I have been thinking about our upcoming transition to Kindy this Fall - it seems to consume a lot of my free metal time. Figured other mama's out there may be thinking the same way...re-inventing this thread for the 2018 mama's transitioning their kiddos!
Maybe we can start with introductions?
1) Child's name
2) Birth month
3) Type of school: public, private, charter, whatever
4) What method of transportation?
pomelo / 5621 posts
All my time lately seems to be consumed with this. We are going to our second open house this week.
1) Isaac
2) March
3) unknown
4) most likely yellow bus
We have DS on the wait list for catholic French immersion and are going to an open house at another catholic school this week. We will also be checking out our designated public school in case he doesn't get into one of our other choices.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
I'm obsessing with this, but my district doesn't have any information for upcoming kindergarten parents! Last year they had stuff going on in April, so I'm assuming that's what will happen this year...
Child's Name: Xander
Birth Month: February
Type of School: Public
Transportation: Drop-off
We'll probably be doing before-school care and just dropping Xander off. I'm thinking of changing my hours though so that he doesn't have to go to after-school care and I can just pick him up (of he can take the bus home).
apricot / 461 posts
1) Child's name: Reed
2) Birth month: June
3) Type of school: public
4) What method of transportation: bus from his current daycare/preschool center with before and after school care
I'm very nervous about this transition. My son will turn 5 on June 12. The cut off is 5 by August 1. So he will be one of the youngest in his class. I'm still on the fence about sending him or holding him back one year. He is academically ready. I think he is socially ready as well. My issues are that he is stubborn. If he doesn't want to do something he will purposely do it wrong to try to get out of doing it. He also lacks in self confidence sometimes. He is really smart, but if he gets and answer wrong he gets discouraged and kinda shuts down even if he knows the answers to the following questions. We still have several months until school starts and he has already come a long way in the last few months, so I'm sure he will be ready by then.
grapefruit / 4545 posts
I am switching both girls from the daycare center they have been at since 3/4 months respectively this Fall, so my brain is consumed with this.
1) Child's name: Kate
2) Birth month: September (cut off is 9/1; bday is 9/5)
3) Type of school: public
4) What method of transportation? Bus, we think - I'm terrified
I have been focusing on DD2 (2 years old) because I have been fighting to get her in to pre-school (she misses the cut off by 8 days)...now that that is resolved I am moving my focus back to DD1 (Kate).
persimmon / 1345 posts
1)Emily
2)October
3)public
4) still deciding. We live really close to the school and depending on route, they are on the bus really short or really long. My daughter is also tiny for her age and I don’t feel comfortable she’s not in a car seat.
We are ready! Our cutoff is September 1st and my daughters bday is October 1st. She’ll be one of the oldest so we are not nervous on how she’ll handle it. Our county does kinder registration throughout spring depending on school. Ours is in two weeks so we’re getting all the forms ready!
grapefruit / 4545 posts
@Dr. Pepper: I'm freaking out as well. Mostly its all my stuff. I am technically waiver'ing her in - she only misses the cutoff by 4 days. She has been at the same daycare center since she was 3 mos old, her teachers and the directors all tell me she is "ready"...I'm just freaking out.
FWIW - DD totally pulls crap on us at home ("I cant do it", we've never learned that" and other BS) that she never has and would never do to teachers...
grapefruit / 4545 posts
So right now my focus is on paperwork and lunches. Haha.
-Paperwork: Just trying to get the forms in order, getting copies of everything and starting my Kindergarten binder.
-Lunches: I've been struggling with our day cares' menu lately. Frankly I have been struggling with our day care in general lately. I think its a mix of senioritis. Anyways - they are not feeding my kids well rounded enough diets, so I am going to start supplementing a few days a week. I figure this helps me break in easier to making lunches. I started investing in some lunch boxes and am starting to pin recipes here and there. This fall I'll have to send both girls with their packed meals - so its a big adjustment for me!
blogger / nectarine / 2043 posts
Oh, thank you for starting this! I haven't focused on this at all, and feel like I'm probably way behind.
1) Ruby
2) June
3) Public school (right now complicated by the fact that we're trying to move, which will change where she goes to school, but our condo is very slow to sell and we don't actually know where we'll end up)
4) TBD depending on where we land
Things I need to do are to check a) for immersion programs and whether we may want to enter any of those lotteries (she doesn't have any special skills or anything, but there's a lot of value on immersion programs around here), and b) when registration actually is, even though we may not be able to register for a while still. The thing that really has me obsessing is that we have incredibly high demand for pre and aftercare programs and most are already into deep waiting lists, which will make things very complicated for our 2-working-parent household.
