rvasc
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Post by rvasc on Jan 3, 2024 13:32:49 GMT -6
elle I have heard that the 7th grade transition is easy, though! So a big one in 5th and then a break in big transitions until high school. DD’s teachers were mostly great at getting them used to things—the biggest thing for her is a good planner and tackling things little by little. You can practice that some now, and I bet it will be fine! It was different getting used to having due dates for every single assignment and figuring out how to break it up, but now it’s actually really nice. Boys are different though.The move to more independent responsibility has always proven harder for DS/his friends than DD/hers. Is that individual personalities? Of course it is. But there's some physiological/psychological stuff at play as well. Here they do 5-6th together, and then 7th-8th in a different building. Which has been a good grouping, I think, and really helped the kids make those changes. Certainly better than I remember, in the stone age when you went from 5th grade in an elementary school where you were a bit more protected/coddled and then boom here's a bunch of 8th graders fully in the finishing stages of puberty on the same bus as you. Good luck, 10 year old. For sure, it is harder for (a lot of) boys. Or anyone who is neurospicy. Growing up is just as hard to witness as it was to do. Lord have mercy. At least they have us, and we’re kickass parents.
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dc2london
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Post by dc2london on Jan 3, 2024 13:36:29 GMT -6
elle I have heard that the 7th grade transition is easy, though! So a big one in 5th and then a break in big transitions until high school. DD’s teachers were mostly great at getting them used to things—the biggest thing for her is a good planner and tackling things little by little. You can practice that some now, and I bet it will be fine! It was different getting used to having due dates for every single assignment and figuring out how to break it up, but now it’s actually really nice. Boys are different though.The move to more independent responsibility has always proven harder for DS/his friends than DD/hers. Is that individual personalities? Of course it is. But there's some physiological/psychological stuff at play as well. Here they do 5-6th together, and then 7th-8th in a different building. Which has been a good grouping, I think, and really helped the kids make those changes. Certainly better than I remember, in the stone age when you went from 5th grade in an elementary school where you were a bit more protected/coddled and then boom here's a bunch of 8th graders fully in the finishing stages of puberty on the same bus as you. Good luck, 10 year old. The idea of my 5'10" fully a teenager 8th grader being in the same building as my 4'8" human labrador puppy 5th grader for school is pretty scary, TBH, LOL
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thatgolfb
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Post by thatgolfb on Jan 3, 2024 13:36:29 GMT -6
Is this where I tell you my kid has gone to school with the same kids and the drama still happens 😬 I'd think almost worse, they're sick of each other. Here they get new infusions of people from the various elementary schools for 5-8, and then split into two HS. It's a good way to do it. I am hoping that by maintaining friendships outside of school (softball, Girl Scouts, preschool friends they no longer go to school with), it will help with that aspect! But it’s definitely going to be strange especially for DD1. There is one 4th grade class and it’s only going to get smaller if it doesn’t stay the same because of the immersion program. At least DD2’s whole class is slightly bigger. Middle school was hell for me, but I don’t know if it was due to new kids in addition to my elementary friends or other factors. I think no matter what there are going to be mean kids/bullies. My bully was not from my elementary school, but that definitely doesn’t mean it couldn’t have turned out that way. I do think knowing all the parents with a small group is helpful in monitoring, at least.
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Post by sweptaway on Jan 3, 2024 13:37:25 GMT -6
Ope jk a comment in a forum got mine reset! Hopefully a one off but we will see. I had trouble with the charge 6 and eventually returned it for a versa 3. That's what I was afraid of! I really like the slim profile of the Charge, and poor H was so excited to get me the newest. I am keeping my fingers crossed.
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rvasc
Emerald
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Post by rvasc on Jan 3, 2024 13:40:45 GMT -6
My kid had such a bad day yesterday that all she wrote in her planner for homework was “talk to mom about this horrible day.”
Mixed feelings. Glad that she wanted to talk to me. Sad she had such a bad day.
