Author Robert Fulghum spoke the truth with the phrase, “all I really need to know I learned in kindergarten.” Even so, he probably didn’t know it all on the first day.
We’re just a few weeks into the school year, and we’ve finally conquered the back-to-school first-week nerves (not yet? Sending love). Just as we start to think to count down the morning struggles, we begin to think that maybe, just maybe, we can handle the morning routine. The moment we let our guard down, thinking we’ve got this, we start to see a new pattern arising—After School Restraint Collapse, a term coined by Andrea Loewen Nair.Maybe for your kindie, it’s a total out-of-control meltdown, or for your tween, it’s acting quiet and grumpy. However it looks in your household, it’s likely hard to manage. It’s also a little disheartening; you’re excited to see your kids and hear all about their day, and you get nothing but mumbled grunts in return. This is normal. It’s manageable, and it’s very, very common. After School restraint Collapse, a term coined only a few…
It’s overwhelming to be a kindergarten rookie. The good news is that kindergarten teachers and Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) are real-life superheroes, standing at the ready to welcome you.
The start of this school year will be all about facing unfamiliar situations and acclimatizing to new routines. Eventually, though, it will be time to learn again.
You’ve bought the supplies, filled the backpack, labeled all the things, made the lunch, picked out the outfit, done the hair, and felt the feels. Now, there is one last thing to check off the list before you send them on their way: the first day of school photo.
During back-to-school season, the air crackles with excitement. New belongings are purchased, labelled, and worn with pride. Lunches are freshly packed, backpacks are eagerly zipped, and photos are happily taken. Kids are greeted by teachers and reunited with friends. Everywhere you turn, there’s a sense of optimism and new beginnings.
The conversation I have with my kids after school usually goes something like this:
Me: How was school today?
Child 1: Fine.
Finding out your child is being bullied is completely heart-breaking for parents. It’s hard to understand how it could happen and even more confusing to understand what to do next to support your child. So often, the mama-bear comes out, and we have the urge to find the bully and confront the bully head-on, even though the logical adult in us knows that’s not the right thing to do. Here are signs your child is being bullied and what to do next. Firstly, parents should remember that disagreements are a part of life, and we don’t want to jump to conclusions over every peer conflict. It’s healthy and typical for kids to deal with peer conflict, and they must learn to manage the situations. Here are a few essential differences that parents should be aware of between bullying and peer conflict: Peer conflict is a MUTUAL disagreement between two kids…
Updated June 2023, as many school districts have canceled all outdoor activities due to poor air quality, it seems like a good time to remind ourselves of the importance and impact climate change can have on our daily lives. One day your children will ask what is climate change? It’s important and imperative for us to teach our children to understand climate change’s impact on our planet. Our kids and teens must understand the reality of what is going on. Or you may have a child or teen growing into a climate warrior, which can sometimes be tricky for parents to navigate. There are ways to help our kids understand climate change. To encourage them, and work with them to ensure that we’re doing the right thing for our planet, not only for ourselves, but for all plants, animals, and interesting creatures who live on it. They have a right to know. …
It’s my last first day of school. My four-year-old daughter, my baby, is heading to kindergarten. For the first time in over a decade, I will come home to an empty house.