Schoolwork/Homework

I wish I could say that Jaina just absolutely loves Kindergarten, but unfortunately, that feeling of hers only lasted the first week of school. From the second week on, things started going down hill.

It kills me that my baby doesn't like school. :( Who doesn't like Kindergarten? You get to play all day, learn numbers and letters, sing songs, have circle time, are read to often by the teacher, and make wonderful friendships.

Oh, wait... that's how Kindergarten was when *I* was in school. I keep forgetting that I'm old now! (29 next month! EEK!)

Kindergarten nowadays is what First Grade was to us back then. I think all this stuff with the "No Child Left Behind" crap has made our society think that learning things younger is somehow better? Yet if you ask a Child Developmental Psychologist, they would remind us that not only do children develop new skills at their own pace, but that there are just some things that children are not developmentally ready to learn until a certain age.

So, school for Jaina is much different than it was for me. They sit out in the hall, with no talking, before school starts at 7:40 AM. Then there is no talking while they hand in their homework folders (yep, there's homework to do every day). Then, still, no talking while they say the pledge, sing the star spangled banner, and listen to the morning announcements. Then, while still sitting in their seats, they are given busy work to complete while the teachers get ready for their day. Next comes calendar time (still, no talking!). Lunch is very early (10:45) and they only have 20 minutes to eat. Hmm... wonder why Jaina comes home with a full lunch bag some days? I feel bad for the kids that have to go through the lunch line. They get even less time to eat! Then, they do get recess after lunch. It usually involves running around the pavement since the playground equipment is wet. Because the past years, Bush has looked down on recess and physical education, the schools are not required to let the kids have much recess time until some random year down the line when they up the requirements.

Now, I guess I should be lucky that they do have art once a week, PE twice a week, Music once a week, etc. I just wonder if they have time to be kids at all for the almost 7 hours that they are there sitting at a desk, doing worksheets.