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jaygee
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Post by jaygee on Jan 3, 2024 13:41:55 GMT -6
Obviously there are pros and cons but here all 6 elementary schools converge into one humongous middle school for 6-8. We are at the smallest elementary school in the city so the change is going to be huge for DS. I’m very nervous of logistics like getting between classes and not losing his stuff all over campus. But he will learn. Hopefully sooner rather than later. That said, I’m excited to see who he hangs with. He knows a lot of kids from other schools due to his activities and I feel like he will develop new friendships. He is social but hasn’t quite found his people at his current school. He floats from group to group with no solid besties. He can be a lot so I get it. But I hope he will find good relationships in a bigger pond. (Although selfishly I would like him to maintain some neighborhood friends so I don’t have to drive him all the time to people’s houses. lol)
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jaygee
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Post by jaygee on Jan 3, 2024 13:43:36 GMT -6
We are also looking at private schools though too because of his neurodiversity and personality. The public middle school might be too large for him so we will start there but have a backup plan for a quick exit if things start going off the rails.
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Post by angelashly on Jan 3, 2024 13:44:20 GMT -6
Is this where I tell you my kid has gone to school with the same kids and the drama still happens 😬 I'd think almost worse, they're sick of each other. Here they get new infusions of people from the various elementary schools for 5-8, and then split into two HS. It's a good way to do it. Yes!!! The main friends whose moms were friends had a falling out because the moms did and it was just a lot. Then the new girls who came this year were put in the middle of the now split group and ugh.
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Post by sweptaway on Jan 3, 2024 13:44:30 GMT -6
Our middle school is 6-8, and my friends kids is 5-8. But all of the grades have their own wing so they barely ever see other grades. Except on the bus which I suppose could be even worse, lol.
BUT our school has started having the 6th and 8th graders have lunch together. It seemed wild at first but this is the third year they've done it and have found that they all act better- the bigger kids are trying to set an example and the younger kids are trying to live up to it. I kind of like that idea.
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Pizzaslut
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Post by Pizzaslut on Jan 3, 2024 13:48:08 GMT -6
Our middle school is 6-8, and my friends kids is 5-8. But all of the grades have their own wing so they barely ever see other grades. Except on the bus which I suppose could be even worse, lol. BUT our school has started having the 6th and 8th graders have lunch together. It seemed wild at first but this is the third year they've done it and have found that they all act better- the bigger kids are trying to set an example and the younger kids are trying to live up to it. I kind of like that idea. Our elementary school and intermediate school all ride the same bus, so it's kindergarten - 5th.My kindergartener and my 2nd grader had never been exposed to older kids like that. The bus is a wild place.
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dc2london
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Post by dc2london on Jan 3, 2024 13:54:14 GMT -6
Obviously there are pros and cons but here all 6 elementary schools converge into one humongous middle school for 6-8. We are at the smallest elementary school in the city so the change is going to be huge for DS. I’m very nervous of logistics like getting between classes and not losing his stuff all over campus. But he will learn. Hopefully sooner rather than later. That said, I’m excited to see who he hangs with. He knows a lot of kids from other schools due to his activities and I feel like he will develop new friendships. He is social but hasn’t quite found his people at his current school. He floats from group to group with no solid besties. He can be a lot so I get it. But I hope he will find good relationships in a bigger pond. (Although selfishly I would like him to maintain some neighborhood friends so I don’t have to drive him all the time to people’s houses. lol) It was our experience that the 7th grade teachers understand that it is a huge (and confusing) building and they were really good about being patient with the tine management stuff for the first few weeks or giving restroom passes more than they usually might
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Post by ponyhairs on Jan 3, 2024 13:58:36 GMT -6
We are also looking at private schools though too because of his neurodiversity and personality. The public middle school might be too large for him so we will start there but have a backup plan for a quick exit if things start going off the rails. There is a school here attached to UCI specifically for kids with ADHD and I would have loved to send C but we just couldn't swing the $36k/yr tuition.
