Chocomom63 Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 Another title would be - I See It's All About Survival. So, I'm only one day in and I can see how challenging this is going to be and I'm talking about just getting my dd to and from school! Yesterday we walked and I misjudged how long it would take and she got there late. Today I dropped her off and realized I had no idea how the drop off line works - I think you just pull up into the drop off space. And then make sure you don't get hit by traffic while simultaneously trying to get out into the street and not back the line up. :confused1: Okay, so that's going to take time to get in the groove with. Her classes went all right yesterday, but it was a long day for her. She definitely likes one of her teachers so that's good, and the others seem fine. I tried to ask questions and give advice that didn't overwhelm, but I feel like I'm doing that anyway. I want to hear about her day, but don't want her to feel like she has to talk either. She was happy enough to talk all about it and I want her to have that time to debrief if she needs to since this is a whole new environment for her. Making any sense here? What things do I need to know for this time of transition? I keep wondering, "Am I doing this right" (which is funny because that's probably how I felt when I started homeschooling). I'm so worried about not doing something right that I'm sure I'm going to make myself crazy. HELP! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 Hugs. So sorry you are so stressed. See if you can get to know other parents and talk with them. They may be able to help you with the details and reassure you of whatever concerns you may have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 How old is your dd? Didn't you receive any information from the school when your registered her? I'd set up an appointment with the vp or even just stay and chat with someone who has time in the office. These don't sound like tough issues, simply discovering ways the school does things. A parent coming from a different school would have exactly the same questions. It's not just a homeschool vs building school thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satori Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 We started last week with my dd9. Our school has a route for drop-offs to make it easy/streamlined, is there anything like that at your school? The cars coming from the east follow a different dropoff than the cars coming from the west to minimize traffic backups. They also had an informational meeting on the fourth school night to answer such questions I had. For example, on Lightning Day (and Mountain Lion risk days), I was expected to go in through the front door and sign my daughter out inside her classroom. Instead, I was waiting outside in the rain until someone kindly let me know. That night (and info on the class website) cleared up several questions. The long days have been tough, she definitely wants to keep going, but she broke down crying on her third day, saying she was really homesick. She told me she knew it would get better once she adjusted to the longer days. A week later, I can already see it's getting better for her and I believe we're both optimistic about the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLMom Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 Both of you will get used to it. It just takes time. Some of my kids had a hard time adjusting to getting up early, but they did. I wouldn't push on talking either. She will probably open up soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 The school admin office usually have information flyer for the car drop off/pick up procedure. Prepare to spend your weekend school supplies shopping for a few specific requests. The first thee weeks is usually for everyone to recover from summer holidays so don't worry about needing time to transition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kentuckymom Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 The first few days of school can feel stressful even if your kids have always been in school. My facebook feed is full of agonized posts by parents of high school freshmen (who have always been in school). You'll both get used to it. Yes, go into the office and ask questions about pickup and drop off. They shouldn't mind answering your questions. I'll say a prayer for a good transition for you and your DD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 I don't want to derail the thread, but So Glad to see you! :grouphug: for your transition. A week later, I can already see it's getting better for her and I believe we're both optimistic about the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSmomof2 Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 No advice, but :grouphug:. Our dc are starting public school in a couple weeks, so I'll also be the New Mom on the PS block....dd in 4th, and ds starting Middle School. Hope the transition evens out soon for both of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocomom63 Posted August 14, 2014 Author Share Posted August 14, 2014 NM - it's just been a bad morning. Thanks for the help and the hugs - hoping it will get better eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 NM - it's just been a bad morning. Thanks for the help and the hugs - hoping it will get better eventually. