It couldn't be over soon enough!

I am so happy to be looking at the last 5 days of school. 
Maybe more excited than my children.
A generation ago parents would say "OMG! They're getting out of school now what do I do with them" or "I can't wait for the school year to begin" But parents these days are also condemned to repeat school with their children. It starts with preschool. teachers send home back packs with little stuffed toys and a binder for your little student to fill out with fun facts that she/he did with the wily critter. I remember when my first born came home with Chester the yellow and blue striped snake. Poor Chester he looked as if he'd been bounced around from one rummage sale to the next before finding his permanent home with my daughter's preschool. We looked through the binder to see what other children did with Chester before he came home with us. You might be surprised to see the broad range of interpretations student's ( student is used loosely here) shared from their experiences with Chester.


It was a weekend project. The binder had instructions for the project for instance, Chester likes to be read to and enjoys playing with his toy. There would be a chew toy similar to a pet chew toy like a ball. Each child had a page to fill in the blanks for questions like, "Did you take Chester with you anywhere?" and "What games did you play with Chester?" Then at the bottom of the page was space for a drawing that your child could fill in however they wanted. Pretty basic. Funny thing was, as we flipped through the binder the pages we saw were elaborately filled out. Some children typed theirs on computer, others were covered in a scrapbook quality style. One we saw wasn't even on the pre-printed form but made to look like a power point presentation showcasing Chester and the 3 or 4 year old student on an adventure in bold colors and on card stock.


I was intimidated. After the first night of playing with Chester and her other stuffed animals she was over the whole thing. After I asked her the first of the questions she said,I quote, I played with him. "OK." I said. "But what did you play?" Her answer, "Just played with my other stuffed animals"


Knowing that wasn't going to sound good on paper. I pressed her to describe her game to me with more detail. "What game was that?"
"I don't know." she replied.
"Oh..." I said. After a few more prodding questions I thought it best to set up a scenario for her to start playing again. I told her that Chester was a guest in our house and that he needs to have an adventure with her and her other animals. I didn't get the response I was looking for. So I set up a little circle of friends and placed Chester in the middle and tried to interest my daughter in the story I was making up for the scene. Again, she just looked on as if I was the show not her toys and Chester the snake from school. I quickly snapped a picture suggested a few answers to the questionnaire and begged her doodle a little. Honestly, I did all this for a rummage sale 3 foot long ugly stuffed snake and for the sake of my motherhood ego. I even went as far as making my daughter let Chester sleep with her other toys on top of her bed one night, which was after I had to look all over the house only to find it in the play kitchen's oven. Go figure.


Now my first born is finishing 6th grade and she is whipping out projects and stories all by herself. I don't need to prompt her but I do from time to time give her help as needed. I am though, constantly volunteering to help with yard duty, teacher appreciation lunches, field trips and signing homework, tests, grading papers of all kinds. She doesn't have playdates anymore but hangs out and goes to school dances.


my middle child is finishing 4th grade. His year was pretty good all over. Normal fluctuations with friends and lots of teaching moments. His teachers gave less homework than the other 4th grade teachers to my complete and total support. They taught in class versus sending home work for parents to teach to their children. On the flip-side this class had an unusual amount of field trips and so many were all day excursions and I mean all day. Sometimes we wouldn't get home until 4 or 5PM. There were several school concerts to attend, sports events and inter-grade events. There were parent info nights and yes, 4th grade health class (read sex-ed) permission slips. He said he put his hands over his ears and told me he knew everything already.


Luckily most of them came through without a scratch.


My youngest is ready for first grade. I am so proud of her. She had the worst Kindergarten teacher there is and I mean worst. She yells, she has zero patience, she manhandles the children, shames them, bullies them and is tenured. It has been a hot and cold year for her and the other Kindergarten students. I can say my daughter has learned that just because she is the teacher doesn't mean she's right, doesn't take her teacher's personal attacks personally and isn't afraid of her. My daughter has made good friends and has learned a thing or two about how to be a friend. I am thankful for that. Apparently, my daughter is behind academically, so we're reminded here and there in between the times her teacher says how well she is doing. Phew!


With homework 4 nights out of the week including a math work book, a homework folder with assignments to be done with mom or dad and take home reading every night with a new form to be signed and returned every day (which required a signed contract by both parents and child that we would read together every night and return the books each day or be charged a replacement fee, among other assignments, we hardly had time as a family before plopping the three of them into bed. I can't tell you how many times I was given unsolicited parenting advice by this archaic military-esque kinder teacher. Parents, not just me, blame it on tenure because no amount of parental complaints could get her fired over all her years of teaching.


Anyway, it's over. We will celebrate. We will share all kinds of adventures together as a family and with friends. Ours will be a much needed and deserved summer vacation.

                           We hope you and your family have a fun-filled summer as well.

disclaimer: the kindergarten teacher in this case is the exception to the rule. There are far more fantastic teachers out there who make a huge difference in our childrens' lives and we celebrate them. Thank God this Kindergarten teacher I have described is retiring and her last day is Friday. We celebrate that too!