Anonymous wrote:Do you want to follow the bus in your helicopter?

Best post ever!

When I taught K, the parents were free to bring them to the class the first day. We let them stay five or ten minutes--then cleared them out. After that, the kids lined up in the a.m. outside the school (it was all walkers). Teachers went to bring them in when it was time for school to start. They were supervised--but I forget who did it. Probably, the administration and pe teachers.

Since K, I followed my kids' bus routes to familiarize myself with the various stops and possible options for catching the bus when we are running late. It's been very helpful and allows me to see neighborhoods around us which I might not otherwise visit too often. Seems quite pragmatic to me.

I always run behind the bus. It's a great work out.

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like another way for the SAHMs to fill up their day, creating more work for everyone. Another way to make the working moms who have actual job related things to do feel guilty.

This is why raising children in America feels so stressful, is because of all this made-up, make believe, labor intensive BS that doesn't actually need to happen.

And what if you have younger sibs at home? Do you have to get a babysitter for this too? Enlist Grandma in watching the younger ones so you can participate in this? Sounds expensive.

No silly.

You bring them along.

They won't even let us past the lobby in my kid's elementary. Don't follow the bus. Get your pics at home.

Sounds like another way for the SAHMs to fill up their day, creating more work for everyone. Another way to make the working moms who have actual job related things to do feel guilty.

This is why raising children in America feels so stressful, is because of all this made-up, make believe, labor intensive BS that doesn't actually need to happen.

And what if you have younger sibs at home? Do you have to get a babysitter for this too? Enlist Grandma in watching the younger ones so you can participate in this? Sounds expensive.

Anonymous wrote:This thread has me wondering if I was the only parent to drop my kid off at before care on the first day of K and not come back until 5. I feel pretty lame.

I am wondering about this as well. I guess we will ask on Thursday at the SACC and school open house regarding what they recommend/see at our school. I would love to drop off for class only on the first day (DD is a walker), but would also not want DD to miss the first day routine instructions from SACC to get her to class.

I think some schools are getting stricter about parents because some stay too long/don't leave.

We have a bus to school for our neighborhood, but we live less than a mile & can walk (we cross a major road, so that is why we have a bus). We walked first day of K, then the bus for other days - although on nice days when we have time, we walk.

We just had out k orientation last night. The teachers asked that we NOT do this. They said get the kids on the bus and that's it. They also said if we were doing drop off we had to drop off in the main hall and leave - no accompanying the child to the class or taking pics. They felt this was better for the kindergartners.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a thing at our elementary school

We all did it. Totally a think at our elementary school.

I'm glad I did it for K. You only do it that once.

Our elementary (fcps) is a smaller neighborhood school. All of the kindergartners and most of the other lower elementary grades have parents walking them to the classroom tue fist day. Many kids have mom and dad. They snap pictures outside, greet the teachers, get a picture of the kid sitting at the desk. It is a wonderful tradition and really helps to give a community feel to the school. We love it and we are about as far from helicopter parents as you could find (well, not quite the MD free range family).

In another state (wonderful school) the kinder parents walked the kids to the classroom, snapped a picture with the teachers who stood at the classroom door, then came back out for a coffee and donut celebration sponsored by the PTA. It was lovely, and also fostered a feeling of community.

This thread has me wondering if I was the only parent to drop my kid off at before care on the first day of K and not come back until 5. I feel pretty lame.

Unbelievably pathetic.

Anonymous wrote:And here's something I learned: sometimes the teacher will pin (safety pin) a note on your child. What bugs me is all the "institutional knowledge" that is assumed, like first day of school traditions. And don't get me started on acronyms

What I assumed was that the school staff knew what they were doing and did not need my presence to keep my kindergartner from getting lost.

Anonymous wrote:Okay, great! I'm the OP and please note: I DO NOT WANT TO FOLLOW THE BUS! I just kept hearing that other people were doing this or had done this, and so I was afraid my child would be the only one without a parent meeting them there. I have faith that the school will take care of him when he arrives, but I was starting to wonder after hearing that others are meeting their child at school.

Yeah, right. Helicopter up.