Thanks PPs. I am going to need huge sunglasses that day to hide my tears. DS is the oldest and he will always be my little guy - even when he is older.

In my DC's kindergarten, the kids were grouped in several groups and then sat with those groups for lunch too probably through Christmas. Then they had more freedom to sit with friends, but it wasn't too cliquey then either.

Anonymous wrote:For the parents that suggested I have lunch with DS. Will that make him look like a dork? I am an older Mom and have no idea what parents do these days, but I would have hated my Mom showing up at at school (but maybe that was later in middle school)...

No, not at all.

The beauty of kindergarten is that your kid still worships you. And it is COOL for a parent to come to lunch. My DS is an upcoming 1st grader and I highly recommend the following:

1 - If you pack a lunch for your child, definitely make sure they have everything (utensils, napkin, straw) and that they can open everything. Practice this with them.

2 - Try to grab lunch once or twice during the first week or so of school. It is really cute.

My son was on the shy side, and I was worried about him making friends, but it was fine. The K kids are all in the same boat, learning the same things and making new friends.

Good luck! When we brought my oldest to K for that first day, there were lots of tears (mostly parents - me included)! Savor the moment...

Anonymous wrote:For the parents that suggested I have lunch with DS. Will that make him look like a dork? I am an older Mom and have no idea what parents do these days, but I would have hated my Mom showing up at at school (but maybe that was later in middle school)...

Nope. They seem to love it when parents, GPs, etc come by. Just don't make a "baby" fuss and talk to his/her little friends like grown-ups, with no juvenile tone. The kids eat it up.

In our school, the teachers drop the kids off at lunch. They usually go through the lunch line w/ the kids in K for the first few times so they know what to do. They are assigned to 2 tables and they sit wherever they want at those 2 tables. I agree to not overpack and to make sure they can open at least some of their containers, etc. If they tend not to finish their food, I wouldn't send them through the lunch line as it can take awhile. Kids that age aren't really cliquey so your child will find someone to sit with. It is okay to come eat with them at that age too. Or you can volunteer in the lunch room to make yourself feel better. They always welcome help!

When we were young (def. 1st grade) we had to sit in alphabetical order. We weren't allowed to sit with friends because we'd get rambunctious.

So I used to sit across from the kid who would entertain the table by smashing his box of chocolate milk so it would squirt everywhere.

It never got old. Luckily, it would mostly splash him.

So, um, make sure your kid has an extra shirt!

He will likely sit with his class, and they'll just go in a line and be told to sit next to each other, so no need to find friends or worry about sitting alone.
I volunteered for lunch duty two days the first week when my DS started K last year, and I will say lunchtime seems to be hard for them. I saw quite a few lose it during lunch. I think its when they just get overwhelmed. I would definitely be sure to send favorite foods, very easily opened, and not too many different things that need to be opened/closed/ etc.
Another difficulty is the very limited time which can be a challenge. My son came home with almost nothing consumed a few times. You might 'practice' with him at home -- what to eat first from the lunchbox, remember to drink something too, etc.

Remember, its going to be fine!

15:15 has it down. And don't worry about your DC finding someone to sit with; that insanity won't start until later. In kinder, the whole class walks down to the caf together (often with everyone's lunch in a big laundry basket). The kids who buy go into that line first, the others go in and all sit at the same table. Teachers are on hand to smooth things out if anyone has a problem.