I'm also slightly nervous about her readiness because she has a hard time sitting still and paying attention. She's very bright and academically ready, but the attention question is out there. I don't want to obsess about it, given her age, but it's admittedly in the back of my mind.
nectarine / 2242 posts
I'm nervous but super excited for this transition! DD missed the cutoff last year by just a few days and they make no exceptions, so she is more than ready this year 
1) M
2) September
3) Public
4) We are doing before care so we'll drive her to school in the morning and I'm changing my schedule so I can be home so she can take the bus home in the afternoons.
We had Kinder registration already (the first week of January!) She has her screening at the end of April. Next week I need to sign her up for our town's summer camp because its a billion dollars cheaper than daycare.
My biggest concern is she has a peanut allergy and school is not nut free (our current daycare is). She is super aware and good about it but its still scary for her to be on a bus / with other kids and be less supervised than she is in daycare with kids eating peanut butter / candy around her!
apricot / 461 posts
@Mrs D: Yes! Reed does that too. I'm sure he follows directions very well for teachers (hes a huge rule follower), but at home he tries to play that he doesn't know how to do stuff. The other day he looked at our table number at a restaurant and said, "Hey I know that number! Its twenty two!" We were shocked! We also learned recently that he knows all his letters (except 3) and knows most of their sounds too. Stubborn little guy!
apricot / 461 posts
@HappyBaker: That has to be so scary! My youngest (19 months) has a peanut allergy, but all our elementary schools are peanut free. Is there any way you can advocate for the school to become peanut free, or at least the school she is attending? Its not fair to place that burden on someone who is only 5 years old.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
@HappyBaker: I feel you on food allergies. My oldest is allergic to milk, though I'm hoping he'll mostly outgrow it before he starts this fall. But my youngest is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, and sesame, so I'm worried about him starting and being exposed to his allergens. 
ETA: Have you looked into getting a 504 for your child? Having severe food allergies is considered a disability and protected by federal law.
nectarine / 2242 posts
@Dr. Pepper: I doubt it, as I know there are currently a lot of nut allergy kids that attend already, but its worth asking for sure! They do have a nut free table at lunch, but it's more the just being around kids in general who might have a Reese's in their bag and want to share that scares me! Supposedly the bus is a no food zone, but I can remember how unsupervised my own childhood bus rides were so I can't imagine they'd be able to catch everything!
apricot / 461 posts
@HappyBaker: I also highly doubt they let children carry their epi-pens around with them. I imagine they have to be held at the school office. That doesn't work well if the child come in contact with an allergen while on the bus!
pear / 1823 posts
We'll be moving from Belgium back to the states in time to start K, but I don't know what town we'll be living in yet. No idea what school he'll go to! Registration is next month, but I guess I'll just have to register him once we move.
1. N
2. May
3.Public
4. No idea
N has been going to an international school for the past year where the curriculum is very similar to American kindergarten. I'm a little worried that he'll be bored with the content next year and be a behavior issue as a result.
grapefruit / 4545 posts
@mrsbookworm: Boredom and behavior issues is what pushed me to advocate for Kate to go this fall. She has been in Pre-K since Sept and is working on nearly every thing they will work on in Kindy (especially from a Spelling/Reading perspective). DH and his mom were both very hardcore "hold her back"...but she is just like me and when I am not challenged if when I act the worst. So I basically put my foot down that I would not have her be a year even more bored.
persimmon / 1390 posts
1. Lily
2. October (Dec. 1 cutoff)
3. Public
4. Mix of busing and drop-off.
Our districts lunches are very bad, despite the district being really good. This is becoming more of a problem again many places with the current administration actually. I’ll have to pack lunch every day which I am trying to wrap my head around!
grapefruit / 4085 posts
Joining!
1. M
2. December (so she's one of the oldest in her class since cut off is Dec 1)
3. Public
4. Prob combo of bus and dropoff
We've already registered and have a kinder screening in March and orientation in April. I love across one main road from the school but everyone gets a bus so I may drive her some days but have the bus drop her off most days. We'll see.
apricot / 444 posts
Can I join in? We live in CA and my DD is eligible for transitional kindergarten (November birthday)
1. C
2. November (Kinder cutoff is August; kids born Sept-early Dec kids are eligible for public transitional kinder)
3. Public
4. Drop off for before care and after care
I'm curious, for moms above who mentioned changing their schedules, what will your new hours look like? I hate the long days DD and DS are in daycare right now and looking for ideas.
