8 Quirks of the New Kindergartner
It doesn’t matter if your kindergartner goes to school half-days or full days. It doesn’t matter if they went to preschool for 2 years or it’s their first school experience. The transition can be difficult, baffling, but fun. Our sixth child, Beatrix, just started kindergarten two weeks ago. Thankfully, I know some of the issues that are cropping up are normal and not surprising.
1. Extreme Talkativeness: Your kindy kiddo might come home bursting with the news of the day. From the moment he enters the classroom to when he exits the building for the day, amazing things are happening. Letting him talk it out is the best way to help them process everything new. And it will lead to…
2. Serious Fatigue: Beatrix hasn’t been this tired since she was a toddler. Kindergarten 2011 is busy and more demanding than our kindergarten experiences. I went to half-day, she goes all day. I spent my days playing in an indoor sandbox or with the classroom dollhouse. She tackles subjects I didn’t until 1st grade. The good news is that within a few weeks, fatigue starts to fade.
3. Extra Clinginess: Most kindergartners are fine with leaving their parents to go to school. I’ve noticed that when we are at home, my kindergartners like to be my little shadow. Beatrix climbs into my lap again and loves to help with chores and dinner. We miss each other.
4. Announcing a New “Best Friend” Almost Daily: This is a natural way for kids to determine what qualities good friends possess. It takes a while to get to know everyone in a classroom. The danger is hurt feelings and frequent misunderstandings. These new best friends can exert a huge influence on each other, too. Peer pressure doesn’t start at age 13. It starts with 5-year-olds comparing sandwich breads and chips.
5. Adoration of the Teacher: Kindergarten teachers do it all. They teach math and reading, but they also read fun stories, teach songs, and give hugs. They are amazing human beings and kids notice. I was suggesting to Beatrix that she could write a lower case letter a certain way. “No, mom. Mrs. M says that I should do it this way so it will look better.” I had to admit, her way worked, too. Go, Mrs. M!
6. Super-Sensitive: All the learning, the variety of sandwich breads, having to stand in lines, and not getting the library book that was spotted through the window just yesterday can lead to a kid who is a little on edge sometimes. Tears flow more easily when disappointments crop up. It’s part of learning to navigate a new world. My kindergartners also seem to reserve their best behavior for school. Their mischievous personalities spill out at home with little provoking.
7. Hungry, Hungry Kiddo: Even though we pack a bounteous lunch and a snack, Beatrix still comes home ravenous. She could rival our preteen boys in wolfing down crackers and milk.
8. Peacock Proud: This is one of the best kindergarten developments. I love watching and listening when they are demonstrating a new skill or bit of knowledge. It’s really a big deal to learn how to read, when you think about it. Their brains have to arrange tiny symbols into recognizable patterns, solve the clues, and discern context and meaning. It’s a privilege to witness their pride, again and again. Soak up the excitement. Let them feel charged by your pride, too.
Love these. I think they’re especially typical of girls. My kindergartner has been pretty tight-lipped but he definitely comes home ravenous. No snacks at school because of mice problems. #OhTheSadness.
[...] these first few weeks of school. I shared these normal quirks of the kindergarten kiddo over at Mile High Mamas. Is it normal for a 45 pound child to come home from school and eat 4 apples and a jar of peanut [...]
Yep, right on target for our experience too. Timmy does talk a lot, but not with as much detail as I would like. And the lack of naps showed up big time by last Thursday. I love that my kids love school though.
Our kindergartener….isn’t talking. He doesn’t miss me and he hasn’t made any friends.
But he says he’s having fun and he likes it!
We’re having a picnic at a park with the classmates and mother’s today so we’ll see if he has friends and just isn’t tell me about them.
My daughter starts tomorrow (eek!) so this is a good thing for me to hear now so I’m not screaming, “Ugh! Stop talking and CALM DOWN!” or “Why are you laying down sucking your thumb?!?! Are you sick?” or “I thought Andrew was your best friend?!?”
I have a feeling these next few weeks are going to be looooong and confusing!
Great list! I’m thinking we’ll see the fatigue, hunger, and clinginess next year when she’s in First Grade (her first time away “all-day.”) As it is now, it’s a lot like her Pre-K year, so that transition has been barely a blip…
We, too, have had to navigate the intricate web of new friends, and “friends” who announced one day that they don’t WANT to be friends, but then change their minds the next day. It’s amazing to me how early all of this starts!
The talkative quality made me laugh. Every day I pick her up, she starts talking as soon as she grabs my hand and we walk to the car and doesn’t stop for a breath until we get home. And then it continues.
Thanks for this. My daughter is starting school next week, it’s called reception rather than kindergarten over here in the UK. She is very excited and I’m very apprehensive.
This is all so true – you are one wonderfully observant mama!!! And our kindy kid can just about talk my ear off during the afternoon!!! Even when you homeschool this is true… for all my kids the fatigue!!! We just started a new semester and the work is just a little more intense than the last… and I found two or three of my older kids fast sleep in the middle of the afternoon!!! Of course they deny it… but there were no complaints when I said bedtime at 7:30 either!!!
This was a really nice article. My kindergartner is 11 years after my last one so it was great to read that what we are going through is pretty normal!