Kye started preschool this past August and I’m SO glad we made the choice to go ahead and start this year. He goes three days a week for half a day and it’s the perfect amount. We debated which class to put him in as based on his birthday he should have been in the two year old class, not the two and a half year old one. However, we discussed it with the principal and she agreed that he was fine to be in the older class. Typically boys are behind girls in school and he’s the youngest in the class so I didn’t expect him to surpass his peers or anything like that. His bff, Kailyn, is the oldest in the class as she turned three soon after school started. I taught her in Bible Class at church and the girl is beyond smart. Knows all of her colors while Kye doesn’t know any! It doesn’t bother me that he may be “behind” his peers. I think it’s a good thing to have kids like Kailyn in class with him as it helps him learn!
We got his progress report the day after we came home from the hospital with Brittlynn. It couldn’t have been better timing. For two reasons: 1) It gave Kye a chance to have LOTS of attention and praise, which he probably was needing and 2) It reminded Zach and I that we are good parents. When you add another child to the mix, there is a LOT of guilt involved for Mom and Dad. It’s hard to give attention to them both, it’s tough to feel like you’re equally good parents to each child. This progress report helped boost our confidence that we are doing a good job and our kids will be raised up right in our home 🙂
Since it’s a half-way through the year report, lots of the items on the list the class hasn’t yet even touched on so I’m not going to include them all here. In each section he could get a N/I (for not yet introduced), B (for beginning), D (for developing) and M (for mastered).
He is developing the ability to identify all of his colors and shapes, but has mastered singing the alphabet (don’t we know it!). They are just starting to work on identifying numbers but he can count up to 13. He has mastered counting objects all the way from 1 – 10. He has mastered showing both the numbers 1 and 2 on his fingers, is developing showing 3, 4, and 5 and hasn’t yet learned 6 – 10.
All of that was wonderful to see, but it isn’t really stuff we work on at home. It’s the type of things they learn at school ya know? So I don’t feel like I can take too much credit for it all (sure, we touch on all of them at home but we don’t hardcore work on them the way I’m sure they do there). It WAS great to know what he’s learning at school so I can do a better job working on it at home. I didn’t know they were starting to identify numbers so that’s great!
The rest of the progress report is what really mattered to me. It’s the things we DO work on at home and that are a reflection, in my opinion, on us as parents. In the fine motor skills category he has mastered holding his crayon correctly, following directions, building a tower of cubes, and stringing beads. He’s still developing the ability to color in the lines. In the large motor skills category he has mastered all of them including: running without falling, walking up steps, kicking ball forward, jumping with both feet off the ground, jumping forward, and balancing on one foot (who knew he could do that?!?!).
The best part of the progress report was at the end 🙂 Don’t get me wrong, I think education is very important. However, both Zach and I agree that social skills and the ability to self-help are much more valuable. If you can do well in social settings and are an independent person then the sky is really the limit…being smart doesn’t open nearly as many doors as being likeable does!!!
Kye has mastered every social skill and language milestone including: follows directions the first time he’s asked (HUGE to us!), shares and takes turns, works quietly, accepts responsibility for behavior (another biggie in my book), knows name, knows birth month, uses complex speech when playing with friends, knows the first name of a friend. He has mastered all but ONE self help category. He removes his jacket, pulls down pants without help, pulls up pants without help, hangs jacket on hook, and hangs bookbag on correct hook. The only thing he’s developing in the self help section is kinda embarrassing to admit…he is still working on washing his hands by himself. I KNOW it’s gross but neither Zach or I do a great job in the hand washing department…this was a good wake up call for us to do better in that area!!!
I was BEAMING with pride when I finished reading the progress report, but then I read the teacher comment section and I about cried. His teacher said “Kye has the best manners I have ever experienced as a teacher. He has a kind heart; always ready to help. He is my little artist and loves to paint and color (I need to get paint stuff for the house!!!!). We love him.
I have tears in my eyes just re-reading that now. Is that not the BEST compliment you can get as a parent?!?! Sure, we think Kye’s great, but having someone else say it is even better. Especially someone who does spend SO much time with him. When strangers give you a compliment about your child it’s wonderful, but his teachers see his good and bad moments. They experience the full, whole Kye that we know and to hear that report about him couldn’t make me more happy as his mother.
