Let's do this again!!

So yesterday was the much anticipated first day of school. 

Although, it didn't seem that new today.  

Kennady is doing first grade again. 

     This was a decision that came with very deep thought, and compilation.  Kenna's birthday is in late October, and she is young.  She is quiet, shy, self conscious, and easily intimidated.  She had a very bad Kindergarten year.  She had a wonderful teacher, that was a very bad match for her.  Going into Kindergarten she was only 4, and very worried what others thought about her.  She needed a teacher who could make her feel comfortable and nurture her special personality.  Kennady's teacher was great.  I don't have anything negative to say about her as a teacher.  She just wasn't great for my daughter who needed her self esteem boosted.  She needed someone to tell her  that it is OK to make mistakes.  So at the end of Kindergarten we were faced with a hard decision.  Is she socially ready to move on?  We decided that it was in her best interest to go to first grade and be in an all day program, but knew coming in that she might need to repeat. I figured I would rather her do two years of an all day program, than two years of a 3 hour program.  I actually am VERY happy with my decision.  I wish I could go back in time, and not of sent her to Kindergarten to begin with, but then again, I feel like having two years of first grade is going to push her ahead. 

     Then there was last year.  We had the MOST  amazing teacher!  She was warm and nurturing.  She welcomed Kennady with hugs and made her feel good about her self.  She praised Kennady's strengths and gave her roles to show them off.  She was a PERFECT match for my daughter, but there was a lot of damage to make up!   So we chugged along hard.  Kennady was maturing leaps and bounds.  Everything the class did, she kept up, but she still struggled with her self esteem.  She was the youngest and one of the smallest kids in the class.  Her report card came, and we were impressed.  Her grades looked good, she received no area of concerns, and yet her teacher was still recommending retention for Kennady. This decision was soo difficult  to make for our family because Kennady could keep up with the school work.  She was reading at a level that didn't qualify her for a reading recovery program.  This made my choice harder, because she was RIGHT there, just needed a confidence boost.  I think when you are so unsure of yourself in a school environment it effects your academics.  When all you are worried about it getting something wrong, you miss the opportunity to get something right!   

What a hard choice!  When your child can keep up, with a lot of hard work, it is really hard to hold them back, but I had a lot of trust with her teacher.  I know there is a lot of pieces to the pie.  So putting our ego aside, we decided why not give her time to mature.  What would make her self esteem grow more than  to take the pressure off of her, and give her time.  She has a birthday where we were able to give her this gift without having to even deal with her being too old for the next grade!  This year she feels great about herself.  With the help of a teacher who catered to her unique personality, Kennady is sure of herself! 

Instead of keeping up, she is going to lead!  

I made the mistake, of sending her to school to early when she was not ready. I am not talking about ABC's and 123's, there is WAY more to being ready!  I am fixing my mistake by giving her time, and I am proud of her! 

I sent her off to BIG Kindergarten at 4 yrs old!

My biggest struggle with this path we have chose is I don't want others to think  that Kennady is not smart. 

I feel like she is such a bright child, but simply needed more time to mature into a young lady who has the confidence to succeed!

Watching her eager to go to school this year, instead of not wanting is such an exciting change in our home!  This year is going to be great, I just know it!!  I told Derek, I am not looking at it they we are holding her back, most parents with a child with this late of a birthday, put their kids in a young five program, therefore giving them another year.  We did just that, simply in a different order.  If only I would of known how fragile she would be in a school environment.  I make mistakes, I am not perfect, and I don't always know what the right choices are, but when I make a mistake I find a way to fix it, and giving Kennady another year is for sure the solution to my mistake!!