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This picture is representative of how I’m feeling about Sadie lately. Every morning she wakes up looking and acting more grown up. Just one more day, I think. One more day of her as a little girl. She’s so small and full of excitement and energy for life. I’m worried as she grows she’ll be sobered by the filth and meanness and chaos she’ll encounter in the world. I want to keep her sheltered, safe, and naively happy.
We went and registered her for kindergarten this past week. It wasn’t bittersweet. It just felt bitter. Seven hours a day she’ll spend sitting at a desk, in a room full of people I don’t know, far away from my protection. The teacher bragged that she’ll be writing paragraphs by this time next year. I asked how much time they’re given for play. She told me they don’t play. Kindergarten is now like second grade, she told me. I asked if they did many crafts. No, they don’t. They have art once a week an hour, though. I asked if they have homework. They do – a half hour to an hour a night. It just feels wrong.
The elementary schools here start at 9:40. So our day will go like this: wake up at 8, eat and dress to be out the door by 9:10, pick her up at 3:50, get home around 4:15, get dinner ready and eat, do homework, and start getting ready for bed. When does she have time to be a kid? She may have an hour or two in the early evening of unstructured time. That’s it. It just seems like too much for a 5 year old.
I’m sure it won’t be that bad. She’s a strong, resilient little girl and she’ll be fine. I was a little nervous about sending her to preschool, but that has proven to be a phenomenal thing for her. I’ve considered homeschooling, but Sadie thrives in a classroom setting. She doesn’t learn quickly or easily when I teach her things, but she picks things up so much more quickly when it’s her teacher talking to her about it. My plan is to send my kids to elementary school, and hopefully homeschool in the middle school years. I’m so worried (and pretty sure) she’ll fall behind if I homeschool now. So, I just keep praying and hoping and hoping and praying that she’ll get into a great school and end up with a great teacher. A great teacher makes all the difference, you know?
Until then I just keep holding onto her as tight as I can and cherishing each day I have with her free from the structure and quickened pace that elementary school will bring.
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Sharla - Wow. There are so many expectations on kids these days. I understand your concerns. Hopefully having gone to preschool has prepared her well. Kindergarten is so different here. There are probably benefits and drawbacks to each approach. Good luck!
Christy - This one made me cry. She is growing up and it does seem a little bittersweet without the sweet. But growing is good, right? She will learn to be a source of good that others will turn to wherever she is. It seems so odd to me that the difference between Sadie and Madeleine is only four years. Four years between baby and beginning school.
Shannon - I can’t believe Sadie is going to kindergarten! Marissa had full day kindergarten as well. The first month of school is an adjustment. Marissa always came home really tired. It’s a long day for those little ones. I hope it will be a good experience for all of you. Derek will only be going to school for 2 1/2 hrs. each day. I’m sort of wondering what they are going to learn in that short amount of time, but it is what it is. It seems like they should try to find a happy medium somewhere so that the kindergartners aren’t at school all day, but also have the time they need to really focus on something they are learning.
Cute pictures of you two!