Mom2Mom Lounge

For many of us, our children are on the verge of entering the Wonder Years. The Wonder Years, like that awesome show we watched growing up, (remember Fred Savage?) is the elementary school years. Big Boy is entering kindergarten next year so I am brushing up on my required mom knowledge by listening to a new podcast in the Moms Talk Radio network of shows, Wonder Years Radio.

And in my ongoing attempt to win some chocolate, I interviewed Christina, the host of Wonder Years Radio about my and your, upcoming transition from mom of preschooler to mom of a kindergarten student.

1. Tell us about your show and what’s it’s all about.

My podcast is called Wonder Years Radio and it’s a forum to help other moms of elementary school children learn about the elementary school experience. It’s really a way to educate moms about different school programs and social issues as well as providing some health information that can be diagnosed in these young elementary years. I have done interviews about children with ADD and with sensory processing disorder in the hopes of building awareness of what these disorders are and how these young kids can cope at school.

2. Many of our readers are moms of young kids, myself included, my oldest will be entering Kindergarten next year. What would you tell moms on the verge of these Wonder Years, to help prepare us for what’s ahead?

For moms who are gearing up for this school journey, my biggest piece of advice is to stay calm and do not be afraid to ask questions of the school administrators or neighbors (in a polite way, of course!) Whether you are using the public school system or a private school, talk to other neighbors to get their feelings about the school but also set up a tour of the school during the summer. Ask the principal how the teachers handle discipline, have they ever had violence issues among students, do they encourage parental volunteerism…basically anything that crosses your mind, feel free to ask because that will put your mind at ease and will make for an easy transition for both you and your student. Do keep in mind, however, that people’s opinions will vary, just like when you are choosing a pediatrician. Some people will rave about the school or a particular teacher and others will dislike them for various reasons. All the more reason to ask your own questions and try to get in to meet the principal or teachers early.

3. There seems to be much more pressure for kids now than when we were younger, even in elementary school, kids seem to have to know how to read even before getting to kindergarten, have you found this to be true?

There is definitely more pressure to learn certain skills at a younger age. I am still surprised when my 5th grader brings home math work labeled “pre-algebra” because I never touched upon algebra until high school! But it isn’t as intense as you might picture. This pre-algebra work is just a few very easy problems and my daughter in kindergarten is not reprimanded because she can’t read. But her teacher told me she has a definite curriculum now whereas they used to do much more “learning through play”.

However…try not to stress yourself over the expectations! Many kids in my daughter’s kindergarten class still don’t know their alphabet sounds never mind how to read full words. Everybody progresses differently. A friend of mine told me her daughter, now 10, is never caught without a book in her hands but she didn’t “catch on” to reading until midway through 1st grade. Likewise, kids who can read very early in kindergarten are not necessarily reading above their age level when they get into the older grades. The best thing you can do is just practice reading to and with your child and reinforce whatever lessons the teacher is doing in class.

4. What are some of your favorite resources for helping parents deal with the issues that arise when their kids are in elementary school?

Favorite resources…hmmm…I usually ask my friends with kids about any concerns I have. I’ve never been one to run to books or search the internet for school-related issues. Scholastic has a parenting website at www.scholastic.com/parenting which is chock full of great articles for parenting school-aged kids. You can also sign up for newsletters based on your child’s grade level. This sounds like a good project to put on my website!

5. I know many moms who want to get involved with their child’s school, but are not sure how, or have limited time to give. How important do you think it is to get involved and what things can you recommend for getting involved.

Well, for ideas for getting involved, you can listen to our second show! Just kidding…the best thing to do is realize how much time you have to give and ask the teacher if she can use you during these particular hours. Many working parents struggle with this when they only have evening hours available but you never know! Some teachers need a volunteer to tally Scholastic book orders every month and that’s easy to do at night and from home. Maybe the teacher needs a bunch of shapes cut out of construction paper or someone to make phone calls. No matter how simple the job may seem, delegating it to a parent saves the teacher so much time and they can focus on the students. Also, the school’s PTA is always looking for volunteers and that does not mean you have to attend every function or chair a committee. Start off small by helping with the book fair or serving food at the spaghetti dinner and then work your way up over the years, if that’s what you want. The PTA very often will host evening events, such as movie nights, so even if you help run the popcorn machine or sweep up afterwards, that’s still helping!

If you are truly strapped for time, the biggest way to help your school is to participate in fundraising. The PTA’s bank account is usually at $0 when the school year begins, so the funding for all the programs your school provides to the kids needs to begin right away in September. You can bring your catalogs to work or ask family in other states if they would like to participate.

Thanks to Christina for answering my questions and be sure to check out Wonder Years Radio!