Friday, February 03, 2006

The Report Card

So the girl did an amazingly wonderful job on her report card. I am in awe that they even give them out to kids who are in preschool to be perfectly honest. And the most shocking thing to me is that the skills that are on it, are things that were on my kindergarted report card. So much more is expected of kids these days. There are actually prerequisites to entering kindergarten. Which I guess I can understand to a certain extent.

The are that I live in are predominantly 2 income households, as are the areas surrounding me. So I assume that the majority of children around here attend preschool or a daycare type preschool. So it is only natural that they learn these things. That's not to say that there aren't stay at home or work at home moms in my neighborhood. They are out there, I have seen them. So if these are parents that don't realize what the prerequisites are for their children come school age, what happens to them upon entering kindergarten? Since technically a child doesn't have to be enrolled in school until they are 6 years old. Though I don't know that I have run across any families out there that keep their children out of school that extra year. But I know they must exist right? What happens to these kids who don't "meet the requirements?" Do they recieve special help right off the bat? Or do the teachers hope that they will catch up to the children who attended school settings?

Anyhow...

So the report card was fabulous. In the majority of skills, shse recieved "R", meaning that she performs the skills on a regular basis. She recieved some with an "S" to indicate that she demonstrates the skill sometimes. And then there was the "N" category. These are skills that she has yet to acquire. There were 4 (I think, I have signed and returned the thing already prompt parent that I am) skills that she can't do as of yet. We have always known that Caitlyn's forte was not in the area of physical skills. Gross motor skills took her forever to get and fine motor skills were on the iffy side. But in the grand scheme of things I have never really worried about these skills either. My focus has always been her cognitive and social/emotional development. Which she is performing outstanding in.

Then there was the ability to call 911. Now if you know my kid, you would think that she would know this. However, I have not taught her how to call the police precisely because I have no desire to have them show up on my doorstep for no reason in particular. And believe me, that is exactly what would happen. She loves the phone, in pure girl fashion. So I can't imagine teaching this to her and telling her that she is allowed to call in teh even of an emergency. My gut tells me that next semester when she receives her report card again, there will be a big fat "N" right next to the one that is there now.

So as a reward for doing so wonderfully, we went to Ceasarland tonight. It's nice to go there to have her burn off all the extra energy that builds up being stuck in the house all week because of the cold. On the other hand, there is the noise, germs, all the same things I mentioned in my McDonald Play Land post. Only intensified about 1000 times. We were there for no less than 3 painstaking hours. Of which I was able to read my book and completely ignore my child. Yes, I was "that" parent tonight.

Something I find truly amazing about being in places like that though.....how is it that with about 150 screaming kids, you can hear and distinguish your own child's scream or cry out of all of the others???? Does that mean that she has just done it so damn much that it is burned on my brain?

Anyhow...she had a splendid time. And she has the big old goose egg on her forehead to prove it. I didn't even know that she rammed her melon into another kid's until we were leaving and she told me about it. Again, I was "that" mother tonight.

3 comments:

Kari said...

Awesome news on the report card! I cant believe you were "that" parent! I sure hope she wasnt beating up on some unsuspecting 2 year old! lol! And btw this post is so long!

Proud of your little 25 weeker! She is my hero!

aworkman said...

ROFL she is something incredible! congrats mom! I totally agree with calling 911... we'd have the police here in the event Alex was p/o. lol.

worry woman said...

You are a riot! Max wants to call my sister in St. Louis all of the time. She asks what Aunt Nicoles phone number is and I tell her no
way am I telling her because she would be calling everyone on the phone. Mind you, she has a little friend that calls the house already. SHE.IS.ONLY.SEVEN. I can see my future and it will involve me having to pry the phone out of my daughters hand to call 911 when the house is on fire because she left her flat iron plugged in...

My kid is in first grade and doing frigging pre-algerbra! It is freaking me out a bit...she doesn't even know her times tables yet and they are teaching her algerbra! Too weird.

Nothing like a first report card though huh? IAre you going to save it like I do? I bet you will.

So, how was it being "that" mom? Were you not nervous? I am too freaked out about leaving Max out of my eye sight. The first time I do is when something will go wrong, I just know it!