Welcome to our very first ‘Go Ask… The Teacher’ post. Each week our resident primary school teacher will be answering all of your burning questions. Nothing is off limits. Ask and you will get a down to earth, straight-forward answer. No BS. So here goes!
My preppy is still so tired by the end of the week. Do you think it is ok to keep her home occasionally to give her a rest?
Oh this is such a good question. First of all, let’s just give the little Prep kids a clap. Gee, it must be hard going from a couple of days a week at kinder playing in the dress up box, to sitting at a desk 5 days a week. Never mind all of the new things that their little brains are learning. Seriously, it’s exhausting just thinking about it.
Look, when it comes down to it, every now and then we all need a day off. I’d go with your intuition – you’re the one who knows your child the best. If you think that your Prep is just so tired and run down, an occasional day off is probably not a bad thing. But, you’ve also got to remember that a lot gets done each day at school, so by missing a day, they’re missing a big chunk of the weeks learning. Mind you, as any teacher would tell you, if your little one is sick, then keep them home!! Classrooms are little germ-fests at the best of times, never mind when kids are actually sick! Nothing drives a teacher crazier than having a sick child coughing and sneezing over everyone else in the class.
Bottom line – if they’re sick or completely exhausted and run down, the occasional day off isn’t going to hurt. Just don’t make it a regular thing or you’ll find they may soon fall behind (and no one wants that!).
New preppie mum here – Our daughter has been getting disruptive in class later in the day (she is always down the behaviour chart after big lunch). We have noticed that she is not eating anything until in the car after school. I asked her teacher if the lack of food all day could be affecting her concentration later in the day? All I got was that they do not supervise who is eating and who isn’t or tell the students to eat. Not sure where or how to take it from here?
Urgh this one is a pet hate of mine. Here’s my thoughts… While your kids are at home, feeding them is your responsibility. When your kids are at school, feeding them is my responsibility. Little preppies are so excited to go out to play with their friends that of course they’re not going to want to eat. That’s where the responsible adults (aka the teachers) come in.
Most schools have 5-10 minutes dedicated ‘eating time’ at the start of recess and lunch for that exact reason. It gives us a chance to make sure everyone has food in their lunch boxes and also to make sure that everyone is actually eating their lunch! And with the number of nut allergies and food intolerances these days, it’s very dangerous not to be supervising during these times. If it were me, I’d be having a chat to the school and seeing if they can bring in some dedicated ‘eating time’.
Geez – if I didn’t eat all day, I’d be as grumpy as anything too!
What questions would you like answered in next weeks ‘Go Ask… The Teacher’? Hit me with your biggest worries, questions and concerns!
