Kindergarten

As Kindergarten registration and orientation is arriving in a few weeks, I am getting nervous about sending my oldest to school. I feel like I am not ready.

Should I pack him a lunch or trust him to make healthy choices with the school's hot lunch?

If you were worried about sending your child to Kindergarten, how did you feel once it started? Was it as nerve wracking as you expected?

I would pack a lunch. I don't know about where you live, but around here school lunches are absolute smurf. Fries everyday and stuff like that in just not comfortable with.

I have no other advice. My so a not even two and I'm already dreading school.

DS is in pre-k and they only offer healthy foods, they sent a list home with what their choices would be. I don't know if every school is like that but i know the one DS is at is.

My oldest is starting kindergarten this year too.

He is only going for the mornings, so he will have lunch at home, but I will pack him a snack though, banana, apples, yogurt.

When I was going to school my parents didn't pack a lunch for me, so I ate crap at school, theres hardly any healthy options at school. So I would suggest you pack a lunch for him and maybe give him a dollar or two for a treat.

Quoting ღ.ღ.ღ:" DS is in pre-k and they only offer healthy foods, they sent a list home with what their choices would be. I don't know if every school is like that but i know the one DS is at is."

same here. we get a menu every month.

I read their menus and they seem to be healthy foods catered from a local restaurant/catering business that I know makes good food. They apparently have a fresh fruit/veggie bar, and then it's whatever hot meal is provided for the day whether it be sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, goulash etc...

However, I wonder if he will even get any good food. What if he just gets a chocolate milk and a bowl of mac and cheese and doesn't even bother with the fruit bar?

I don't know if I'm being silly. I mean, I could pack him food and he could easily toss it out or simply not eat it all the same, I guess. I feel like I would be more comfortable packing him a lunch but I remember being in school and kids picking on other kids who brought a bag-lunch to school. I feel like that's a stupid thing to worry about, but I want my child to enjoy school and he doesn't have much of a backbone when it comes to standing up for himself. He easily gets his feelings hurt. I don't know what the "norm" is.

Quoting MunchkinWrangler:" I read their menus and they seem to be healthy foods catered from a local restaurant/catering business ... [snip!] ... much of a backbone when it comes to standing up for himself. He easily gets his feelings hurt. I don't know what the "norm" is."

Aw.. I think everything you are feeling is normal. You just want what's best for your child and you want them happy & healthy. Just go with your gut, I'm sure everything will work out   I totally dread DD becoming that age and having to face all these types of dilema's though lol

Quoting MunchkinWrangler:" I read their menus and they seem to be healthy foods catered from a local restaurant/catering business ... [snip!] ... much of a backbone when it comes to standing up for himself. He easily gets his feelings hurt. I don't know what the "norm" is."

I dont know about other schools. but my sons school has the adults put the trays together for the little kids so that they have all thats provided on their tray.

Quoting MunchkinWrangler:" I read their menus and they seem to be healthy foods catered from a local restaurant/catering business ... [snip!] ... much of a backbone when it comes to standing up for himself. He easily gets his feelings hurt. I don't know what the "norm" is."

Well at DS's school they can't just pick one things a milk and go. They have to get a "Meal and 2 sides". Today i think he said it was a hamburger, fruit and some kind of veggie and he got chocolate milk.

My oldest will be in kindergarten next year and she'll only go 3 1/2 hours so they'll get snacks in class. I can send her a snack for class but I don't have to worry about what she's eating at lunch until 1st grade (thank goodness!)

Quoting Elena Gilbert:" I dont know about other schools. but my sons school has the adults put the trays together for the little kids so that they have all thats provided on their tray."

  There is a teacher or one of the aids right there in the line with the kids at all times, granted there is only 14 kids in her class but the lunch ladies know them and make their tray, all they do is pick the drink and walk through.

Did he go to preschool this year? How did he do there?

My daughter went to preschool, its only half days 4 days a week though. I just recently applied to several schools for her for kindergarten. We have settled on a Catholic school in the city. For lunch they order from a restaurant and give them a few choice a day. She's super excited!! Why would you be upset or worried? Going to kindergarten is a happy and very exciting time in a kids life. You have plenty more babies where he came from!

it's VERY early to worry about what to send him for lunch! LMAO!

Quoting shes*almost*one!:" Did he go to preschool this year? How did he do there? My daughter went to preschool, its only half ... [snip!] ... a kids life. You have plenty more babies where he came from! it's VERY early to worry about what to send him for lunch! LMAO!"

No, he did not. They didn't have a preschool locally. And the one I liked, they wouldn't take kids from out of town. We don't have a wide array of private schools here, and the ones we do have are not anything special. His daycare is pretty pre-school oriented. A lot of the kids that are there are afterschool care for Kindergarten/1st Graders. He interacts very well with them. He does well with other kids. He is very smart. He will, by his own choice, spend hours daily practicing writing the alphabet, spelling his name and any other word he can think of. I don't think he will have a problem socially or academically- I just tend to worry about stupid things. Maybe it's because I always had a very hard time in school. Academically I did very well, but I did not make friends and never liked school. He's so excited about school that I just want to do everything in my power to make sure that he continues to be excited about it and love it!

Quoting MunchkinWrangler:" No, he did not. They didn't have a preschool locally. And the one I liked, they wouldn't take kids from ... [snip!] ... about school that I just want to do everything in my power to make sure that he continues to be excited about it and love it!"

it sounds like he's MORE than ready for kindergarten!!! google kingergarten readiness tests. they give you a list of 75-100 things to do with your child to see if he's ready. Catherine LOVES doing these, and can do everything on the lists. There are sections for everything. Fine motor, gross motor, arts, science, math, etc, its a lot of fun actually.

from what you said, he sounds like he's more than ready. he'll LOVE it! you will end up loving it too. trust me. its nice to have a little break from eachother. its healthy and an important part of their development.

worry about the trivial crap like lunches when the time comes. from what i know about other schools they dont just let a 5 year old go to the lunch line and willy nilly buy a bunch of crap. you have a lot more control than you think. for my daughters school i pick out her lunch from the restaurants menu 4 days a week and friday they have pizza and salad.

Quoting shes*almost*one!:" it sounds like he's MORE than ready for kindergarten!!! google kingergarten readiness tests. they give ... [snip!] ... for my daughters school i pick out her lunch from the restaurants menu 4 days a week and friday they have pizza and salad."

I'm hoping that the orientation will bring peace of mind. I plan to ask about how they handle lunches. I can't remember how it worked when I was little.