I know, reading this blog, it may seem like I brag on my kid (now kids!) a lot, but really I only keep this blog to remember everything they do. If you know me in real life, I don’t brag at all. I’ve been around plenty of parents who do brag and it’s beyond annoying. I typically don’t really talk about Kye at all when with friends. I know other people don’t find little stories about my child that interesting since, let’s be honest, I don’t really typically find cutesy stories about other people’s kids interesting either! It still surprises me how many people read this blog everyday since it’s mostly stories about Kye!!! Isn’t that boring to read to anyone else other than Zach and I (well and his Gramma)? Anyway, back to the point. I don’t typically brag. However, when this progress report came home I have showed it to EVERY single person who has come by the house (which has been a good bit with a new baby at home). I’ve made a HUGE deal about it and it is the FIRST thing to ever be placed on our fridge (I’m not that kind of mom with artwork all over the fridge…).
Zach and I have worked very hard as parents. I’m not saying we’re perfect but we really do put our all into it. Parenting is my passion. I feel that it’s my gift from the Lord and I take it very seriously. Having such positive feedback about my child reinforces that passion and drive. Kye is SUCH a blessing to us and has made us SO PROUD. I know this is only the first wonderful progress report of the many, many to come. I know that Kye will continue to make us prouder and prouder through the years! I’m SO appreciative to his teachers and school for continuing to instill the values and responsibilities that we teach at home!
My work has been featured on Love What Matters, Today Parenting and Babywise.Life. I'm also honored to be a member of the Babywise Friendly Blog Network.
You can read more about our family on my About Me page. Also be sure to follow along with me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest!
- What I’m Gifting My Family: 2024 - November 21, 2024
- Effective Parenting Tips to Discipline a 5 Year Old Child - September 24, 2024
- Happy 9th Birthday to My Daughter – Letter to Tess from Mom - August 26, 2024
Emily,That's so great about Kye. What a sweet, young man you're raising. Just remember that if some things are off on a progress report it doesn't mean you're not doing a good job as a parent. As he ages, you're going to go through phases/stages to where you struggle with how you feel you're doing as a parent. Just remember to listen to your gut on how you're doing and not the progress report of somebody who spends a small fraction of the time that you spend with him. I've learned that lesson. Also, I think it's fantastic that Kye has such great fine motor delays, etc but please know that if he couldn't master holding the crayon the right way, etc that it most likely has nothing to do with how you parent. My son has OT and PT, fine motors and deterixity (spelling) delays so when progress reports came home (he went to preschool for 1 year which was perfect for him…his sisters went longer) I felt TERRIBLE. I always addressed any concerns with the ped, but since Christian (our son) was our first I believed the doctor when he said that Christian was totally age range. Of course, the doctor just saw how bright he was/is and didn't notice as much of the OT/PT stuff until he was 6. My son is amazing but he will never be able to hold a crayon right and some other things even with all the therapies he's gone through. He has a neurological disorder…so I just wanted to remind you to give yourself a break sometimes. I know it's hard. Of course, I blamed myself for the neurological stuff too but woke up one day and had to remind myself that God made my son special in his own way and that I had to stop blaming myself for everything that he couldn't do and celelbrate all that he could do (just as you are with Kye..so keep it up)!We are moms blessed with amazing children.
What a great post…certainly something to be very proud of! I'm not sure how long I've been reading your blog but I really enjoy your writing style and all of the stories you share.Just wanted to share with you a tip I read once about kids & handwashing: The family bought 2 different scents of soap (distinctly different colors) to place by the sink and after using the bathroom or eating the child got to wash their hands with either scent and then the parenet had to guess which color they had used. Fun 'game' for the kids and they wanted to wash more to try and 'fool the guesser'. Just a thought!Happy New Year 🙂
"I'm not the kind of mom with artwork all over the fridge" This made me laugh,,,,, Kye is a good son- a total reflection of you and Zachs hard work
Thank you 😉