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MaMaTeenie
Party of 5
Member since 4/08 6489 total posts
Name:
Mommy
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Calling ALL teachers!! I NEED HELP (Kindergarten related)
If you have any suggestions, success stories....anything. I'm at my wits end, my heart is breaking for my DS.
I am just so upset, I don't know what to do anymore. Yesterday was by far the worst day yet. He cried on and off the whole time he was in school and then they had me pick him up at 12!!! The principal suggested a gradual increase of time since we have full day in my district. So today I am picking him up a little later than I did yesterday, and a little later tomorrow and later friday and then monday full day. I was hesitant to do that but after speaking to one of my friends who is a teacher and knows my son well, I think it may help. When I picked him up yesterday I didn't let him watch TV or play his DS, he did school work and some workbooks I have at home. I don't want to punish him, but i don't want to reward him either.
Day 1 and Day 2 he cried a little, but teacher said he was fine after a few minutes. Day 3 he had a fit going in, cried a little more during school, but not bad. Day 4 (Monday) was pretty good, my mom drove him, he cried a little going in, not much through the day. Day 5 was yesterday a complete mess, as was this morning. I am hoping he will be better once there knowing I am coming after recess.
We are trying everything.....reading the books The Kissing Hand and The Invisible String, today we started a reward system and sent his blanket in his back pack and gave him pictures of us for his desk.
He has been in school for 2 years now....When he was 3 he went twice a week for 2.5 hours, last year he went 5 days a week for 3 hours......I thought I prepared him for this, but now I feel like a big fat failure! He is shy and takes time to warm up to new people and surroundings so I expected him to protest, but I never expected it to be this bad.
He says he hates school, he is smart enough already, already has friends doesn't need more and on and on....every reason I have for him to go to school he has an answer for!
DOn't know where to go from here.....don't want to make things worse. Nothing is helping.
Any ideas?
TIA!!
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Posted 9/14/11 10:02 AM  |
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Missy
LIF Adult
Member since 5/05 1038 total posts
Name:
missy
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Re: Calling ALL teachers!! I NEED HELP (Kindergarten related)
I think the worst you can do is pick him up early..I am surprised the principal even suggested it.
Perhaps you can start a reward chart and the days he doesn't cry he can put a sticker on and pick a toy out or a piece of candy...
My daughter cries a little, but she knows that even if she cries she still goes. I called her teacher yesterday to make sure she has been okay during the day.
I think he will get over it. As painful as it seems right now, it will pass. I saw it as a teacher myself.
Message edited 9/14/2011 11:05:00 AM.
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| Posted 9/14/11 11:02 AM |
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MaMaTeenie
Party of 5
Member since 4/08 6489 total posts
Name:
Mommy
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Re: Calling ALL teachers!! I NEED HELP (Kindergarten related)
Posted by Missy
I think the worst you can do is pick him up early..I am surprised the principal even suggested it.
Perhaps you can start a reward chart and the days he doesn't cry he can put a sticker on and pick a toy out or a piece of candy...
My daughter cries a little, but she knows that even if she cries she still goes. I called her teacher yesterday to make sure she has been okay during the day.
I think he will get over it. As painful as it seems right now, it will pass. I saw it as a teacher myself.
Thank you so much for your response.
I was surprised as well. I think mainly because he was inconsolable and was disrupting the class. She thought maybe going from 3 hours to 6 hours was too much and he needed a more gradual adjustment. I thought it was the worst thing I could do, but I spoke to my friend that teaches 3rd grade and knows DS well and she pretty much said what the principal did....that it is a big jump from pre-k and he has trouble adjusting as it is so maybe he needs to do things a little differently. I still wasn't going to do it.....I was just going to make him tough it out, but in a moment of weakness this morning I told him i would pick him up today after recess, tomorrow an hour later, friday another hour later and then thats it....
If he cried a little it would be no problem. I have worked in day care and taught pre-school for many years and have no problem prying him from my leg and handing him off to the teacher....the difference is that in the past he never cried and cried the whole time he was there. Knowing that is just breaking my heart.
As of yesterday we started a reward chart. The teacher is going to give him a sticker if he has a good day (to also include her and get him more comfortable with her) and then he can use his stickers for something special. A trip to play mini-golf, bowling, fishing.
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| Posted 9/14/11 11:21 AM |
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MichLiz213
Life is Good!
Member since 7/07 7979 total posts
Name:
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Re: Calling ALL teachers!! I NEED HELP (Kindergarten related)
I think the reward chart is a great way to go.
I had this issue more when I taught pre-school than with Kindergarten. Usually after two weeks everything was fine. I remember my mom telling me that when my brother was in Kindergarten the exact same thing happened to one of our neighborhood friends in his class-she just couldn't handle the transition at first. Mom would pick her up before lunch and then gradually they increased the time she spent there.
Has the teacher started classroom jobs yet? Maybe she can give him some extra jobs or something special so he feels important?
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| Posted 9/14/11 1:35 PM |
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MaMaTeenie
Party of 5
Member since 4/08 6489 total posts
Name:
Mommy
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Re: Calling ALL teachers!! I NEED HELP (Kindergarten related)
Posted by MichLiz213
I think the reward chart is a great way to go.
I had this issue more when I taught pre-school than with Kindergarten. Usually after two weeks everything was fine. I remember my mom telling me that when my brother was in Kindergarten the exact same thing happened to one of our neighborhood friends in his class-she just couldn't handle the transition at first. Mom would pick her up before lunch and then gradually they increased the time she spent there.
Has the teacher started classroom jobs yet? Maybe she can give him some extra jobs or something special so he feels important?
Thank you so much for sharing and for the suggestion. I actually just asked the teacher if she could make him her helper or give him a very important  job since he loves to help and feel important.
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| Posted 9/14/11 1:57 PM |
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Jacksmommy
My love muffin!
Member since 1/07 5819 total posts
Name:
Liz
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Re: Calling ALL teachers!! I NEED HELP (Kindergarten related)
Maybe you could also get a class list and have a playdate at a park or something with some of the kids so he warms up and has a friend over the weekend and Monday will look forward to seeing his new friend. Also maybe you could send in a special treat for him during snack time or lunch that he doesn't normally have so he can look forward to that atleast half way through the day. Hope it goes better!
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| Posted 9/14/11 11:11 PM |
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Erica
LIF Adult
Member since 5/05 11767 total posts
Name:
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Re: Calling ALL teachers!! I NEED HELP (Kindergarten related)
DS is a pretty out going kid, but he even told me yesterday that he missed me during school and almost cried and the teacher let him get a drink of water and he felt better. Maybe something that he could do when he gets upset wouuld help.
Have you read the kissing Hand to him?
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| Posted 9/15/11 10:56 AM |
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