Hi my kiddo daycare teacher and neighbor are Muslims. Wanting to make Halloween candy goodie bags. I'm Not familiar with halal ok candies. Any candy/chocolate recommendations I can add? I think sour patch kids and Swedish fish are halal friendly. Thank you!

My daughter just finished kindergarten and she is not where she should be. She knows all her letter sounds in isolation, she can hear rhymes, she can clap syllables, but she cannot blend. When I write C A T on paper and ask her to read it she says each sound separately and then guesses a word that starts with C. Cup, car, came, anything but cat.

Her teacher recommended we work on blending specifically over the summer. She did not name a program. I do not know what blending practice is supposed to look like or how to deliver it without just pointing at words and getting frustrated together, which is what we have been doing. Teachers, is there a program or an approach you would trust for a parent in my position to use at home?

Looking for solidarity. My 5 year old came home today and told me he tipped his chair over backwards and hit his head on the floor at school. It happened this morning so obviously it's been like 8 hours at this point since the incident. I'm assuming at this point he'll likely be fine? Has this ever happened to anyone else? Should the school have notified me or is this like par for the course in Kinder?

My kiddo loves these, and they're perfect for his current reading ability. Any suggestions for similar books/series at a similar or just slightly higher reading level?

P.S. Excluding Elephant and Piggie, which we love, but he's got most of them memorized.

Does anyone else's 5 year get possibly growing pains? My son wakes up randomly and he is inconsolable from the pain in his legs-he wakes up screaming, crying and inconsolable. You can feel them cramping. This happens randomly at least 1x a week, we stretch before hand, it also happens on days when he's not super active. Last night was so bad I almost took him to the ER. My husband said it's normal, but I wanted a 2nd opinion before I took him to the doctor.

my niece is turning 5 soon and i'm trying to figure out what to get her for her birthday. she's really into animals lately. every time we go somewhere and she sees an animal, she gets so excited lol. i can totally picture her wanting to be a zookeeper when she's older 😂

i was thinking of getting her something animal-related, maybe a book, a pretend-play set, or something she can make or explore herself. i saw some kiwico activity kits while looking around, but i haven't decided on anything yet.

if you have a kindergartener who loves animals, what kinds of gifts do they actually play with? i'd love some ideas that are fun for her age and maybe teach her a little about animals, too.

My daughter just started kindergarten and she’s really shy. She tends to hang back at recess and mostly plays by herself, and when other kids try to include her she kind of freezes up. I don’t want to push her too hard, but I’d love to help her feel more comfortable. Has anything worked for your shy kiddo? Playdates, practicing at home, talking to the teacher, anything.

Thanks, any tips are appreciated!

TL;DR - son has had a few instances of elopement (i think that's what this is considered) at school. looking for advice on what i can do + whether this is within the realm of normal for the school.

hi all,

i'm looking for some suggestions from either teachers and/or parents who have been through this.

my son (newly 4) is in junior kindergarten (ontario) after staying home with me full-time. the transition to school has been slightly rocky in that he doesn't want to go/has a hard time with separation, but he's actually done better than i expected for a sensitive kid who has been home full-time until now.

on day one of JK, he climbed the kindergarten playground fence (not very high) and left the yard/school. like, was on the sidewalk. two times. the teacher mentioned it super casually at pick-up and kind of laughed it off. i requested a call to get a better idea of what happened and how they handled it. i also, of course, spoke with my son about the severity of what he did (not in an accusatory or you're-in-trouble kind of way) and we talked through what he could do next time he felt the need to leave school (ie: tell a teacher, ask to phone me, etc). after the convo w my son and w the school, i felt fine about it. he is very receptive to feedback and seemed to understand how dangerous it was - well, as well as a 4 y/o can.

today i picked my son up from school like i always do - waiting at the door (outside) w all the other parents. he came galloping out in a single file line with the other kids. his teacher was standing there. he greeted me, we hung around chatting to other parents for a few min, and then we made our way to the school climbers to have a bit of fun.

i'd been standing there for about 20 mins when his teacher approaches me and asks if he is with me. i say yes. she tells me she's been trying to call me (i didn't have my phone) because she didn't dismiss him and that he "left on his own" and that she didn't know where he was. i had told her i'd seen her and assumed he'd been dismissed. as a parent, i don't know whether you've dismissed him - all i know is he's got his backpack on and coming out with the other kids. she asked me to "next time, make eye contact" with her. at the same time, though, she told me she saw me there waiting with the other parents. i said that i'd speak to him (of course!). she also then told me, sort of casually, that he also left the recess area today and this time, that he went to the bathroom without asking. again, i told her i'd speak with him.

important additional context: two of my friends, whose kids are in my son's class, have also had the same experience where their kid "wasn't dismissed" and the teacher is frantically calling to make sure they have their kid.

here are my thoughts and questions:

1. is this normal for a classroom of such young kids? is it sort of within the realm of normal that kids are eloping and "going missing" this frequently?
2. of course this is my responsibility to speak to my son so that he understands the rules and expectations. i am all over the conversations. at the same time, there is only so much i can do on my end. at what point is this a failure on the teachers (or is it not)? again, genuinely asking. not condescending.
3. i personally feel like these conversations are not necessarily appropriate for quick, in-passing mentions. at this point, does it seem like i need to have a meeting to ensure there is a plan of action for both me and the school?

i want to stress that i am MORE than prepared to do whatever i have to do on my end. my initial thought is not to, like, blindly blame the school. i genuinely am wondering whether this is acceptable/within the realm of normal AND i'm wondering what i can do, other than continuously speak to my son.

we do not have elopement issues at all when he is with us, nor have my parents (who have cared for him loads during his lifetime) reported anything of the sort. i understand behaviour at school can be different, so not trying to say "mY kID WoUlD nEvEr" or anything like that - ha.

thanks in advance to anyone who made it this far. all advice or thoughts welcome and appreciated!

