I wanted to write something fun and funny in order to get rid of the butterflies that have been circling in my stomach all day due to the anxiety of my first born heading off to Kindergarten today, her first day of school. I thought about writing her a letter that she could read later on in life (at her wedding maybe). Then I thought of the Kindergarten Commandments. The set of rules that I think public school first time parents need to give to themselves when their kids go off to kindergarten.
So here goes my best effort:
1) The first 7 times I repeated the same instructions to my child should be enough
2) Please be mindful that public school has the word “public” in it for reason. Like the DMV and other city, state or government office the administration office is not 24 hours, may not be on Facebook and returns phone calls after hours, sometimes without an answering machine.
3) My child’s teacher has a life. Use the time you speak with your child’s teacher in the same way you speak to your lawyer. Be concise, be prepared and get to the point quick as if you were paying $300/hr for that phone call.
4) Read to all my children every day
5) Eat breakfast every day
6) Preparation is one of the most important steps to preparing your child to learn. This means enough sleep, enough food, and less running around the next money. Keep backpacks clean, homework organized, outfits picked out, and morning routines clearly identified so that I’m not that crazy lady going in and out of the house to the garage twenty times looking for my keys.
7) Hold a family meeting every day not just to ask what happened in school today but to also set goals in school, on the playground, afterschool and more.
8) Be on time
9) Make time for play and outdoor fun and exercise
10) Participate and don’t just legislate
So what rules are you creating for yourself as the kids start school this year?