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Post by sweptaway on Jan 3, 2024 14:10:40 GMT -6
Our middle school is 6-8, and my friends kids is 5-8. But all of the grades have their own wing so they barely ever see other grades. Except on the bus which I suppose could be even worse, lol. BUT our school has started having the 6th and 8th graders have lunch together. It seemed wild at first but this is the third year they've done it and have found that they all act better- the bigger kids are trying to set an example and the younger kids are trying to live up to it. I kind of like that idea. Our elementary school and intermediate school all ride the same bus, so it's kindergarten - 5th.My kindergartener and my 2nd grader had never been exposed to older kids like that. The bus is a wild place. Oh yeah our elementary is K-5 so that was true for DS as well. It's so interesting to see how different districts split it.
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Post by blurnette989 on Jan 3, 2024 14:10:53 GMT -6
We are also looking at private schools though too because of his neurodiversity and personality. The public middle school might be too large for him so we will start there but have a backup plan for a quick exit if things start going off the rails. we have been pleasantly surprised with DS1's transition to middle here. His primary school was preschool through 4th grade. His current school is combined middle/high school so it's grade 5-12. Its a big school and he has A LOT more freedom, like he can leave school grounds at the end of the day on his own (we live close). And despite being the youngest in his class he started 5th grade at 9, he's really been encouraged by the increased responsibility during the day. Everything after school is a struggle, but he seems to enjoy changing classes and keeping his schedule and I'd card I'm his wallet, etc. I was worried as hell, but I've been really happy with it all.
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elle
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Post by elle on Jan 3, 2024 14:13:02 GMT -6
Our middle school is 6-8, and my friends kids is 5-8. But all of the grades have their own wing so they barely ever see other grades. Except on the bus which I suppose could be even worse, lol. BUT our school has started having the 6th and 8th graders have lunch together. It seemed wild at first but this is the third year they've done it and have found that they all act better- the bigger kids are trying to set an example and the younger kids are trying to live up to it. I kind of like that idea. Our elementary school and intermediate school all ride the same bus, so it's kindergarten - 5th.My kindergartener and my 2nd grader had never been exposed to older kids like that. The bus is a wild place. That's the bus situation here as well, although 4th is the highest grade. My first grader's best bus friend is a fourth grade girl who gets picked on by a couple of other fourth grade girls on the bus. And apparently now they sometimes tease my kid too because they're friends. She doesn't seem to care all that much, and I really hope she maintains that sense of self and friend loyalty all throughout school.
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jaygee
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Post by jaygee on Jan 3, 2024 14:14:41 GMT -6
We are also looking at private schools though too because of his neurodiversity and personality. The public middle school might be too large for him so we will start there but have a backup plan for a quick exit if things start going off the rails. There is a school here attached to UCI specifically for kids with ADHD and I would have loved to send C but we just couldn't swing the $36k/yr tuition. The tuitions here are stupid. Like I can’t even think about them right now. It would definitely impact my work plans and mean staying at my job at all costs for those years. The hope would be to have it work enough to send him back to public for high school. But I truly hope we can make public work.
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jaygee
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Post by jaygee on Jan 3, 2024 14:16:45 GMT -6
We are also looking at private schools though too because of his neurodiversity and personality. The public middle school might be too large for him so we will start there but have a backup plan for a quick exit if things start going off the rails. we have been pleasantly surprised with DS1's transition to middle here. His primary school was preschool through 4th grade. His current school is combined middle/high school so it's grade 5-12. It’s a big school and he has A LOT more freedom, like he can leave school grounds at the end of the day on his own (we live close). And despite being the youngest in his class he started 5th grade at 9, he's really been encouraged by the increased responsibility during the day. Everything after school is a struggle, but he seems to enjoy changing classes and keeping his schedule and I'd card I'm his wallet, etc. I was worried as hell, but I've been really happy with it all. I’m really hoping it works like this too. I was in knots about it before but I’m trying to calm myself and tell myself that he’s not the first going through this and we will adjust and make it work. And if not, we will go from there. I also discuss it with my therapist a lot. Helps that her kids went through the same school system and she can talk me off the ledge.
