PP blues or depression- Whatever you name them can be so individual. I don't think it is at all unusual to just want time to be alone with baby and experience them for yourself which is important for the father also to have some alone bonding time as well, while new mother sleeps. Especially if you are the personality type who likes your space and alone time. I found that as I got older with our 3rd birth, I was more anxious to share but with the first 2 I was very possessive. Fortunately for me , my mother and MIL were understanding of my possessiveness and didn't complain or hold it against me. As other replies suggested explain your feelings to your family and give yourself some time. If it persists then I would contact your physician rather than letting it go on too long if it is PPD. And use any extra time to sleep so that you are rested up and gaining strength for interrupted sleep that usually comes with a new baby. My best to you!

DD sounds like a sweetheart surrounded by a group of girls at their worst. As a former school psychologist in both elementary and secondary schools, we were always wanting to know if this kind of a situation was going on so that we could tactfully and quietly help the hurting child. You might ask the teacher if she is aware of how unhappy the little girl is at recess or school in general. Often there are repercussions for being brave and standing alone for another child but I would encourage your daughter to follow her heart and meanwhile let the teacher or principal or school psychologist know of the situation. A real chance for your daughter to build character and courage.

Thanks for your post. You express a dilemma that most parents struggle with who have children. The responses to your post were very thoughtful and informative. Let them work it out in my mind means let them do it whenever possible but with parents close enough to step in when the conflict has gone on too long or there is an unhealthy pattern occurring such as always ending in physical fights or one child always taking advantage of the other. Then it is necessary to separate them and talk privately with them about what you are observing at the time and then later when they are in a less agitated state. There are always two sides to the story so don't assume that it is just one child's fault. When at a friend's house you often don't have the luxury of being able to talk to both parties. If you find that the behavior takes place regularly then assess whether you want your child to continue playing there. Parenting takes so much skill and patience . The main thing is don't assume that your child is always right. You do them a disservice by never confronting their part in a conflict which has lifelong consequences for them.

I would think that another speech evaluation would make sense through your school district as they usually provide the speech therapy needed in their own preschool intervention program. The sooner the intervention the better which often then will be remediated by the time she enters kindergarten. They will also make sure that her hearing is not a problem which wouldn't hurt to have that evaluated again if needed. I am basing this on California school districts which should be nationwide as a function of special education requirements. Hope this helps.

Your son sounds very active at this point in time. It is unusual for a child with mild to more severe attention problems being able to sit and listen to parents reading aloud to them. You may be reading books that are of high interest to him and he may enjoy the intimacy and attention of being read to by his parents which is not always true of a school situation. Whether he is just active or has mild or more severe attention problems he will do best with plenty of exercise/ physical activity, structure in his environment such as regular routines for bedtime, mealtime, quiet time
(playing puzzles/games, limited screen time, artwork/crafts, etc.) and consistent expectations. When you give him directions make sure that he is facing you and listening, limit to no more than 2- 3 steps at his age and then have him repeat what they are. Then supervise and encourage him so that he realizes that you are serious about what you are asking him to do. So easy for children to tune out parents who talk a lot and don't follow through. Help him develop decision making by giving him 2-3 choices to choose from about what he wears, eats, how he spends his quiet time, his physical activities, his chores, etc.) . Spend time talking about the consequences of choices he makes -good and bad. This helps him feel more confident and develops his executive functioning which includes judgment, initiating (starting something), monitoring his emotions, time management, etc. My best to you and your son.

You have gotten some very good advice in answer to your original post. In my experience as a school psychologist it is unusual for a child with attention problems to do their homework mostly by themselves. That is many times when they have a hard time with focusing and motivation. They also usually have a difficult time listening to directions or lecturing in a school atmosphere especially at 6 years of age. It sounds like the teacher's style would be more suited to the abilities of older primary grades. Many schools now place so much emphasis on academics, etc. at an earlier age than many 6 year olds can handle and those who can't are often discouraged and become even less focused because auditory learning is not how they learn best. Usually more visual and hands on learning works best for that age. The private school may pride themselves on pushing academics early on which is often viewed as advantageous by many of the parents. But my experience is that many capable intelligent children get discouraged and tune out. Very sad to see! You may end up realizing that her teacher or the school itself is not a good match for your daughter's learning style at this age.
From your description of your daughter I am not seeing typical signs of attention problems. They usually manifest themselves in some way much earlier than age 6 even if there are no behavior problems but your wise to be aware of this possibility. Her earlier experiences in kindergarten and preschool would demonstrate some type of difficulty if attention was that great of a problem. As some of the other replies suggested the teacher's constant talking about her need to focus etc. is not helpful to a 6 year old and there should be accommodations such as sitting close to teacher, visual cues, etc. if she is to remain in the class.
I would definitely speak to the principal about the situation. By all means observe the classroom before going to the principal or ask if the principal will observe the class before you do. This wouldn't be out of the ordinary as principals often observe all classrooms at some time in the year. Please follow up with another post as to how the situation is resolved. My best to you!

Wow, I read through the replies that you received after sending out your post and you've received some great ideas. The only thing I might add is that she may be a late bloomer, i.e. she may become more coordinated and capable with time due to catching up in her development as she is only six. I am assuming she is in first grade. As a former school psychologist and therapist, I would agree with a psycho-educational evaluation in case there are any learning problems that need remediation. She might also benefit from being held back a year but not at the same school. Are you able to place her at a good Montessori charter school where there is more emphasis on social and sensory motor skills than academics at an early age as often seen in public schools. For sure I would be in close communication with her teacher to keep on eye on bullying within the group of girls that she is choosing to be with. In any event the suggestions that she develop competency in an area of interest apart from school will help her gain confidence. Also to have her take an active role at home in being responsible for some of the daily routines of your home such as helping plan meals and preparation, setting table, etc. anything that will make her feel more grown up and competent. It is so easy as a parent to want to protect a child who seems less capable but she will gain more self confidence by your teaching her and expecting her to be capable in your home environment. Of course, always with patience and encouragement from you. The more capable she feels at home the more capable she will feel in the world. My best to you and your daughter.

