Can you people believe I am already in trouble at the Elementary School? Well, maybe you can...
The school has this rule that I find to be absolutely ridiculous. All children, including the kindergartners, are supposed to be dropped off at the front of the school to walk by themselves to class. Yes, I understand the underlying philosophies behind the rule- encouraging independence, keeping parents from distracting the teacher right as class is to begin, too much traffic on the school grounds, the potential for people who don't belong there to blend in.
However, it's just TOO FAR to go alone, especially for a kid who is reluctant to go in the first place. They have to walk on the sidewalk, down steps, past the gym, then turn and walk up a breezeway to class. Zona's class is at the very end of the line. (All the kindergarten classes are clustered together, separate from the rest of the school. ) If they arrive before the bell rings at 7:50, they are to go to the cafeteria (which is twice as far away) until the bell rings.
I have tried to encourage Zona to do this on her own to no avail. Just broaching the subject brings a swell of tears. At school, she clings and cries if I attempt to get her to walk on her own up the breezeway. Being a guilt-ridden mother who questions her parenting skills and decisions on a minute by minute basis, I have caved. Each morning, I park the car and walk with her to class. We don't bug the teacher, I don't go into class with her, nothing but a quick hug and "see you later." If it is before class, I hang with her until the bell rings, give a quick hug and I'm out of there.
I see a few other parents doing the same thing, but not that many. It should be noted that Zona appeared to be the only RUNNER the first day of school.
Friday, the principal sent out a letter to all the kindergarten parents reminding them of the rule. I'm pretty sure the letter was directed at me and that small coterie of other parents. Well, obviously it was. My paranoia says it was directed at me! He said that if anyone needed to "see" that the child made it safely into the classroom for "peace of mind", a parent could walk them to the gym and watch them walk up the breezeway to class.
Well, of course I NEED to see that my child makes it safely. It would be one thing if she were getting off a bus with a bunch of other children that she knew and walking with them. Instead, she is walking all alone. She's not even 5 1/2 yet. She's independent enough for 5 1/2. I would be nervous...
Needless to say, tomorrow a.m. ought to be fun. I've already mentioned the letter from the principal to Zona and she has already had her first round of tears and then talked Chris' ear off about it while trying to fall asleep. She is really fretting over it. I hesitated to tell her, but figured being prepared was better than the shock of the alternative.
Wish us luck!
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4 comments:
That's an absurd rule. There is no way I'd just drop her off. She just started school, and she's a little girl!
Do they know you work for an attorney? Nothing scares schools like legal professionals.
Another option is to pretend you have panic attacks or seizures. :)
You're a fabulous enabler. Good thing someone's got my back!
The thing is some kids have no problem walking up on their own. Zona's buddy Daniel blows his poor mother off with an "I got it, Mom." that is reminiscent of a teenager (or at least one who has reached the age of being embarrassed by and truly OVER his parents.) It makes my buddy Janet positively weepy.
This kid, who is normally the class clown, laid back and pretty cool all around, is also prone to fits of shyness and meltdowns (usually hunger related) the likes of which we have NEVER seen in Zona.)
I can't be a rabble rouser at the school, I'm already on the shit list at the daycare.
Why are you in trouble with daycare?????????????
After Zona's first week at daycare, I sent them a 2 page, single-spaced letter about how disappointed I was in their quality of care detailing EVERY single day (will email to you.)After that, I received no real comment from them (probably because I said we were leaving) except that everyone there was very insincerely over-attentive to me. We have not switched as we are about to sell the house and might end up havign to switch daycares again. The first transition was so hard that I'm not doing that to Zona again until I'm sure where we will land. The daycare is better now that school has started, but we still don't like it. Zona is kind of in a situation where she is familiar enough with it that she doesn't want to start all over again.
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