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elle
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Post by elle on Jan 3, 2024 14:16:50 GMT -6
We are also looking at private schools though too because of his neurodiversity and personality. The public middle school might be too large for him so we will start there but have a backup plan for a quick exit if things start going off the rails. There is a school here attached to UCI specifically for kids with ADHD and I would have loved to send C but we just couldn't swing the $36k/yr tuition. How did I never realize you were so close to me, well prior to me moving to the other coast. I also didn't realize UCI had that school, that's really neat. I should pay more attention to my alumni magazine, I bet it's been talked about there before.
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byjove
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Post by byjove on Jan 3, 2024 14:32:16 GMT -6
To best prepare myself, was 6th grade a middle school type situation? Or was 7th grade the year of mixing? DD starts 6th grade next year at a new school, where 6 other ES send kids as well. You didn't ask me, but 6th grade was the worst for DS1. Once he got to 7th grade and entered a ridiculously large school, the social hijinx calmed down (he was also happier in his classwork) It sounds like 6th/7th is just super complicated! Bracing for all of it. 6th grade was one of my most absolute favorite years of school, but I was in a k-6 school (well, originally 1-6, but K was added along the way, no public K when I was in K). All foreign to me!
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byjove
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Post by byjove on Jan 3, 2024 14:36:14 GMT -6
We are also looking at private schools though too because of his neurodiversity and personality. The public middle school might be too large for him so we will start there but have a backup plan for a quick exit if things start going off the rails. There is a school here attached to UCI specifically for kids with ADHD and I would have loved to send C but we just couldn't swing the $36k/yr tuition. We have something similar in our neighborhood which has amazing reviews, but is around $42k a year now, which is just not remotely doable for us either.
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jaygee
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Post by jaygee on Jan 3, 2024 14:51:50 GMT -6
Hey blurnette989, while you’re here. How bad of an idea is it to go to Portugal in mid July? Like will it be so overcrowded in the big tourist areas? Pearl Jam is playing in Lisbon in July and I was thinking of making MH’s life by planning a trip around that.
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abs
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Post by abs on Jan 3, 2024 14:58:11 GMT -6
For the record dd loves middle school and her friends but it’s a lot still Yeah, this. DD has done really well and has found her people and things she loves. It’s not all doom and gloom at all! It’s just an age where hormones are crazy and mental health issues can arise and well, here we are. She’s leaned into her nerd side and has so many more opportunities than in elementary. I’ll also say I have been so impressed by her teachers and feel like they have (mostly) been so supportive and great. There are still bullies though and uncertainty about where you fit in with a side dose of why does this even matter? Growing up is tough business.
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Rusty Red
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Post by Rusty Red on Jan 3, 2024 14:59:53 GMT -6
They were supposed to start climbing unit at DS's school today, they do it every year, and the gym teacher was out. It's funny, they always send out these messages about make sure they aren't wearing loose clothes and have sneakers and then welp. Never mind. LOL
He's an awesome guy, hope he didn't get one of these bugs going around.
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Post by blurnette989 on Jan 3, 2024 15:03:14 GMT -6
Hey blurnette989, while you’re here. How bad of an idea is it to go to Portugal in mid July? Like will it be so overcrowded in the big tourist areas? Pearl Jam is playing in Lisbon in July and I was thinking of making MH’s life by planning a trip around that. July is not the busiest month, but it is the second busiest. There are some tourist areas or specific sites I'd avoid that time of year, but also I know plenty of people who go and it's not the worst ever. There are also lots of places you could visit and see that won't be insane so it just depends on what you'd like to do outside of the concert. But more importantly the festival that Pearl Jam is playing also includes Sum 41. So I just want to leave that little gem for you. 😅 2nd eta- I'm going to the Paris Olympics in August, so I am also an insane person, take advice with grain of salt.
