Sending your children to kindergarten is a milestone moment. They’re beginning their educational journeys, practicing the life skill of making friends, listening to authority figures, and managing themselves a little bit more with increased independence and autonomy. It’s an exciting time!
It’s an experience that many parents approach in many of the same ways. But one mother and kindergarten teacher on TikTok shared what she would never do when sending her child to school. And we have to admit, these pointers are pretty good.
More from CafeMom: If Your Kid Can't Ace This Kindergarten Checklist, You're Still Not a Bad Parent
Kristen is a new mom, but she's already thinking about what she'll do when her son gets to kindergarten.
Kristen, who goes by @kinderwith_kristen on TikTok, is a new mom and kindergarten teacher. Looking ahead to the future of how she’ll parent her own son, Kristen shared three pointers from her experience as an educator.
They’ll make life a little easier for their teacher. And with all the challenges teachers face dealing with out-of-touch administrators and rowdy children, they certainly deserve the break.
Be mindful of your children's footwear.
The first piece of advice was not to send your children to school in shoes with laces if they have not yet mastered the skill of tying their own shoes. “There’s nothing worse than bending down to tie a child’s shoes and they’re wet. And guess where they’ve been? The bathroom.”
Yuck! I can honestly say I’ve never considered that. But she makes an excellent point. She said her son will be team velcro until he learns to tie his own shoes.
Certain snacks are a no-no.
Secondly, Kristen says she’ll never send her son to school with plastic fruit cups in his lunchbox. “Teachers across America know that not only are they so hard to open, they spill juice everywhere. On you, the desk, your hand, everywhere,” Kristen said. “Whoever invented this lid deserves jail time.” She said her son will be getting pre-cut apple slices.
More from CafeMom: This Adorable Kindergartner Gave a Not-So-Glowing Review of His First-Day-of-School Lunch
When your child tells you a story, make sure it's a true one.
Lastly, Kristen said she won’t always believe her child’s version of events that happened at school, especially if they seem out of character for the teacher, school, or administration.
Kristen shared a story one of her students told their parents that almost caused a bit of trouble. “A student told their parents that I took the class on an unauthorized field trip to the park, put the students in my own personal vehicle and just didn’t tell the parents,” she explained.
Listen, but verify your children's stories.
The parent, accepting their child’s narrative, was enraged and couldn’t believe Kristen would do such a thing. “What actually happened was instead of going to one playground on campus at our school. We went to another playground that is on campus at our school. Once everything had been explained and cleared up, the student said, ‘Oh yeah. That is what happened. Sorry.’"
Listen to your children, but keep in mind that they have active imaginations and lack the same understanding many adults have. It’s always best to ask in-depth questions or get a second account when possible.