So much in my opinion rests on the individual student. Some know early on what they are good at and what they have a passion for, so choosing a college/university isn't as difficult as for the student who isn't really certain as to what career or job they want to pursue or their talents aren't as obvious. Another scenario is the unmotivated student who doesn't have the maturity or drive to seek out the information needed to make a choice. As other parents replied, with the cost of an education and the potential for crippling student loans, there will be a need for some guidance,-meaning the amount that parents can spend on tuition and related costs. They also should insist that their student research schools as this will make them more confident in their choice and decision making . The most difficult situation is the necessity for parents to correctly guide the immature student who probably needs to go to a community college rather than going away so they have more time to mature and explore their interests. I guess the best solution is to continually help your child explore their talents and interests so that they have an easier time in deciding upon a career or vocation that suits them. When they know what they want to do, choosing a college or technical training is not so difficult.

As a former school psychologist I had to chuckle at the replies you received. My best advice would be to either contact your special education office at your school district and talk with the director about your concerns or directly with the school psychologist at your school. Sometimes there are two assigned to a school so it is easy to have another one do the assessment or attend the IEP. By directly contacting the school psychologist you may find that they are more aware of your child's case than you think or if not, you are putting them on notice that you are concerned about the legitimacy of their report. Most psychologists would respond in an agreeable manner. If not contact the district and ask for another one be sent to that school to do the evaluation. It is a reasonable request. IEE's are an option but I found many of the psychologists who do them have more of an agenda than the school district's psychologists. My best to you as you pursue this.

How upsetting. The other posts have suggested writing to teacher and director about the incidents and their policies. Can you make an appointment to go to school and speak to them about your concerns and take time to observe the school situation especially during recess and free time. I am used to working in public schools but preschools should have strict guidelines as well when children get hurt and a low tolerance for bullying and biting which is pretty common in small children. This is why they need a lot of supervision and intervention to teach them that it is unacceptable behavior. Most preschool teachers have aides to help them. Do you know the ratio of adults to children in the class. My best to you as you sort out this troubling situation.

My suggestion would be to observe and carefully check out the private school you are considering placing her at. If you already know that she is high energy, I wouldn't put her in a situation where academics are accelerated in the early primary grades. For example- a setting in which young children are expected to sit for long periods of time and listen to the teacher or expected to do serious homework at night. High energy children are often singled out as behavior problems when their way of learning is not appreciated which is often exploration and hands on learning. Even if they provide extra help for this type of learner, the child sees it as something is "wrong with me or I'm not as smart as the rest of them."
We have been made to believe that the more acceleration in academics the better which is often not true. Children need experiences rather than just facts given to them because they are of little interest to them if they have no experiences with the fact to base the memory on. Children that are pushed into uncomfortable situations early on in school often lose their excitement about learning which is what you don't want to happen. The goal is to be curious and have a love of learning that lasts for a lifetime. As an educational psychologist and mother and grandmother I have seen many children get discouraged. My best wishes to you and your family as you consider what is the best school situation for your daughter.

He sounds like an energetic 2 yr old that in my opinion isn't a candidate for any intervention at this point. As another reply stated the first signs to look for with autism are sociability, eye contact, ability to engage in imaginative play. It sounds like his placing the juice packets on his fingers is imaginative play or it could be a compulsive act which you should be able to decipher by asking him questions about it. Boys are usually more interested in large motor activities at that age and less apt to have much attention span. Time will tell if he has any ADHD tendencies but at this point he doesn't sound autistic at age 2. Blessings to you for your concerns in this age of having to question so many child behaviors in light of childhood disorders that have become so prevalent.

It does sound like your 2 year old has a completely different temperament than your 4 yr old which has been evident from birth. You described him as fussy from the beginning. He does sound like he gets frustrated easily and takes his anger or frustration out on others. The good news is that his child caregiver is not alarmed by his behavior or his pediatrician. He may need more boundaries and help in containing his anger. You don't want him get in the habit of hitting others when he is angry. Time outs are usually effective if you enforce them in a patient manner. Does he like to be physically active? Another suggestion was more alone time with him on the part of you or your husband. He may be naturally competitive and see how easy it is for his older brother to do activities when he himself is struggling. Speech therapy is another option if needed as it is one on one time with an interested person and could be of help in limiting the amount of frustration he is feeling regarding expressing himself. If he continues to get worse with time and in other settings besides home, I would consult again with his pediatrician. My best to you.

How frustrating for you and your child. The saddest part of it is that their child has no control over his/ her parents irresponsible behavior and suffers as well. That being said there is no excuse for being late regardless of any diagnosis and they are being rude and placing more importance on their time than yours. If you are feeling bad for their child being left out make arrangements on occasion to have him/her over ahead of time so that they are there when you are ready to leave. Otherwise let them know that you have to leave at a certain time and then leave 10-15 minutes after the designated time with a text to them that you have already left and to meet you there. Your child then knows that you are being kind and trying to help their friend. Again I feel badly for their child who is probably agonizing over the situation. Tough predicament but the parents won't learn unless you set boundaries.

It would seem that the cold has set him back and it might make sense to take him in regarding his health. He might be developing an ear infection or other complication of his cold. I wouldn't be thinking of depression as most very young children act out their feelings of loss rather than appearing sad. He is expressing attachment to the baby so I wouldn't keep bringing up the subject with him. Are you experiencing any PPD? He may be tired and experiencing fears at night as you describe him as waking up and coming into your room each night.