Also interested in lunchideas! At daycare we do leftovers bc they heat up lunches. I'm lost for cold lunch every day.
pomelo / 5258 posts
My DD starts this year.
1) Child's name: Z
2) Birth month: February
3) Type of school: Public
4) What method of transportation? Walking or car drop off. Hopefully a walking school bus with neighborhood kids.
My district continues to delay a vote on half day vs all day Kindergarten. I’m really stressing about DD being in a crappy & expensive aftercare 7 hours a day. I am desperate to know if the K day will be extended so I can make informed aftercare decisions. We register March 1.
DD is currently working on dropping her nap to prep for K. DH and I think it’s time but her teachers disagree.
grapefruit / 4085 posts
@MrsA: our are kind of boring but when M does lunch bunch at preschool it's usually a cheese sandwich, pbj, cream cheese and jelly, things like that. She'll also do a yogurt and fruit or hummus with veggies and pita. Trying to add turkey into the sandwich mix. Don't know how we're going to do 5 lunches next year - will have to think of more ideas!
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
I’m just dipping my toe in because we just decided to hold C a year and so junior K next year, real kinder the year after. She has an end of July bday with a Sept 1 cut off, and her preK teachers recommended we wait. She is academically ready, I think, but her social and emotional maturity is an issue. And I already see her getting labeled as the problem kid at preK this year (I took issue with a certain teacher who left mid year anyway, but that’s a different story). But I’m worried that being the oldest, she will get bored, like @Mrs D: mentioned. Only time will tell but right now I feel good about waiting.
Once she goes it will be public, on the big yellow shook bus. There are a bunch of kids in our neighborhood that she will know on the bus.
persimmon / 1495 posts
Us too!
1) Child's name: S
2) Birth month: July
3) Type of school: Public
4) What method of transportation? Walking or car drop off, depending on weather and timing
I'm also a little nervous because he'll be one of the youngest (9/1 cutoff) and he's already small for his age. But I think he's ready. We're either doing the neighborhood school that's just a block and a half away or a fine arts magnet school that is just a few blocks away. That one is a lottery, so we'll find out at the end of March if he gets in.
pear / 1823 posts
@mrsd: I think it all depends on the child, but it sounds like your daughter is ready. I was born one day before the cutoff and so I was always the youngest in class. I didn’t really have any issues, other than being shy. DH is an August birthday so he was also young. He was academically talented and a behavior issue when not challenged. They wound up skipping him a grade and then he was far younger than his classmates! He thrived though.
kiwi / 705 posts
1) Helen Jeanette
2) September (she will be a very young K)
3) Private, Mandarin Immersion
4) Parent drop off
We chose to attend private this year partially because my daughter misses the public school cutoff by a week. The school was willing to evaluate her and chose to accept her to K instead of TK. We’ve observed that she behaves better with older kids then younger so we chose this route. We’re hoping to transition her to public after 1-2 years.
Excited to follow this thread! She is my eldest so this is a big deal for me!
Also, it’s amazing how different districts are! Public registration for us was Nov/Dec! We applied for private in December and have received the verbal acceptance and are expecting the actual paperwork any day now.
clementine / 828 posts
1) Child's name: R
2) Birth month: August
3) Type of school: public, private, charter, whatever: public
4) What method of transportation? Walking or drop off
I am worried about DS1 being the youngest in his grade. He has pretty good social skills, but is a bit behind on things like letters and handwriting, although he has really been improving this school year. My school district has really cracked down on holding kids back (there is no guarantee that they would be placed in kindergarten instead of directly in first grade) and I have always planned on not holding him back.
DH is a SAHD, so he will do drop off and pick up.
ETA: Kindergarten registration isn't until the end of March.
persimmon / 1390 posts
@MrsA: I’ll only have to really change my schedule accommodate for after school activities. I think she will do before bed after care at her current daycare 3 days a week because DD2 will also be there, or she may do it at the school if it’s cheaper and her friends do it. My mom/MIL will probably get her on/off the bus or walk her to school on the other 2 days. My husband and I sort of switch off having some days shorter and some days longer so I can spend more time at home with them in the evening and go grocery shopping already.
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
@mdf106: from what I heard, the social skills matter more than the academics like letters and writing, when determining readiness. At least that’s what teachers have told me in regards to holding my LO.
nectarine / 2973 posts
1) Child's name: J
2) Birth month: March
3) Type of school: public, private, charter, whatever: public
4) What method of transportation? I'll be dropping her off/picking her up
She's super excited! She already goes to public pre-k so it won't be a huge transition for her (hopefully). I'm excited because I'll be able to change my work schedule since she will be in school longer hours. I can drop her off, go to work for 4 hours(I work part time) then leave in time to pick her up and be done for the day. Right now I go to work after she gets out of school at 11:15 which is a bummer because I end up working later than I'd like.
