By Anjali
Two weeks before my daughter Mira started Kindergarten, we relocated to the
Unfortunately, I have not fared so well. As a Kindergarten parent, I seem to be doing just about everything wrong. Here's the regrettable list so far, and school's been in session for only two weeks.
1. I got turned around, ended up in horrible traffic, and made Mira late for her first day of school. We were only five minutes late, but still, there's nothing like starting out the school year with a tardy.
2. Half of the paperwork I filled out with Mira's contact information was incorrect. I wrote down the wrong ZIP code. I also gave them the wrong cell phone number, and incorrectly filled out the emergency information card.
3. My husband was running late from work, so I ended up being 20 minutes late for Parent Night. Initially, I didn't think this was a big deal. Imagine my surprise when I was the only person walking in late to a darkened room filled with eager parents concentrating on a Power Point presentation about the curriculum.
4. Because I was late, all of the good slots for parent-teacher conferences were taken. I now have a conference time slot on an afternoon during which I have no child care for my kids.
5. According to a recent mailing, I've been packing Mira's snack incorrectly since the beginning of the school year.
6. I've called one of the other parents by the wrong name.
7. And finally, on Day 3, I completely ruined the name tag that Mira was supposed to wear during the first two weeks of school, by accidentally putting it in the washing machine.
Mira's teachers have been kind and understanding of my missteps, but my big fear is that they'll hold back my daughter next year, not because she's unprepared for the first grade, but because her mother can't seem to fulfill the duties of a Kindergarten parent!
Anjali Enjeti-Sydow lives in suburban Atlanta with her husband and two girls. She is currently working on punctuality and following directions.
Oh geez, school age parenting is all about failure. It's only downhill from here. Those teachers are So Demanding.
Posted by: idylld | August 28, 2007 at 06:09 PM