my school update earlier this month, our school board made the difficult decision to close our neighborhood elementary school. That left us starting fresh at a new school. Thanks to the meet-and-greet, we had a general sense of what was coming. But nothing could have prepared us for the chaos of day one.
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Back-to-School came after a whirlwind three weeks for us. We had the tail end of summer camps, hosted family, a birthday party, quick trip to Grandma’s, and then came right back for Open House.
In between the extra planning for fall sports, we did the school supply shopping on the down low as well as the Costco run, the consignment sale, the haircut appointments, etc. It’s a To-Do List person’s dream.
Throughout the summer, my kids tag-teamed feeling anxious about first grade; whether it was about their own readiness or missing their teachers from last year. They’d go through spurts of “needing” to practice their reading or doing their workbooks. Thus started the cycle of reassurance: You aren’t expected to know everything immediately. Your teachers would not have placed you in first grade if they didn’t think you were ready. If you think you need help, just ask.
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The Georgia pre-k lottery is in full effect, but my husband and I have been dealing with the decision to redshirt our twin girls for a while. They are August babies, born very near the September 1 cutoff. I’m admittedly a little jealous of parents with September-June babies, because this is something that they most likely don’t even have to consider.
We have talked at length between ourselves and with friends/family, in addition to reading a bunch of research and studies, to figure out if giving the girls “the gift of time” is the best option for them. I’ll tell ya, even after all that data collection, the verdict was still not cut and dry.
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I’ve attempted to read at least three different titles about kids and executive brain function. They all have very snappy claims, from “Skills Every Kid Must Learn” to “How to Raise Successful Kids” to “Understanding the Kid Brain”. Yes, these are total clickbait headlines.
Of course, as a parent, you want to be able to teach your kids the secrets to adulting early. But it’s not like you can just hack their brain function. Executive function skills include: Focus and self-control, communication, planning, self-regulation, self-direction and motivation, collaboration, problem-solving, adjusting to social situations, etc. A lot of these we didn’t actively learn until we had to take a study skills class.
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Child(ish) Advice 