First week done and I'm exhausted

I spent the last half of my Friday treating N to my usual verbal regurgitation of the first week of school. I have to talk it out, poor guy. Thank goodness I'm fortunate to be married to a good listener with a good sense of humor.

My first thought was wondering if the majority of this year's children are less prepared for school or if teacher L did the first week differently than past years. I have this vague memory of training them to do multiple jobs with stations of blocks, puzzles and playdough--not cutting, gluing and writing. I felt like a participant in a circus act.

Thursday, I took all of them into the computer lab for the first time (solo). It's normal to have 2 or 3 kids, in each class, unfamiliar with using a computer, but this year about a third of each class was trying to use the mouse without pressing the button. Made me wonder what type of technology they were accustomed to using. One little guy kept pushing the monitor screen--I understand that!

We have a couple of little guys who are happy to let us (but we won't) take care of their every need. Gives me an urge to send home some literature on what a 5 year old should be expected to do on their own. Yes, I know it seems easier to dress them, hang up their coats and manage their backpacks for them, but not in the long run. Plus, you're taking all the fun out of growing up!

I like this article (click here to read entire article):

The responsible child: How to teach responsibility
"Choose age-appropriate tasks. Your 5-year-old is ready to handle some jobs that require self-reliance and dependability. She can feed the dog every evening (not just when you ask her to), for example, and put her dirty clothes in the hamper every night at bedtime. She can also start learning to plan ahead if you ask her questions like, "What will you need in your backpack tomorrow at school?" and "What equipment will you need to have at your swim class this afternoon?"
Teach first things first. Your kindergartner probably knows by now that work usually comes before play, but you still need to reinforce this basic rule. "Sure I want to take you to the park!" you can tell her. "But remember, first we need to clean up after lunch." Be friendly and matter-of-fact about it, and admit that you prefer the fun, too — then she'll understand that you're not just being bossy, but are simply expecting her to behave responsibly."