-
Holding Child Back in Kindergarten: Reflections After a Year
It is hard to believe that it is already 2023, am I right?! The past couple of years have been a roller coaster ride in terms of education and what the correct decision is for our boys. Two years ago, it was brought to our attention by our 4 year old’s teacher that he may benefit from enrolling in a Young-Fives program instead of going ahead to kindergarten. Reid is our first born and while we initially had no intention of holding him back from kindergarten, we took his teachers opinion seriously and after lots of discussion and prayer, we ultimately decided to hold him back and enroll him in…
-
Myths and Insight on Holding Back Kindergartener
It has been a year since we made the much debated decision to hold back or “redshirt” our 5 year old. I had so many concerns regarding his age and him feeling like he was held back and not advancing like his peers…but you know what? NONE of my concerns came true. Y’all holding Reid back for one extra year to gain maturity was the best parenting decision we have made. Take this with a grain of salt, as we haven’t entered kindergarten yet, but seeing the amount that he has grown and matured this year, I feel confident that he will succeed in kindergarten in the fall. I posted…
-
Healthy and Simple School Lunches for Young Children
Making school lunches can be stressful. We specifically choose our boys’ classes based on being able to have lunch at home to avoid packing school lunches. I honestly love eating lunch with my boys and it is a lot simpler to just make them a meal at home than to pack a lunch within the allergy parameters at school. I am pretty sure the whole “you make a plan, and God laughs” applies to this year’s school lunch situation. Our school only had one option for Reid’s age group, which meant he had to eat lunch at school. I was stressed about packing a school lunch for the first time…
-
Reasons to ‘Redshirt’ or Hold Back from Kindergarten for a Year
Parenting is about letting go of our expectations and doing what is best for each individual child.
-
Going to Pre-K during Coronavirus: Thoughts on Letting Go
Reid has been out of school for almost 6 months. In that time, we have navigated, learned and grown so much as parents and a family. It has been a taxing, fun, stressful, different, playful time that brought our little family closer together. The boys have become best friends and their little friendship has blossomed immensely. I know that I will look back on these days and remember the precious moments we got to spend as a family unit (as well as the stressful, uncertain times). As I write this, we are a week out before Reid starts pre-K and gets back into the swing of somewhat “normal” life again.…
-
Whether or Not to Send Kids to Preschool During Covid-19
Parenting is a challenging season, and parenting during a pandemic is even more challenging. I have learned more about myself and how I parent in the past 4 months than ever before. I have learned to give myself grace when things don’t go exactly as planned. I have embraced the occasional TV time when I am nearing my breaking point. And I have dug deep to find fun activities that bond us closer together. We have become such a tight little family and for that I am grateful for this quarantine. That being said, one of the parenting challenges that came up recently is sending the boys to preschool. Both…
-
Simple and Clean Toddler Indoor Activities
With the coronavirus in full swing and schools being cancelled all around the country (as well as most restaurants and playgrounds), there is more time for creative indoor activities. I love following accounts on Instagram like Busytoddler and DayswithGrey (local mom who presented to MOPS last year) who provide invaluable advice and activities for at home activities. These activities help kids learn, fight boredom and give moms (and dads) a break! With the vast amount of activities to choose from, you can quickly become overwhelmed and honestly, feel a little like a failure of a mother who has not tried many of these activities. Take it from me, I have…
-
Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas
If you ever want to be more involved in your child’s school life, I urge your to volunteer to be the room parent. I was unsure and hesitant about being a room parent as I didn’t know how much of a time commitment and involved it was going to be, but I am so happy that I stepped up and am able to be more involved in my child’s school life 🙂 Being a room mom is not crazy involved, but you do lend an extra hand when needed. You pick out and buy the different gifts for birthdays, holidays and teacher appreciation week. You also help with all of…
-
Getting My Groove Back: First Barre Class
Good morning!! After yesterdays post, I realized that I needed to stop whining, put on my big girl panties and just do it! I find that reading other blogs really motivates me to get out and run/exercise even when I do not feel like it and I thank you for your lovely comments they really helped energize me! This morning, I stepped out of my comfort zone and took a barre class. I have always been intrigued by barre classes, but have been either too intimidated or cheap (or both) to actually take one. This morning was the perfect time to test it out, as I am still not ecstatic…
