A journal of our family

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

All day Kindergarten

I just found out last night that our school system will be implementing all day kindergarten in the fall. I cried. I know that may sound crazy, but I am soooo not happy about this. Yes, I have days I want to pull my hair out and days when I swear if he doesn't stop talking soon I'm going to puncture my own ear drums. I know I've complained about having to pick my past kindergarteners up every day at 10:20. But, I always love having my kids home with me. I've cried every time one of my little ones have started school. Every time. I always feel like I've lost that special time with them and now they're off into the crazy world.

My sweet McCoy is so young still. He won't be 5 until August. I was struggling with the idea of him leaving this fall for 2 1/2 hrs every day. I actually shed a few tears durring family scripture reading the other night when I realized that he'd soon be able to start reading his verses on his own ( I swear I'm not pregnant). I just felt like I was "loosing" him too fast.

Then came the all day kindergarten announcement. They say, "it will lay a strong foundatin for future academic success." Seriously? They're 5. Why do we have to worry so much about his future academic success? He's a child. A very young child. Why can't he play and enjoy his childhhood. Why can't he climb a tree and build a fort after lunch instead of working to insure his future academic success. I got to do those things as a child, why can't he?

I feel like my kids childhood keeps getting chipped away at and it makes me so upset. They are children. They don't have to worry about succeeding at anything yet; not school, not sports, not life. They are children. Why do we keep doing this to them? Let them be children.

3 comments:

  1. I KNOW IT!! My friend here just told me yesterday that it's all-day kindergarten here, too, and I just about lost my marbles. Like really?? Come on!

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  2. Wow...I know Sarah. I didn't even go to preschool and have still made it through life okay. Surprising that parents didn't have more of a say in this?

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  3. First of all, I'm so glad you posted on my blog. I have tried to find you on Facebook, but you're not much of a presence there. LOL. So glad you "found" me.

    Your family is beautiful!!

    I know what you mean about all day kindergarten. Our school offers all-day, but luckily we still have a choice as to whether we want all-day or half-day. It seems weird to me that all-day seems to be more popular here than half-day. I like half-day. Enessa will also be starting kindergarten this fall, and she has an August birthday too. She does seem very young. She's very excited about going, but I will probably cry as she gets on the bus that first day.

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