Parents and school involvement

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-17-2003
Parents and school involvement
2586
Thu, 08-23-2007 - 8:49am

My question stems from a personal experience. My middle child is starting kindergarten next week. I've become fairly close with one of my dd's friend's moms- this is her first child entering the school system. She WOH, I do not, plus I have experience with the school, so she's been calling me with questions and comments.

It started to go bad when she called to complain that the kindy orientation is during the day- when she is working. Then it led to complaints about the parents' read aloud program (when the kids are in library) and other opportunities for volunteerism in the school. I get that these things aren't convenient for her, but I'm getting annoyed with the complaining. How can the kids have an orientation at night when they go to school during the day? None of these events are mandatory for parents or kids. And plenty of activities are scheduled for evenings: Back to school night, the PTA picnic, etc.

She thinks because she can't participate, no one should be able to, apparently. Plenty of WOHP do show up for these things. I think she's being unrealistic if she thought she could put a couple of kids through school without ever taking a vacation day. Am I wrong? Am I missing something here?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2005
Fri, 08-31-2007 - 10:31am
Nope. I am not continuing with it.
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-04-1997
Fri, 08-31-2007 - 10:32am
Church is a wonderful institution for socializing young children. My kids got their first taste of being in a group classroom situation in Sunday School. Their first taste of performing in front of a group in children's choir. Their first experience waiting in line at church potlucks.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2005
Fri, 08-31-2007 - 10:32am
There are alot more things they learn to get ready for Kindergarten. My dd was doing worksheets in Pre-K at daycare. They have a cirriculum that they follow for each school so they are ready when they get there. I am sure alot of it you CAN teach at home but I am sure there are things that I would not know to do.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2005
Fri, 08-31-2007 - 10:33am
I think she meant as an everyday thing. My son stands in line everyday, a couple times a day at daycare.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2005
Fri, 08-31-2007 - 10:35am
Not all churchs have this though. My church does not have Sunday School or anything for the kids to get together. When they enter kindergarten they go to religion class but that is from Oct-May and only once a week or every other week.
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-08-2001
Fri, 08-31-2007 - 10:37am
Maybe not now (and as of right now, me neither), but if you were a SAHM, you
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-17-2007
Fri, 08-31-2007 - 10:43am
i agree. but in our church we pretty much know everyone who attends and certainly all the families with young children. what i have said is that preschool is the only place my 4 year old can go and make friends of his own choosing, on his own, without those friends being the children of moms friends. i have many friends now who at one time were just the parents of kids my children choose to play with over the years, had my kids not palled up with their kids chances are i would never have met them. when my little one started preschool last year there were some kids of friends of mine in the class and we thought it was great that they would be in class together, but when left to their own devices they also all made new and different friends instead of just sticking with friends of moms friends - at at 4 years old preschool, at least for my kids, is really teh only place they are goign to get that opportunity.
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-04-1997
Fri, 08-31-2007 - 10:48am
I didn't say you were "continuing with it." I said you opened it. If anyone picks up the argument, it is because YOU opened it.
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-04-1997
Fri, 08-31-2007 - 10:49am
How much practice does one actually need before one has mastered the basics of standing in line? Are there advanced line standing techniques that require daily practice or something? I would think that one could get the hang of it all in everyday life, but perhaps I am missing something.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2005
Fri, 08-31-2007 - 11:03am
Unless I was able to get the cirriculum, I would not know everything that the preschools or daycares were teaching.

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