I could not have prayed for a more positive first month of Kindergarten. This sweet girl has impressed me in ways I never saw coming. So, know this is a shameless proud Mom post!
Abby has gotten ready for school every morning with joy and a smile! She still lets me pick out her clothes and fix her hair. As long as her clothes are comfortable, she is happy to wear them. We have done lots of dresses and on cooler days put leggings under them. She takes a cardigan most days.
She comes home hungry and in need of alone time in her playroom! She has transitioned to a shower (crazy to think!) and goes to bed with a good attitude at 8 PM. She doesn't even come out of her room at all after we say goodnight. She is up around 6:30 and enjoys playing until we get her ready just after 7.
In her school they do rotations for "specials" with PE every other day. The non-PE days alternate between performing arts (drama, music), visual arts (arts and crafts) and library. She loves library days the most. She has been praised and awarded prizes in her specials for sitting still or sharing or listening.
More than once she has told me about situations on the playground that occurred and her response has blown me away. She has cared for hurt friends, stood up for friends against someone being mean, and even braved learning the monkey bars.
Numerous times at home she has responded to a disappointment with maturity. Her emotional maturity over the last 6 weeks blows me away. I don't have to repeat myself as much, she doesn't cry as much, and her awareness of her surroundings has really increased. It is just amazing!
I try to have lunch with her every other week. It is a fun time to meet her friends and make her feels special at the lonely little peanut free table. I've been told she is very responsible and a good self advocate. All the things a Mom with an allergy kid needs to hear! Her teacher even told me the other day that if she (her teacher) changes up the order of the day Abby will correct her. Here is the best part... she said she doesn't it kindly. She isn't mean spirited in her correction, but wants the teacher to know it isn't right. ha!
She gets to pick who sits with her each day (from the kids with a nut free lunch) and the friend she has picked the most is also the one that appears to have the most trouble adjusting to Kindergarten. He is learning the rules slowly and had some pretty severe consequences and she has been kind to him through it all. I'm so proud of her for showing kindness to other kids, especially those that most will shy away from.
I saw another Mom at her school on Friday and she told me on the first day after we had left Abby in the classroom that she saw Abby meet a crying child at the front door after his parents left and she told him not to worry that it would be okay and she walked him back to his seat. To know that she was so giving to another child in a moment when she could have been scared as well impresses me!
They have behavior clips at school and everyone starts on green. You can go up and down throughout the day. Abby has only gone up! She has been purple about 25% of the time which shows good self management skills above normal and then was pink (the top) once. She moves up for things like following directions, helping others, cleaning up without being told, etc.
I love seeing her succeed at school and at life skills! I told everyone who asked before she started that I thought she would do well because she is smart and social. She has done so much better that I could have imagined! We have our first parent teacher conference in 2 weeks and I look forward to hearing from her teacher!
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