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CurlieWhirlie
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Post by CurlieWhirlie on Jan 3, 2024 15:03:49 GMT -6
Obviously there are pros and cons but here all 6 elementary schools converge into one humongous middle school for 6-8. We are at the smallest elementary school in the city so the change is going to be huge for DS. I’m very nervous of logistics like getting between classes and not losing his stuff all over campus. But he will learn. Hopefully sooner rather than later. That said, I’m excited to see who he hangs with. He knows a lot of kids from other schools due to his activities and I feel like he will develop new friendships. He is social but hasn’t quite found his people at his current school. He floats from group to group with no solid besties. He can be a lot so I get it. But I hope he will find good relationships in a bigger pond. (Although selfishly I would like him to maintain some neighborhood friends so I don’t have to drive him all the time to people’s houses. lol) This is the same for us, 5 elementary schools converging into one big 6-8 middle school. I keep hyping it up to DS2 as a place where he’ll have a bigger pool of nerds to hang with than his very tiny, sporty group of elementary classmates.
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jaygee
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Post by jaygee on Jan 3, 2024 15:08:57 GMT -6
Hey blurnette989, while you’re here. How bad of an idea is it to go to Portugal in mid July? Like will it be so overcrowded in the big tourist areas? Pearl Jam is playing in Lisbon in July and I was thinking of making MH’s life by planning a trip around that. July is not the busiest month, but it is the second busiest. There are some tourist areas or specific sites I'd avoid that time of year, but also I know plenty of people who go and it's not the worst ever. There are also lots of places you could visit and see that won't be insane so it just depends on what you'd like to do outside of the concert. But more importantly the festival that Pearl Jam is playing also includes Sum 41. So I just want to leave that little gem for you. 😅 2nd eta- I'm going to the Paris Olympics in August, so I am also an insane person, take advice with grain of salt. Oh I didn’t realize it was a music festival. I’ll have to dig in a little more. Thanks for the info. I don’t mind mild crowded but when it tips over into miserable crowded I don’t do well. This also all depends on us being able to leave DS for 5 days….so remains to be seen.
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Post by angelashly on Jan 3, 2024 15:17:48 GMT -6
For the record dd loves middle school and her friends but it’s a lot still Yeah, this. DD has done really well and has found her people and things she loves. It’s not all doom and gloom at all! It’s just an age where hormones are crazy and mental health issues can arise and well, here we are. She’s leaned into her nerd side and has so many more opportunities than in elementary. I’ll also say I have been so impressed by her teachers and feel like they have (mostly) been so supportive and great. There are still bullies though and uncertainty about where you fit in with a side dose of why does this even matter? Growing up is tough business. Yes the hormones make even the littlest things HUGE
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Post by blurnette989 on Jan 3, 2024 15:19:00 GMT -6
July is not the busiest month, but it is the second busiest. There are some tourist areas or specific sites I'd avoid that time of year, but also I know plenty of people who go and it's not the worst ever. There are also lots of places you could visit and see that won't be insane so it just depends on what you'd like to do outside of the concert. But more importantly the festival that Pearl Jam is playing also includes Sum 41. So I just want to leave that little gem for you. 😅 2nd eta- I'm going to the Paris Olympics in August, so I am also an insane person, take advice with grain of salt. Oh I didn’t realize it was a music festival. I’ll have to dig in a little more. Thanks for the info. I don’t mind mild crowded but when it tips over into miserable crowded I don’t do well. This also all depends on us being able to leave DS for 5 days….so remains to be seen. yes, Nos Alive is the festival, but you can buy individual days. The smashing pumpkins and Dua Lipa headline the other two days. You can definitely be in places that are normal crowded and I can suggest places to avoid if you decide to come. Leaving kids is hard. FX you can come! And one benefit of July is it's almost certainly great weather.
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AmyG
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Post by AmyG on Jan 3, 2024 15:34:08 GMT -6
My H got me a new fitbit for Christmas after my old one died a few months ago- it was a great gift because I never would have gotten it for myself. BUT it just stopped working and I'm reading now this is a common problem with this version- I feel bad that I will have to go home and tell him it isn't working. I had terrible luck with Fitbits. It seemed like they died every 3 months, and they would only do so many replacements. I’m sorry! Any recommendations for something better but maybe cheap?
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Post by angelashly on Jan 3, 2024 15:42:47 GMT -6
Dd and I started The Way Home today that’s on Hallmark. We both are into it. I love finding shows we can watch together
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