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penny_P Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 The first few days of school ARE stressful, even for seasoned students/parents as a previous poster stated. It rained the second day of school here, and drop off took about 15 minutes! Soon it will become part of your schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimm Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Today is my eighth grader's third day at public school. She attended a small private school then we homeschooled for four years so this is definitely very different than anything she's experienced before. Our school has drop off lines that everyone just seems to know, so all I had to do was follow the crowd. The first day I picked her up, I was surprised at how weird it felt to not know what she was being taught all day. I asked questions and she likes all her teachers and really wants to do well. There was some summer homework she wasn't assigned (which frustrates me because I had her registered back in May) so she's been hitting the books as soon as she gets home and working till bed time. I'm hoping once she gets through that the work load will lighten up a bit. The office told me homeschoolers often go through an adjustment period but in the end they do well. They've been nothing but helpful and supportive and positive so far (except for the summer homework situation). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidbits of Learning Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 We are on week 2 of public school with dd14. Freshman year. She was schooled at ps until 3rd then homeschooled 4th-8th. Mine is having a great time. There are adjustments, but so far so good. Carpool is a beast! I hate carpool with a passion and I think someone sits during the summer and dreams up the most complicated car pool circle drop off/pick up scenario they can and secretly video tapes us all on the first day trying to get it right. 1 week in...I have about mastered carpool pick up. My husband does drop off b/c it is at 6:45 AM...No joke. School is out by 2:15 so it really isn't any longer than if we were schooling at home with her. I am learning to step back and let her sink or swim on her own. Homework has not been overwhelming yet, but I am not going to badger her daily about whether she has homework or tests to prepare for the next day. I feel a bit of freedom with mine going back and am happy to let go of the teacher role with my dd. I think it will make our relationship that was getting very strained a lot stronger. She needs space from her siblings and accountability to someone other than myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocomom63 Posted August 16, 2014 Author Share Posted August 16, 2014 Thanks ladies for sharing your dropping off fun and games and also your children's experiences in transitioning from homeschool to public school. It's a real learning curve isn't it!! Yesterday was much better. I cried off and on between Thursday and yesterday, but I think it was needed. It's been a very stressful summer and not just with the school thing. -DD13 (8th grade) - She told me yesterday that school was "boring as usual" but was full of stories from just about every class. Except Spanish - she wants to quit that. She's learning very simple phrases so I'm not sure what the problem is and she's not specific in what's wrong. She has "her peeps" that she's been eating lunch with all week so I'm hoping that continues to be a good thing. Mostly she is taking in the whole experience and finds it all really interesting. - My twins were getting too bored with their big sister gone, so I decided to do a little school in the morning and take them on errands to buy school supplies. We also had a park day this week. I think it helped all of us to keep busy and not miss dd too much. I believe I will start our homeschool a week earlier since they seem open to that. - I found a different route to take to school so I hopefully won't have any...people...behind me honking their horns loudly for 20 seconds because I'm not moving fast enough in school rush hour traffic. The new route seems like it will work out better. And the dropping off is much simpler than I thought and I'm glad you all have brought up what to do on rainy days - I need to find that information for us! While I'm still kind of wishing I hadn't let her go to school, I think the experience will be good for her and stretch her in ways that she needs. And she still has all of us and my brother to encourage her. I need to know when to stop giving advice though and let her figure things out on her own. She will. So - only 176 more days to go. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linders Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 :bigear: DS14 and DS11 start middle school Monday. We did the Teacher meet-and-greet yesterday, where DS11 was delighted to see kids he knew, and DS14 was shell-shocked by the number of kids (it isn't really very many) and the info overload from the teachers. I keep telling myself it's a good, wholesome, small school, it's the right thing for them right now, it will all be fine. But I will be so very sad come Monday to lose my buddies in exploration, discussion, and discovery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocomom63 Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 :bigear: DS14 and DS11 start middle school Monday. We did the Teacher meet-and-greet yesterday, where DS11 was delighted to see kids he knew, and DS14 was shell-shocked by the number of kids (it isn't really very many) and the info overload from the teachers. I keep telling myself it's a good, wholesome, small school, it's the right thing for them right now, it will all be fine. But I will be so very sad come Monday to lose my buddies in exploration, discussion, and discovery. I wanted to wish you and your kids good luck today! ((HUG)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndOfOrdinary Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Middle School Confidential are a great series that might help her know. What to look out for and how to navigate the. Whole thing. They are often cheap on Amazon, and lots of libraries have them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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