First day of kindergarten

Sean was so excited to start at his new school.

They took name tag pictures for his English class and his Chinese. I made him get in front of the tree so a I could take his picture. I knew if I asked him to put the Chinese hat on again so I could take that picture he'd put his foot down.

I am amazed at how quiet they are at school. At the Montessori school a class of 12 sounded like 50. At Stewart a class of 30 is very quiet.

Watching the kids made me laugh. I've been teaching adults for 20 years. Every class has the same "roles", the know it all, the I have a story for that, the talk to the person next to you, the fidgety one, the sleeper, the class clown and the shy one. I was watching the kids and I could identify their adult roles. Little miss know it all was seriously getting on my nerves. She really did "know it all" and wanted to make sure everyone knew. She will be a cheerleader and class president in Jr High, no doubt. Sean is really shy at school. The teacher asked if anyone had ever seen a monkey outside of the zoo. I asked Sean why he didn't tell them he had and he said "I'm not going to raise my hand and talk."

Moving on to Chinese class. He goes to English kindergarten for an hour and a half, then lunch followed by two and a half hours of Chinese. The teacher doesn't speak any English. She gestures and jumps around a lot. Here she is telling them the story of the three little pigs in Chinese. At least I think that's what she was doing. There was a lot of huffing and puffing and blowing things down. The kids were staring at her with their mouths open (including Miss know it all.) I was overwhelmed and I'm not the one who has to learn Chinese.

As the kids were dismissed on the first day they had to come up one by one before they were dismissed and the class sang a song "we are so glad you are here....." Sean was the second one to get called up so he had to stand in front of everyone. He did not like that at all. He asked "why did they do that?" Not cool, not cool at all.

My big kindergarten dilemma is Sean wetting his pants. Sean has never been dry at night. He always wears a pull up. When he is home or we are on vacation he stays dry during the day because we are always reminding him to go to the bathroom. At Sunrise he was always peeing his pants. He stayed dry more at three then he did at four and five. I think in part because the teachers didn't make the kids go to the bathroom like they did when they were younger.  We bought a potty watch that vibrates to remind him to go to the bathroom. That worked really well for awhile but then he started ignoring it. Every day he would come home wet, smelling like an outhouse. It annoys me that he doesn't even care that he's wet. Apparently peer pressure didn't work there. I kept clothes at school for him to change in to but he wouldn't change unless one of the teachers insisted.

 

 Our family doctor said he could run test. Our doctor loves to run test! (and then not bother to give us results.) I really don't think it's a physical problem. I guess it's possible he could have a small bladder or that it's some sort of psychological issue related to adoption but I don't think it is either. He just doesn't like to stop doing what he is doing and go to the bathroom. If he continues to have problems after Christmas I will consider subjecting him to testing but the poor kid has had enough test and I'm not keen on having a catheter stuck inside him to check his urethral sphincter control unless I absolutely have to. Hence my dilemma how to keep him dry at school. I have him pee before he goes and before lunch and after recess. The school has a policy that if a kid is wet they go to the office, their parents are called and they stay there until their parents come change them. Well, heck he'd spend half his week in the office.

 

I did Google searches for enuresis in kindergarteners. Most of what I read said that putting a pull up on then during school would embarrass them. I don't see how wearing a pull up under your pants that no one sees is more embarrassing then wetting your pants.  I made him wear a pull up to school. He was not happy. He did not want to get out of the car. I told him it wasn't punishment I just don't want him being wet at school and being made fun of. He's more concerned he's going to get made fun of for wearing a pull up. I told him he shouldn't be showing his underwear to anyone so it shouldn't be a problem. He didn't want to get out of the car. I told him his choice was to wear the pull up or go back to Sunrise for the year. He got out of the car.

 

 As soon as he got home he changed back into underwear. He stayed dry all day at school! I told him if he stays dry for a week at school he can quit wearing the pull ups. I feel bad for him but I don't want people remembering in High School that he was the kid who was always peeing his pants in kindergarten and I sure don't want him being the smelly kid.