It is normal to feel anxious whenever your child is starting something new - K, ES, MS, HS, College, Job, marriage....

My dad used to say that worrying about his kids is his inalienable right as a parent AND there was nothing anyone could say or do to make him give it up.

Anonymous wrote:agree. My DS is going to K and moving from a class with 3 teachers and 24 kids to one that is 28 with 1 teacher who is really really young. Also the kids we saw in orientation were soooo BIG and Tall. I thought my kid was average in size, but I guess not. How prevalent is redshirting in MCPS?

Funny, DS is 98th percentile for height and constantly mistaken for older. I was hoping there would be other tall kids so he didn't feel funny. Guess we all just want our kids to fit in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^WHOOPS! Think of DCUM as a fun-house mirror! Not MCPS.

Maybe both?

MCPS certainly has its idiosyncrasies. But fun-house mirror? No.

I take it your kid never had an IEP. Then it's certainly a fun house mirror experience. Horrifying, exaggerated in all the wrong ways, and a welcome relief when it's over.

agree. My DS is going to K and moving from a class with 3 teachers and 24 kids to one that is 28 with 1 teacher who is really really young. Also the kids we saw in orientation were soooo BIG and Tall. I thought my kid was average in size, but I guess not. How prevalent is redshirting in MCPS?

Me too. I think it's also that she's going from a preschool with two teachers and fifteen students to an all-day kindergarten with one teacher and 28 students. DD will be fine but I wonder how a teacher can stay on top of bullying/exclusion, kids who are slightly behind the curve, etc. It's a big transition.

I am sending my third off to K and am still a little nervous. I even teach in an elementary school and know he will do fine. I think transitions are hard and watching such a little one go out in the world is just bittersweet and makes us all nervous to some degree.

My younger child is starting K this year too, and I too am nervous. I know she will be fine, but moving on from her sweet pre-school is tough. Plus transitions are always hard for me/us. Good luck!

My kid is starting K too. She will love it, I'm sure, but I'm nervous.

It's because its all unknown. My second child is starting K and it's a whole different animal. We are all much more relaxed about it all. Fwiw: we are very happy with mcps.

That's OK, OP. I get nervous anytime there's any kind of transition.
I have to steel myself during my children's musical performances on stage, even though I'm not the one performing!
It's slightly ridiculous, but not uncommon

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^WHOOPS! Think of DCUM as a fun-house mirror! Not MCPS.

Maybe both?

MCPS certainly has its idiosyncrasies. But fun-house mirror? No.

Anonymous wrote:^^^WHOOPS! Think of DCUM as a fun-house mirror! Not MCPS.

Maybe both?

^^^WHOOPS! Think of DCUM as a fun-house mirror! Not MCPS.

Anonymous wrote:A little surprised that I'm feeling this way. I don't have any specific reason to think it won't be a good experience. Maybe I read too many negative things about MCPS here and should cut back on DCUM.

Yes, or if you can't, think of MCPS as a fun-house mirror. It's reflecting something kind of related to reality, but it's not reflecting reality.

A little surprised that I'm feeling this way. I don't have any specific reason to think it won't be a good experience. Maybe I read too many negative things about MCPS here and should cut back on DCUM.