Future School-aged Kid: Getting her into the right school district, and making that transition easy for her. We HAVE to move, we're in one of the worst districts in the state, one town north is one of the best. I flat out refuse to send her to public school here.
Post by oceanstbride on Sept 28, 2015 20:25:17 GMT -5
Future school aged:
I worry more about the social aspect than the education part. I worry about DS being bullied, or being the bully, feeling left out, or him excluding others. Mostly that class size and demands on teachers won't allow to address those issues (I'm not actually sure that this is an issue in schools, but more an issue of mine that I'm having now with DS's daycare with larger ratios).
I also worry about diversity in the district that we're in now.
I worry about him being successful. I'm afraid he won't like school and/or won't be self motivated to learn and do his best. I'm afraid he'll become friends with the wrong kids. I want him to get good grades, go to a good college, and have some dreams for himself.
My biggest source of anxiety is that P's needs will not be accommodated appropriately and respectfully, and that both boys will be bullied or a bully themselves.
Future: I have a lot of "youngest in his class" nervousness, which is GREAT when combined with his, uh, adventurous personality. But so far his 2-3 teachers love him, so maybe he responds to positive peer pressure?
The high school we are zoned for isn't great, but I'm not worried. It will either get better, or we'll move, or maybe go private for HS. I know, flammable, a conservative is a liberal who tries to find a good public school, etc. We all have our limits.
My zoned elementary serves a much different demographic than Ben and Ethan are in. 96% of the students are eligible for free lunch (everyone in the district gets free lunch already but that's just the eligible statistic). I worry about sending them there and it being a bad fit. I also worry about sending them to a private school and feeling like I abandoned my community. Also the money!
Other than that I don't worry about Ben. He's a chameleon and will do well anywhere.
I'm late but my main worry is just DD getting lost in the crowd. She's a rule follower and a people pleaser. Teachers tend to love her because she's easy. With her history of developmental delays I worry that she will need extra help learning and this will go unnoticed.
Of course I worry about bullying. More than that I worry about how social media and technology will impact her childhood. Bullying is not new but when you combine it with the internet I get worried. She wears glasses and has some articulation delays. Right now none of her friends care but I wonder how long that can last.
I worry about all the testing. DD is prone to anxiety and I don't want to burn her out. I was a terrible test taker so I hope she didn't inherit that from me.
I worry that we can't afford to live in a district with public schools that offer what @littlemoxie described, and I know we can't afford private. I worry that our lack of finances will limit my children's futures. I want them to learn in a friendly, flexible, but challenging environment that promotes kid-driven learning and welcomes parental involvement.
I hope they'll be smart and if that's the case I worry about them being bored and losing interest like I was/did but I think it's way too early to guess whether that will be the case and I'm trying to prepare myself to parent the kids I have rather than the kids I imagined.
DD1 is 5. Just started K at a Catholic School. I'm afraid she won't be taught enough critical thinking.
DD2 is 2. I worry her creativity will be stifled and she'll be labeled "wild".
Ha! I was going to write something very similar. Must be an Architect thing.
I want my all girls (now 2yrs old & in 1st, 3rd & 5th grade in a Catholic school) to be able to think for themselves, have the curiosity and confidence to question what they are being taught, look at things from a variety of perspectives, be given Historical context and think critically at the world around them, etc. Also I am concerned about the lack of arts & physical activity in much of daily schooling...these motivate and focus my children.
I do genuinely worry about her not having friends, not being a bully or being bullied, not being left out, etc.
It is one of my highest hopes that she be self-confident, assured, and independent, and I think having a functional, kind, loyal group of friends is a huge part of that.
Post by estrellita on Sept 29, 2015 7:44:32 GMT -5
Pretty far in the future but I've thought about it of course. My concerns are: 1. Not enough opportunities. I went to an alternative high school where I got to do so much more hands on work, plus getting the chance to travel as a class. Plus I took all sorts of classes at both my high schools that I don't feel like would be at the school E would be going to. I just want him to have the opportunity to pursue whatever it is he's interested in and I'm not sure they offer a lot of variety. 2. Not being exposed to diversity. I'm hoping he will get that more at daycare but the town we live in is very white and very small. It's a fairly conservative area so I'm hoping that won't turn him into am asshole to be quite honest. 3. Definitely concerned about other kids. The way I was treated in school is still something I'm working through today. I'm hoping he has more confidence and guts than I ever did!