what do you wish your kid had known before kindergarten

[Anonymous]

What do you wish your kid knew before kindergarten that they didn't know, or what were you really glad they knew?

I understand that kindergarten is partially about social skills and partially about academics, so the answers might be either social skills, independence skills or academic skills.

But I'm wondering if there are anythings that parents are glad they taught their kids before kindergarten or wish they had taught their kids.

[Anonymous]

I wish I had taught my kids that oftentimes, everyone does NOT win a trophy.

Understanding that it is often that you will NOT be the line leader, that you will NOT be one of the pair of students that does not take the attendance to the office, etc., would have been helpful.

The sometimes-over-the-top "devastation" at not being selected for something, or not doing things perfectly well, etc., is just way too much stress on anyone, including little kids at age 5.

[Anonymous]

I wish I had taught my son that kindergarten is SCHOOL and that means you have to sit still and do work that is sometimes not that exciting. And even when you're done with that work, you can't just get up and play like you did in preschool. We're only one month into K and I'm hearing, "But it's so boring!" I'm like, "Welcome to the rest of your life, kid!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had taught my son that kindergarten is SCHOOL and that means you have to sit still and do work that is sometimes not that exciting. And even when you're done with that work, you can't just get up and play like you did in preschool. We're only one month into K and I'm hearing, "But it's so boring!" I'm like, "Welcome to the rest of your life, kid!"

COULDN'T AGREE WITH THIS MORE! That whole "work" thing was a shock to my child! I also wish I would have reinforced more of the academics (letters, sounds, numbers, money concepts, etc) and taught him more things on my own. But, I know that in the end, all will be fine.

[Anonymous]

I wish my kid had understood the value of using the potty when you can, not when it's an absolutely dire need. I mean, I did tell him this, but the lesson didn't stick as well as one might hope.

[Anonymous]

I have three kids and my youngest is in K now. There isn't a single thing I wished I'd taught my kids before K - and it's not like any of them were reading or doing anything more than what you see on Sesame Street. Kids entering K are at all different developmental levels. You can talk and talk about not everyone gets a trophy or gets to be line leader but it can take a very long time before they really get it. Same with reading and writing. I had one who could write her first and last name before starting K, one kid who was close to writing his first name correctly and one who didn't have a clue. Same environment, same educational opporutnities before K, just different kids. They were all well prepared for K and I'm glad I didn't spend time overthinking it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish my kid had understood the value of using the potty when you can, not when it's an absolutely dire need. I mean, I did tell him this, but the lesson didn't stick as well as one might hope.

This is definitely an important one that my kid learned from experience

[Anonymous]

Nothing at all, really. He did great. He was kind and polite and gentle and sporting and potty trained. And Kindergarten does not mean sitting at a desk at all schools. The real question is - what did I wish my children had told me before kindergarten? I do have an answer for that for the second child, which is that she did not want to be at the same K school her older sib had attended.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had taught my son that kindergarten is SCHOOL and that means you have to sit still and do work that is sometimes not that exciting. And even when you're done with that work, you can't just get up and play like you did in preschool. We're only one month into K and I'm hearing, "But it's so boring!" I'm like, "Welcome to the rest of your life, kid!"

Dang, that's sad PP. School should not be boring, nor should your life. Time to make changes, I'd say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had taught my son that kindergarten is SCHOOL and that means you have to sit still and do work that is sometimes not that exciting. And even when you're done with that work, you can't just get up and play like you did in preschool. We're only one month into K and I'm hearing, "But it's so boring!" I'm like, "Welcome to the rest of your life, kid!"

Dang, that's sad PP. School should not be boring, nor should your life. Time to make changes, I'd say.

Really? Haven't you sat through a million meetings that bored you to tears? School is not playtime. And our Arlington kindergarten is DEFINITELY more work, work, work than play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had taught my son that kindergarten is SCHOOL and that means you have to sit still and do work that is sometimes not that exciting. And even when you're done with that work, you can't just get up and play like you did in preschool. We're only one month into K and I'm hearing, "But it's so boring!" I'm like, "Welcome to the rest of your life, kid!"

Dang, that's sad PP. School should not be boring, nor should your life. Time to make changes, I'd say.

Really? Haven't you sat through a million meetings that bored you to tears? School is not playtime. And our Arlington kindergarten is DEFINITELY more work, work, work than play.

We're still drilling this in for DS in third grade -- the work load picks up substantially and all DS wants to do is go play. On the one hand, I don't blame him a bit. On the other hand, as we've already told him, in life not everything is fun and not everything is play. Some things take a long time to do and other things come easily.

DS is one of those kids who has always resisted drilling. He went into K not knowing a lot of things kids his age knew (he could write his name and knew some letters, but resisted efforts to teach him more). He manages and his learning has picked up in the last year but he's not one of the kids we read about on DCUM who's dying to do more work.

[Anonymous]

To recognize all the letters and sounds and how to sound very simple words.

How to write numbers 1 -10 and the letters A- Z.

We were in Montessori before hand and they wasn't enough pratical work so while all the other kids knew these things my kid was trying to learn them and the teacher was just glazing over them because she felt all the kids knew them.

[Anonymous]

how to make friends.

DC in 2nd grade and has make no new friends since K...

[Anonymous]

How to tie his shoes

[Anonymous]

That when you are done with your lunch - particularly your open and unfinished milk or frozen fruit treat - please just throw it away. Don't try to "save it for later" by putting it in your lunch box.