My nearly 4 year old daughter started junior kindergarten in September (I live in Ontario, Canada and kids start JK the year they turn 4). In the last two weeks, we've recieved three reports of her hitting. The first time was the leader of her after school care and the other two involved other kids.

She is on the younger side of her class, but is otherwise ahead of other kids the same age in terms of knowledge and language acquisition. She can clearly communicate what she wants and needs, but seems not to be doing that at school.

At home, she has become increasingly emotional and is having big outbursts for seemingly small reasons she wouldn't have before. For example, she was asked to hang up her coat after school today and swatted her dad. We are removing her from the situation (going to her room) until she calms down and practicing what we do when we are mad when she is calm. She knows she can take a deep breath, walk away, take a break, or use her words. I know change doesn't happen overnight, so it is very much still a work in progress.

Other relevant info is that she attended a daycare centre from 11 months to just before school started. Other than reports of her being sassy, and a brief period of biting incidents when she was around 18 months, we weren't told about any aggressive behaviour.

My questions are: this normal in kindergarten? And what can I do to help her learn to regulate her emotions at school?

I'll also mention that I've asked for a meeting with her teacher to find out more about what triggers the incidents at school. I have a sense she is overwhelmed and overstimulated, which doesn't excuse things, but knowing if it is that or some other trigger will help us handle things at home.

My son is newly 4 and at recess he just doesn’t seem to have a particular buddy or isn’t sought out by any specific kids. He was happily going up and down the slide, and it looked like he was interacting with kids throughout randomly. There seemed to be like a “password” game going on which he was participating in with another little girl. And he tried to join some kids who were running around, but it seemed chaotic haha. And I saw him hugging another boy. I just feel like he so badly would’ve wanted a buddy to go up and down the slide with. Though he seemed perfectly happy and that he was having fun. This is only his second month at the school and he’s in a split class, so he is among the youngest (he’s just 4, and some kids turn 6 in January). He is clearly really socially interested but he just can’t seem to make that buddy. Or the social interaction is perhaps harder for him or less mature? Does this sound typical to you guys/more experienced parents? I feel like so many kids have preferred playmates and he’s just bopping around. He’s happy and I’m projecting, but it hurts my mama heart.

My 5 year old son keeps coming home with most of his lunch untouched. He's pretty picky at home too, so I'm starting to worry about how much he's actually eating throughout the day. Some days it feels like he's surviving on snacks and a few bites of dinner. I know kids go through phases, but I can't help wondering if he's getting everything he needs. Has anyone dealt with this? Did you change anything about their routine or just give it time?

I’m basically solo-parenting most days while my husband is out of the house for about 14 hours. He does his best to help once he’s home.
My older child is in JK and I also have an 8-month-old. Our schedule feels super tight once JK is back in session. Here’s what our day looks like right now, and I’d love to fit in some teaching/education time at home but can’t seem to make it work. Any suggestions?

3:45 pm – Older goes for a shower (I give him bath)
4:15 pm – feeding younger
5:00 pm – meal time for older (I have to feed half of his meal)
5:45 pm – Meal/potty for older
6:30 pm – Feeding time for younger
Both want to be in bed by 7:30

I’m looking for advice from California parents, school nurses, or anyone familiar with California’s kindergarten immunization laws.
My daughter is 5 years old and currently enrolled in kindergarten at a California school. She’s behind on some of her required vaccinations, but we’re actively working with her pediatrician to get her caught up.
The school gave me a deadline to provide vaccination documentation, and now they’ve told me she can no longer come to campus.
My concern is that some of her remaining vaccinations require mandatory waiting periods between doses. Even if I get her vaccinated at the earliest medically permitted dates, she cannot complete the entire series immediately.
I’m not refusing to vaccinate her. We’re actively catching up, and I have appointments scheduled.
I’ve been reading about California’s conditional admission rules, which appear to allow children to continue attending school when they’re not yet eligible for their next required doses.
I’m trying to understand:
Can the school legally exclude her if she’s actively following a vaccination catch-up schedule?
Are schools required to allow conditional attendance when the remaining doses cannot yet be administered?
Can a pediatrician provide documentation allowing her to remain in school?
Is there a process to appeal or challenge the school’s decision?
Has anyone dealt with this in California, and what did you do?
I’m incredibly frustrated because she’s already established in her kindergarten classroom, and I don’t want her education interrupted while we’re doing everything we can to meet the requirements.
I’m not looking for a debate about vaccines. I’m looking for practical advice about California school policies, conditional attendance, and what options parents have when their child is temporarily excluded from school.
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Edit to add: we moved here from Georgia in July right before school started. Obviously, we didn’t need vaccines in Georgia so we are catching up on ALL of them and paying out of pocket.

