Transitioning to Kindergarten

There are not many negative things to say about participating in the PAIIR program. Maybe you'd feel sad that you didn't get into the class you really hoped to get into because all of your friends got in, or maybe you wish there were more classes held after you were done with work. The fact is most of the people who attend PAIIR love it. Most are sad when their children age out of PAIIR. I like to joke that I had a third child just so I could participate for 5 more years.

The one thing that PAIIR does not prepare you for is the transition to Kindergarten. Don't get me wrong. The KIDS are prepared fantastically. It's the parents who are ill-prepared for sending their children into the unknown.

PAIIR is fantastic in that it lets you get to know other parents and their children (in most cases) quite well. Strong bonds can be formed in as little as a few months. I am still in contact with many of the families I met when my oldest child (now 8 years old) was in PAIIR. Some of them I met in infant classes with daughter.

By the time your child is about to leave the PAIIR program you, as a parent, start to take for granted that you know and trust the people who are taking care of your child in your absence. The PAIIR teachers are fantastic and loving and exude warmth and caring. You know your child is in safe hands. You know the teachers well. You know the other kids. You know their parents. You know that you have similar values if you are attending a program like PAIIR.

When you send your child to Kindergarten it is a very scary thing for many PAIIR parents. You're used to being involved in your child's life and knowing with whom he/she's interacting. Often your introduction to your child's Kindergarten teacher is a quick "hello" and "welcome" and you're left feeling unprepared to trust this person with your precious baby.

That's not to say that my children haven't had great Kindergarten teachers. The two that have gone to Kindergarten so far have had wonderful teachers and I know they are good people.

The truth is, you have to make the effort yourself to get to know your child's teacher and the children in the class. You may even get to know some of the parents. It's up to you. Volunteer in your child's class if at all possible. I know it's hard for many. But if you can use some of that vacation time to get to know your child's world, please do so. You will find it remarkably rewarding.

I know most of my children's classmates by name. I know their personalities. The smile and say hi when they see me. I've helped them. They see I care about them. Kindergarten is a big year for children and parents, full of transitions and new experiences. It's also the best year to get to know the children and the teachers who will be forming your child's life for the next 6 years or more.

Make the experience transitioning to Kindergarten the best it can be. Make an effort. Talk to the teachers, talk to the children. If there are other parents around, talk with them.

There's nothing better than, if your child has to go through a bad experience with another child, knowing exactly the child he/she is talking about...because you've met him/her, you've talked to him/her. And next time you volunteer you can give that child the stink eye. Just kidding.

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Heather is a stay at home mom to three kids: an 8-year-old daughter who is in third grade, a 6-year-old son who is in first grade and a 2-year-old daughter who still gets to hang out with mom at home.

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Are you sending a child to Kindergarten next fall (2011)? Join PAIIR at the Kickoff to Kindergarten November 11 from 4-7 p.m. at Northrop Education Center. Representatives from the Rochester School District will be on hand to answer your questions.

Kindergarten

I thought when I was little, it took forever for a week to go by, why is it now I can’t seem to slow down even for a minute to plan for the next week?

Last year my boys were in preschool and Kindergarten seemed so many miles away. We attended PAIIR's Kick off to Kindergarten open house in September and it seemed light years away before they would attend.

I didn’t think I had many questions about school in Rochester, I work for the PAIIR program so what did I need to ask? Well I tell you…Kick off to Kindergarten helps parents understand what choices there are in Rochester. There are many different schools. I met the school representative for my neighborhood school, talked to transportation about the school bus and if we could ride; made sure the district had the correct information on my children. I then felt better about Kindergarten.

Now several weeks into Kindergarten my boys are thriving, they wake up and jump into their clothes and run for the table to eat breakfast. How are the other new Kindergarteners (and parents) out there doing?

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Amy Ward has lived in Rochester for the past 3 year and has two wonderful sons in kindergarten. She currently works for PAIIR as a Team Coordinator.

Extraordinary Newborns

The first months of baby’s life parents generally get the same questions about their babies: How old is he? How much does she weigh?

If you’re like me, you can answer the first question (within a week or two) but the second question often gets a shrug. Most people don’t own an infant scale and if baby is healthy there is usually no need to go to the doctor every month.

Also, as a first-time parent, you often have many questions but don’t have the time to commit to a weekly class at PAIIR. Perhaps you’d think by the time you’ve had three children you wouldn’t have any questions, but my third baby is almost 4 months old already (as I write this) and I still have questions. Children are definitely individuals right from the womb.

PAIIR offers a once-per-month drop-in class for parents of babies from birth to 6 months of age. It’s a great way to get your questions answered without having to commit to a class.

I took my baby to the drop-in in September, mostly because I was wondering how much she weighed. She’s much smaller than my other two children were at her age, and I wanted to see how much (or how little) she actually weighed.

I arrived right at 1 o’clock, at the start of the drop-in period. I already knew the PAIIR facilitator who was there to help answer questions, and I was introduced to the public health nurse who was on hand to weigh the babies and to answer health-related questions as well.

Soon after I started to get my baby undressed to her diaper to be weighed, more moms arrived with their infants. Once all the babies had been weighed (with the weights recorded on papers with the date and their names so we didn’t have to try to remember!) we sat down to chat.

Since it was a drop-in class, we were encouraged to stay or leave, as we needed to attend to our babies, or for whatever reason. We introduced our babies and ourselves and shared the ages of our babies. The ages at this session ranged from 7 weeks to almost 4 months.

We shared stories of how our first weeks with our babies had been going and each asked our questions that ranged from “is my baby gaining enough weight” to “is it okay to take my baby on an airplane when she’s this young.”

Before our time was up, most of the babies had nursed or drank a bottle and were sleeping. Minds had been eased, suggestions had been offered and resources had been discovered.

I’m planning to attend next month too. I want to see how much weight my baby gains in the next four weeks, and I’m sure I’ll have new questions.

Extraordinary Newborn is offered the third Wednesday of each month (10/15, 11/19, 12/17) at Northrop Education Center (201 8th Street NW) from 1-2:30 p.m. No registration is required and there is no fee to attend.

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Heather is mom to three children: a 6-year-old daughter, a 4-year-old son and an almost 4-month-old daughter. She spends much of her days saying "uh huh" and "oh yeah?" to her son, who loves to talk.