The only draw back is that we will be paying for a babysitter the entire time I'm gone for DS. Right now DH gets done at around 3 so we only have to pay a sitter for 3.5 hours, with the new schedule we will be paying for 5.5 hours... it adds up!
How many hours is kindergarten where you guys are at? Ours is 5 hours.
cantaloupe / 6885 posts
I can't believe my LO is starting school! I'm excited for her because she's so excited, but I'm just a teensy bit sad as well.
1 - Child's name : Charlotte
2 - Birth month - September
3 - Type: Public, she will go in French immersion which starts in Grade 1 but her K year will be in English
4 - Transportation: I actually teach at her school so I will drop her off and pick her up. I'm excited to get to "be there" for a lot of her elementary school moments.
She had a Welcome to K night last week which she LOVED. She has been talking about school ever since. Next up is a half day in April where they spend the morning in the K classroom, ride the bus, play on the playground, etc.
cantaloupe / 6885 posts
@Purpledaisy: ours is full day, Monday-Friday. 8:30-2:15. I'm so excited about the daycare savings ! 🤗
kiwi / 705 posts
@charm54 That is so great that your school starts to introduce the kids so early! As far as I’ve heard, the public schools around here don’t do anything until August! We did a play date ‘interview’ at the school we applied to and it seemed to reallly help my daughter embrace the idea of K.
pear / 1599 posts
1) Child's name-Abi
2) Birth month- December
3) Type of school: public, private, charter - not 100% but I think public
4) What method of transportation? Drop off
DD has an IEP for speech and language delay so she will be in the ESE program to get additional help from the speech pathologist. Our state has a scholarship for kids with IEPs and she qualifies but it would cover less than half for any of our local private schools, except one. But I don't feel that one would be a good fit with what their expectations are on top of her speech needs. So we are still researching all of the options for charter and public schools. No matter where she goes it will be full day from 8:30 til 3:15. And we missed a couple of the kindergarten open house nights already so now I have to call and schedule a tour.
persimmon / 1420 posts
1) Children's names- Jack and Ellie
2) Birth month- January
3) Type of school: public, private, charter- the private school where I work
4) What method of transportation? Drop off
I'm excited! My kiddos are totally enthusiastic about it and love preschool. I'm looking forward to them being at the same school as I am. I am most nervous about if they will be able to keep up with their peers.
ETA- K for them (and all kids PK-8 at this school) is 8:10-3:00.
persimmon / 1390 posts
All the schools are full day here. I don’t think they’re doing kindergarten screening in our district anymore. Is that becoming par for the course? We just have to complete a packet (which we have to go pick up in person during work hours—so strange, why can’t I just print it?). Something I’m nervous for is that there are tons of SAH moms or ones who only work PT and I’m hoping I can keep up while working FT!
pear / 1642 posts
@Mrs D: thank you for starting this! My first baby is starting K and It’s been consuming my mind lately, too.
1) Child's name: Kinley
2) Birth month: April
3) Type of school: public
4) What method of transportation? Not sure yet
Just found out this week that registration for K doesn’t start until sometime in April, so I have time, but of course I’m still obsessing about school coming up. We live 1/4 mile from the school and depending on DHs schedule we will either do before care and she will be dropped off, or she will take the bus- which she’s really excited to do, actually. Since we drive past her “big school” every day, she’s already super excited for the idea of kindy.
pomegranate / 3401 posts
Thanks for starting this thread! I just did kinder Registration for my daughter last Monday so this is quite fresh in my mind!
1- Natalie
2- February
3- Public
4- I will drive and drop her off. The school isn’t that far away but we live on an incredibly steep and large hill and the walk back up would be brutal.
Question.....is everyone’s kinder half day or full? Ours is only half day (either AM or PM). You can request one or the other but it’s not guaranteed and the worst part is.....you don’t find out what you get until the week before school starts! 
nectarine / 2973 posts
@Becky: we have to pick ours up in person too! I'm like, why though?? 🤷♀️
grapefruit / 4997 posts
@Mrs D: Thank you for starting this! I have been seeing previous years posted and can’t believe my first baby, DD1 will be in kindergarten in the fall! Where has the time gone?
1) Name: H
2) May
3) Public or charter
4) Mama drop off & pick up for a couple of months, until I go back to work full time. Then it will be daycare pickup. I am sad just thinking about it but I know everything will work out.
All of our kinder classes are full day around here.
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