Kindergarten Stress

Corwin is having some major anxiety about going to grade one next fall. As school has been winding down, the teachers are getting the senior kindergarteners ready to transition to full days at school. They have toured the grade one classrooms, met the three teachers (of course they've seen them before, but this time it was more "one of these will be your teacher next year"), and they have been going out for recess with the older kids, instead of just jk/sk. Clara is so excited - she can't wait, and there are more girls to giggle and skip with.

Corwin, on the other hand, is devastated. He has been with Madame (the French teacher) and Mrs Mac for two years - both jk and sk. He absolutely adores Mrs Mac, and he also doesn't anticipate change very well. The same kind of issues came up when they finished nursery school and were headed to junior kindergarten in the fall of 2004. He was worried about taking the bus, worried about getting lost in the new school, worried that he wouldn't like his new teacher "because M & K are the BEST! *sob* And what if the new teachers aren't nice?" Obviously, it all worked out well - now Madame and Mrs Mac are the BEST!

I have tried to minimize his anxiety by pointing out that he will still be in the same school, he has friends there, and that he will still see Mrs Mac at school, even if he isn't in her class. A few weeks ago, on a Saturday night, he couldn't fall asleep. When I went in to see him, he started crying, saying "What if grade one is too hard? What if I can't do it? And I'm going to miss Mrs Mac!!!!", at which point he dissolved into body-heaving sobs. It's breaking my heart.

I'm very glad they have been going out for recess with the older kids, because one day he voiced, in mounting hysteria "and in grade on, you sit at a desk all day, with stupid tennis balls* on your chair, and you just sit - ALL DAY - and there are NO TOYS!!!!" At least he now understands that there will be two recesses as well as a long lunch break in which to play. They will also be allowed on the big kid play structure, and there are more things to do during recess when you're bigger.

Sometimes , though, I think the hardest part for him is the transitioning. It is a bit dragged out, and every day there is more anticipation of one thing ending and another to begin. Once school ends for the year, he will have a bit of closure with Mrs Mac (we've had part of her gift since April!), and then he will have the summer to play and relax without constantly thinking about grade one. I'm sure that the last week of August will be a little stressful, but then before he knows it, Labour Day will happen, he'll be back at school, and I'm sure his next teacher will be the BEST, too. I hope.

*tennis balls - all the kids have cut tennis balls on their chair legs so that it minimizes the scraping sound when the chairs are dragged. Cheaper than the felt pads that stick on, and they stay on better (although it does look a little odd!)