The School Rundown

NICKY

The school situation: Nicky is in 7th grade, which in our school district is the first year of junior high. Just recently, they moved all the 9th graders to high school, so junior high is just 7th and 8th for now. In my opinion, the shorter the better! But 9th grade does seem kind of young and immature for high school. Nevertheless, I think it's good for children of that age to go back to the bottom of the totem pole. There is talk of moving 6th grade to junior high. Please, no. Sixth grade was my favorite year in school, and it ended up being Nicky's as well. Let them be little! Let them be in elementary one more year!

Nicky is taking the bus. I've always been adamant that my children won't take a school bus (I took the bus to junior high, and it wasn't pleasant), but we decided to give it a try because A) we know a few great kids who are taking the bus, B) the bus isn't very full, and C) it saves me from having to fight the carpool traffic (which is rumored to be pretty bad). So far it has gone well, but we have to head out pretty early in the mornings. I have to drive him to the bus stop because it's not very close to our house. We're technically not in the bussing zone.

I think he's doing okay at school, but my biggest concern is that he doesn't really have any friends. I put him in a school that only three other kids from his elementary are going to, so he is basically starting over with friendship. He doesn't make friends quickly or easily. He says he doesn't care. He seems to be like Scotty, who never had interest in socializing. Scotty never had friends in school. His yearbooks are completely blank except for one signature. As long as Nicky's okay with it, I can deal. But I'm worried that he says he's okay with it just so I won't worry about him. He sits alone every day at lunch, and it breaks my mama heart. What if he's actually really lonely?

What he's like in the morning: Nicky, as long as he knows what's expected of him, is pretty independent and responsible. The only time he has issues in the morning is when he's in a certain "mood" - it's kind of like PMS. He gets really emotional and explosive occasionally, and when this happens in the mornings before school, he can be really difficult. But most of the time his mood swings are after school, and our mornings are okay. It helps that he leaves the house almost two hours before his sisters, so he doesn't have much interaction with them.

Nicky is able to get up early and get ready pretty quickly most of the time. He really likes hot breakfast, so I try to provide him with something warm that will stick for a few hours. If I send him to school on a bowl of cereal, he'll by ravenous and moody by first period.

What he's like after school: When Nicky comes home from school, he's a bit moody. There's an author/speaker named Merrilee Boyack who wrote about how her son would come home and kick the couch for half an hour every day, and she just needed to learn that that's what he needed to do after school, and if she just let him do it, he'd get his fix and move on. This is a note I've taken for Nicky because he, too, has these weird little tantrums where he just needs to kick a couch or roll around on the ground moaning or list off everything that's wrong with his life, and if I just let him do it, he will eventually be fine. If I try to intervene, he drags on and on all night.

DAISY

The school situation: Daisy is in 4th grade. During the summer, I prayed so hard that she would get the right teacher for her needs. I don't have anything against male educators, but I don't think they would be the right fit for Daisy. Fourth grade has two male teachers. I was really excited when I found out that not only does Daisy have a female teacher, but her teacher is my former Young Women president who is teaching at my kids' school for the first time this year. I would have been very happy with the other female teacher as well (Nicky had her, and she was great).

Daisy also has a hard time making friends, but for different reasons than Nicky. Daisy's best friend went to a different school this year, so she has been worried about making friends this year. She's doing ok so far, though, and has made at least one new friend.

What she's like in the morning: On a typical school morning, Daisy is very distracted and hard to keep on task. I have to nag her all morning to get ready for school. I'll often find her staring at a wall instead of getting dressed or making her bed. She wastes a lot of time. But with this being the first week of school, she's been waking up really early and has had plenty of time to get ready. That will probably change as the year goes on.

What she's like after school: Daisy has done okay after school so far, but she has been fighting me over her afternoon chores. Nothing unusual for her. She has given mostly positive reports about her school days. She does have a hard time focusing for piano lessons, so her piano teacher informed me that she is only going to work with Daisy for 15 minutes. She said nothing is productive with Daisy after 15 minutes.

ZOE

The school situation: Zoe is in 1st grade. It's her first year doing all-day school. I thought she would have a hard time with it, but she has actually done very well. I met her teacher on the first day of school, and I was very impressed with her. I am hoping to get Zoe back on an IEP with speech therapy. She was doing very well after her last year of preschool, so I chose to take her out of special ed. I regret that and wish I'd waited one more year to make sure she retained her speech. She has regressed over the past year (there are sounds she was making at the end of preschool that she no longer makes).

Every day so far, Zoe has said that school is "Great!" She loves eating lunch at school. She has tried both school lunch and home lunch. I'm glad she knows the routine. She loves her lunch box, and she likes to use each container that came with is (I've explained to her that she doesn't have to use every container every day, but there's no convincing her!) She learned how to open the milk cartons at school, and she's very proud of herself! She is sad that her good friend Kaitlyn isn't in her class but happy that her friend Kayson is! She even gets to sit by Kayson because he talked too much on the first day and got moved to her table.

What she's like in the morning: Zoe has done alright in the mornings so far. She has been waking up really early. I anticipate that this will eventually change, and I'll be dragging her our of bed to get her ready for school (based on past experience). She gets a little nervous at drop off, but so far, she has gotten out of the car and walked to the play ground. Please bless she continues! Last year she did okay for the first week or so and then she started having meltdowns and wouldn't get out of the car.

Zoe is really finicky about breakfast and refuses to eat anything I offer her in the morning. She hates having her hair done, and if I put any type of ponytail or braid in it, she rips it out as soon as she gets away from me.

What she's like after school: Zoe has handled all-day school pretty well, but she struggles when she gets home. She is jealous of Eva, so if she sees toys out that Eva has played with or if there is evidence that Eva got to have a treat or play with a friend, she throws an absolute fit. She's been kind of whiney and a little naughty for me. She has been punching me in the stomach a lot and fighting with her siblings. None of that really has anything to do with school, though. That's just how Zoe is, school or not.

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As for Eva... she'll be starting preschool next week. I could tell you my predictions, but I will spare you. I don't think it's going to go very well.

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Someone asked about the meditation recordings I mentioned the other day. I use Cosmic Kids meditations which can be found on YouTube. There are others I would like to try but haven't yet. Nicky loves them. Daisy is so/so. Zoe asks for them at night but doesn't really follow along. I use the shortest ones with her. Eva's not interested yet.