My 5 year old has been overall good at independent play since toddlerhood. However since she started kindergarten, when she comes home she has a constant need of playing with someone (myself, as well as a grandparent currently living with us temporarily, whoever is around) and by constant I mean she will not sit on her own for a second. She wants to do complex crafts, which of course I enjoy doing with her, but it’s literally one after another. I hate saying no but I do have two other kids, not to mention other normal things to get done such as dinner, any clean up, etc. I feel horrible saying no to her because now she’s in school most of the day (till 3:30) and I should want to make the most of the few hours we have at home before bedtime. But I’m struggling to give her constant attention in those few hours especially when she won’t accept simple stuff like reading together - she needs me to come up with advanced crafty ideas that we’ll make together. She has completely lost any interest or desire in playing independently.

Am I wrong for not wanting to play with her constantly for the few hours after school ends till bedtime?

If it matters, she’s also not really interested in playing with her brother (one is a baby, but one is 3). She just needs a grown up to come up with activities for her to do. Even when she was in preschool, her teachers said she would cry if an activity would end because she constantly wanted to know what the next thing to do is. My daughter also has been obsessed with school since it began because she says they keep giving her stuff to do and she doesn’t have time to feel bored. I feel like she literally needs someone to give her things to do every second of the day.

I’m at a loss for how to navigate this without making her feel like I don’t want to spend time with her.

My 4 year old is mostly an introvert, usually takes time to warm up to new people. Which is fine, we let him be and let him take his own time to interact with new people. However, what I can't understand is he refuses to say hello and goodbye to his teachers whom he sees everyday and friends, my parents whom we video call everyday. I'm so confused, it's a struggle to get him to say " hello, how do you do" - to people he talks to everyday. He'll either just stare at them, hide behind me, or just dive into showing them something or playing with his friends silently. He starts talking only after a while. I tried the approach of - "what do we sayy...", then tried modelling the behaviour, then being firm that he needs to say it otherwise it is rude not to acknowledge others or respond, but nothing helps. He did say that he feels shy that's why he doesn't, so I said you can just smile or wave if you feel shy to speak up. But he doesn't do that either. I understand with new people but adults he sees everyday and with friends?

He's very intelligent and when he is comfortable, he talks a lot, has a great vocabulary for his age, teachers say in school he's doing so well, participates in class and speaks up. Are we (parents) doing something wrong? We never pressured him with strangers but may have done it with known people, to ask him to say hello, be friendly, especially to other kids. I didn't want him to be friendless. He's such a great kid. Would you guys advise a speech therapist?

If so, I have a few questions, as I feel like I’m going crazy.

This is an interesting article for parents.

Six-year-old boy. Anyone else got any extra-large house cats out there?

First year teaching K4, I expected to get sick often and I typically do get sick easily and take a long time to recover, but I wasnt expecting anything like this.

Its been 7 weeks straight with 3 different illnesses. Every time I start to get better (start, as in just over the peak but very much still symptomatic), I catch something else.

Im genuinely exhausted and school started less than 2 months ago. I got sick on day 3 of students back (I suspect I caught something the previous week during open house) and have been sick ever since with something or another !

Im doing everything I can to prevent:

- i sanitize my hands every 5 minutes it feels like

- I dont touch my face at all

- have an air purifier running 24/7 in my room

- have been taking immune boosters- vitamin c, zinc, bee propolis, honey that has more bee propolis, royal jelly, bee pollen, propel (the immune kind)

- gentle exercising like yoga and lymphatic draining exercises

- I try to get 8 hours of sleep a night but my symptoms for the last 3 weeks have prevented this

- I take meds but barely anything helps

- I was eating well initially but now thats such a chore especially with my current sinus infection and my appetite is way down

My body is so depleted and tired and we're not even in the cold months yet.

I actually think something is wrong with my immune system at this point. Has anyone else experienced this? What helped??

My kindergartener is having a hard time with listening, stopping when others ask him to, and following directions. When we talk about things afterward, he acknowledges what happened and understands why it wasn’t okay. He’ll even tell me that sometimes he has a hard time listening or that his body “doesn’t know what to do” in the moment.

We talk about expectations a lot at home, but knowing what to do and actually doing it in the moment seem to be two different things right now.

We also get check-in emails from his teacher about the behaviour, but there’s rarely anything positive included. He genuinely loves school and I really don’t want all the focus on what he’s doing wrong to change that.

Has anyone dealt with something similar? What actually helped your kid with listening and impulse control? Open to anything that worked for you.

I am just curious. My kindergartener who turned 5 years old last May has yet to get a loose tooth let alone losing a tooth. Meanwhile, his classmates are already losing teeth. Even one lost three teeth within a week!

To be fair, his first tooth came in at 15 months old... so i do not know if it means he won't lose his first tooth for another year.

Any input?