This fall, Amy is eagerly embracing her role as parent of a Kindergartener!
Using the mantra, “Don’t be a crazy person,” Amy has presented as a competent, securely attached parent at drop-off time. She brings humor to challenging moments, telling the Head of School, “I left with both legs. For a minute there I wasn’t sure, seemed like one might be staying!” referencing her son’s iron-tight grip around her right thigh. A goal for this fall is that Amy might feel able to leave the school parking lot without sitting in the car debriefing every moment of drop-off with her husband on speakerphone.
Amy will have many opportunities to develop socially as a parent of a Kindergartener. At times, Amy shows an interest in getting to know the other parents at school, and at other times she seems to withdraw. We believe Amy might be allocating her energy in the way she needs in order to manage this transition. We respect that! At this point in the year, Amy’s own anxieties seem to lead her to interpret peers’ well-meaning questions such as, “Is this your only child?” and “What do you for work?” as indictments of her life’s particulars. As Amy and also her peers settle in, these interactions will become less charged. We hope that over time, Amy might develop a trusting bond with one or more peers. We all love those glimmers when Amy allows her dry personality to shine through!
When it comes to Literacy Skills, Amy is learning to read the room. In her rare written communication with teachers, Amy uses appropriate tone and is appropriately concise. Amy can serve as a model to her peers in this regard! In terms of penmanship, Amy seems to struggle with the fine motor control necessary to label each of her son’s belongings with his initials in wide Sharpie, though her letters are generally legible in context of her son’s distinctive, lightly stained garments.
A true mathematician, Amy uses mathematical thinking in everyday life! Amy uses algebraic thinking daily, studying traffic patterns and trying to discern a formula for when to leave for school. Here, her executive-function skills come into play, as completing all of her morning routines and gathering her own belongings in a more efficient manner may help Amy make good on her mathematical understanding. We hope that through experiential learning, Amy might arrive at her own conclusions and put her learning into practice.
Amy’s spatial awareness skills are developing, and at times orienting herself in even a very small school building seems to pose a challenge for Amy. In these moments Amy benefits from support comprehending body relative directions like “left,” and “right.” As we are still getting to know Amy as a learner, we aren’t sure if spatial awareness or following two-step directions is the challenge Amy is working through. This is an area we will monitor as the year unfolds. We are glad to support her!
Self-help skills are an important part of every Kindergarten parent’s journey. Amy makes sure her son is outfitted appropriately for all weather (even when it is 70 degrees and sunny!), but sometimes herself lacks rain gear, an umbrella, or pants appropriate to the decade. We hope to see Amy encourage her son to care for his own belongings, and thus “free up” Amy so that she can look the part of a Kindergarten parent, and perhaps leave that gross, cereal-crust-at-the-collar look behind with the toddler years. This shift may help Amy’s self-confidence as well.
Amy has more experience being a Kindergarten teacher than being a Kindergarten parent, something she is careful not to mention but nonetheless is sure to bring to the awareness of everyone she meets. We are hopeful that Amy will be able to adapt to her new role, and she’s off to a strong start! We look forward to seeing all the ways Amy might grow and blossom this year!