This week my twin girls start kindergarten. How did they get to be so big?
Somehow, in five years my bubbly babies have grown into little girls. While this mama is a little sad, I’m also so excited to parent them through this new stage of life. While we are getting them ready to go back-to-school, I’m trying to be proactive with what to expect this year in both their development and school. I’ve asked a friend who does “Mommy School” with her five year old and our Preschool Minister at church for some tips on parenting kindergartners, and today I’d like to share these tips with all of you!
According to Kindergarten Kickstarter, children in kindergarten are fairly self-sufficient.
Whether your child is at half-day or all-day kindergarten or is homeschooled, they are going to be spending some amount of time away from you for the very first time. This can be both scary and exciting for parents, but know that your child is ready for this change (so are you, sweet mama!). Here are some developmental changes they are experiencing right now:
Physical
-Perform locomotor skills, including running, jumping, leaping, sliding, and skipping
-Engage in one to two minutes of moderate to intense physical activities, leading to increased heart rate, breathing, and perspiration
-Possess strength to lift and support their own body weight for a variety of activities
-Show left-or right-handed dominance
-Can perform self-care tasks with fine motor dexterity (zipping, buttoning, etc.)
Emotional
-Understand the difference between right and wrong
-Can verbalize feelings appropriately
-Can play independently and also with peers without constant supervision
-Want to make decisions for themselves
-Are willing to take “safe” risks
Relational
-Enjoy playing with friends
-Can play cooperatively with peers
-Will encourage others
-Respect authority figures
-Recognize that others have feelings
Spiritual
-Begin to understand what they see/hear (This is a great time to begin reading the Bible to your child)
-May ask questions about spirituality because of their desire for learning
-May instinctively begin to calm themselves down and correct their own behavior because of their new ability to manage feelings
-Have very close relationships with mom and dad, who have a great deal of influence at this stage
Kids in kindergarten are beginning to think outside themselves (finally!). They are developing empathy. Try carving out time with your child to look at what the Bible says about generosity and take time to serve together.
A great passage is Matthew 14:14-21 or Luke 10:30-37. Some serving project ideas are to serve a meal at the Salvation Army, sponsor a child through Compassion, donate hair to Locks of Love, or have a yard sale to benefit a particular cause.
Another great idea for reading is to go through the Jesus Storybook Bible. This website has great activities to do with your kids!
My friend Andrea who is homeschooling her kindergartner, shared with me a great daily schedule and a kindergarten pacing sheet. While my girls are in school, I can still use these sheets to keep me on track when we review at home. I thought they were truly wonderful!
Also, here are some fun themes to do with your kids at home. Even though I’m a working mom, we can do these activities on the weekends, or they can do them with their grandmothers in the afternoon.
- Back to School/The Kissing Hand
- Pete the Cat
- Colors and Shapes with Brown Bear, Brown Bear
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
- All About Me
- Teddy Bears
- Apples
- Pumpkins
- Spiders
- Scarecrows
- Nocturnal Animals – Bats, Owls
- Native Americans/Pilgrims
- Turkeys
- Thanksgiving
- Five Senses/Gingerbread Man
- Christmas
- Snowmen/Snow
- Winter Animals
- The Mitten (Jan Brett)
- Penguins
- Fairy Tales
- Valentine’s Day
- America/Presidents
- Community Helpers
- Dr. Seuss
- Transportation
- Space
- Spring/Plants
- Insects
- Farm
- Zoo
- Ocean
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