Kindergarten

As a mother I always want to do what is best for each of my kids. Up until this point it has been pretty easy. Both of my kids have birthday issues, Madelyn has a great birthday for school, but a lousy birthday in general and Damian has a great birthday for fun, but not so much for school.

These past few months I have been thinking about what is best for Damian next year. Damian’s birthday is July 27, so he makes the school cutoff by 34 days. That means he would be the very youngest and he is a boy. Academically, there is no doubt Damian would do fine. He is a very intelligent little guy. He is wise beyond his years and remembers everything. My concern is maturity. I think Damian is exactly where a normal four year old little boy should be, but when you start comparing him to a little girl who is eleven months older he doesn’t seem so mature. Damian has always done fantastic at school. He has never been in trouble and done great with his school work, but I’m not so sure about when he is at school for almost seven hours being the youngest. I don’t want him to be punished for something that isn’t his fault. I want him to be confidant. I want him to know how smart he is. I want him to be old enough to realize how important school is. I want him to enjoy it.

I’ve been debating a lot lately with what to do. Michael and I have talked about it a lot, but ultimately it is my decision. Michael is the best father I’ve ever seen, but at the end of the day I’m the one who stays home with him and knows everything about him. Ultimately, this is my decision.

I LOVE Damian and soon-to-be Madelyn’s preschool. It is a fabulous place where he has learned so much, matured, made tons of friends, and had a lot of fun. After really thinking about it I have (with Michael agreeing 100%) decided that we are going to send him to private kindergarten next year at his pre-school. It will be five days a week, the same hours as this year, and it is exactly what is best for him. They follow the same guidelines as all kindergarten schools, but have fewer students (more one on one time) and more hands on learning. The only con I can find at all with it is that it is private school, which means it costs money. It definitely isn’t going to be fun having one in preschool and paying for private kindergarten, but it is doable and what is necessary. When deciding my son’s future money can’t be a deciding factor.

I think that ultimately we will hold him back, but I don’t have to make a final decision until next year. I also worry about his maturity as he finishes high school and heads to college when making my final decision. I figure that if he is very mature he can always do joint enrollment like I did. Sending him to private kindergarten at least gives us an option next year. We can reevaluate the situation and decide whether to send him to public kindergarten or first grade. I’m very confidant and a little in shock that my baby boy is old enough to be going to kindergarten in a few months!