Zach (4yrs) started pre-K full time last week - having never spent a day in daycare, his 1st day of school was a complete success. Although now our home routine has been turned upside down, but for the better. We're up at 7a, he's in and out the bath, brushed dressed and combed, then downstairs for cheerios; meanwhile I wake up Marina (2yrs), for a quick diaper change and dressing, then she joins downstairs, we all put on shoes, then we're out the door; they go into the wagon, and off we are to school. It's about a ten minute walk, (25 round trip), so when I return home with my lil' girl, I'm fully awake and ready to take on the world. I'd forgotten how much easier it is to watch only one child.

As for me and our new school, I am really pleased with our decision, St. Hilary School; small, diverse, dynamic, and close by. I have no prior school to compare with, except for my own public elementary experience, deep down in south Texas, and way back in the early 70's, when corporal punishment was still the way of the world. I have no doubt my boy is better off.

Alby1 - Chicago, IL

We just started our 3rd week of school, so our "new" routine is getting settled in. My son in in school full time(2nd grade) and my daughter is in 1/2 day pre-k.
Wow,,, forgot how easy 1 kid is,,,,, and on the 1/2 day,,, I keep panicing and looking for my youngest, only to remember she's at school. I now have a 3 hr block everyday,,, to get something done. You'd think the house would be getting cleaner.lol. Although I seem to fill my free time with room parent/PTO/scouting activities.
My biggest advice, remember you are your childs best advocate. Stay visible at school and ask questions. I don't know about your state, but Nebraska rewards our schools with more money when the school can label your child with any kind of learning disability. My son is high energy and gets bored quickly. They also led me to believe that all there paperwork and labeling was in my sons best interest(this was my first child in school,, so i was nieve). If your child is ADD/ADHD, medicating is not the only option. It just makes it easier on the teacher. You also have a right to have an advocate, for your child at meetings, something my wife and I would encourage. Our school did not vohlenteer or encourage that. We were led to believe that is why the school psychologist was there.
I don't want this to seem down on public schools,, but I wish someone would have shared this with me several years ago.
Best of luck,,,

Son started third grade and happy he can ride his bike to school, even though we live two houses away. I guess all this means is I don't have to walk it home after I walk him to school. He locks it up and gets in line. I am volunteering to help out in his math class every other Wednesday.

My daughter started Kindergarten. K is half days here. She is totally ready for full day, and I wish Kindergarten was full day here., but oh well, she has other things on her agenda. She is loving it. Has lots of friends. I like her teacher a lot. Her room is a great environment. I am looking forward to being involved KinderGym and in some of the other activities and learning centers throughout the year.

As for my five half days a week, they will be filled with kindergym on Tuesdays, math class assisting every other Wednesday, aquarium duties Monday and Thursday, coffee time, maybe a blog or two, grocery shop, who knows what else? nap? run? swim? all of the above?

The comment about "brown nosing" the PTA was funny. Don't feel you have to do that. Get involved if you want to. It is totally voluntary and don't let them guilt you in to it. I am a member and I hold two chairs in our PTA. To me they are easy ones and they are fun ones: Beautification, which is doing stuff around the school grounds to keep it looking as good as can be because not much in actual school spending is done on that you know. I get the various scout troops in the neighborhood to volunteer to help out a couple times a year and earn their community service badges and we do some Earthday and Arbor Day celebrations as well as planting bulbs and the like in the fall. My other one is I am the "fish guy". I do the aquarium in the school lobby. That is fun too.

PTA's do help out their schools. Your school only gets so much funding. The PTA can help raise money with a lot more of the activities that it does plan. For instance, ours planned a fundraiser for a horizontal climbing wall in our gym. We held the fundraiser at Durty Nellies (a bar here in town) and not only raised enough money for the wall, we bought updated world maps and globes for every classroom, and we were also able to donate money for Chicago's Brian Piccolo Specialty School.

Anyway, be as involved as you want to be. I'd encourage you to get involved with the PTA. I am the only dad who chairs a position on the PTA at our school, but so what. I like attending the meetings and hearing whats going on in and around the school and the district that I may not hear otherwise.

Be as involved in your children's classrooms as you can when they are young. Enjoy it while you can. As they get older, you'll have less of an opportunity to participate in their class time activities.

just my .02

Brian

Off she ran into the school and didn't even look back. Had a grand time and saunterd out with a "Hi ya Daddy." and that was that.

My daoghter is in Montessori school so it's structured to keep them too busy to miss us. But we parents all sat in the caf and had a laugh or two. My wife was the Tasmanian Devil for weeks with worry but I was fine right untill we got on the bus. "My little girl..." I thought but my parents let my 17 year old ass out on the streets on NYC to go to collage so I had better get ready for much harder things than pre-school.

Be Seeing You.