All I Really Need to Know I Learned In Kindergarten

Twice a year we have parent teacher conferences, which allow us time to visit with the teachers & see the progress that is being made in our children's lives inside the classroom. Kaitlyn is in High School, so unless there is a problem I usually don't have to meet with any of her teachers(thankfully, I haven't had to do that). Cody is in Middle School, and since Kaitlyn informed him he doesn't have to have me participate(or it wasn't cool anymore to have me participate) in the parent/teacher conferences during the year, I no longer receive the notices for his conferences(thankfully, he does well & I haven't been called). This leaves only Ryan that I am still able to attend a parent teacher conference for.

Yesterday I went & was amazed at how far kindergarten has come since I attended in the early 70's. Kindergarten was only 1/2 day then & was used mostly for socialization. We spent our days playing, going to music class, the library, recess, or having the teacher read out of the Weekly Reader Magazine, but yesterday I sat in awe while Ryan's teacher explained all of the many things(including the socialization) they have learned & are continuing to learn throughout the year.

But... my favorite part of the conference was when Miss. Julie asked if I'd heard about all of the marriages going on in her classroom lately. I told her that I've heard of the plans(previous post), but not of the actual marriages. She laughed when she described a conversation between her & Ryan about this issue of marriage.

Ryan to Miss. Julie: Sydney says she wants to marry me.
Miss Julie: Do you want to marry her?
Ryan: Well...I guess...but, I'll have to ask my mom first.
Miss Julie: Ok then, you go home & ask your mom!

Ahhh... my sweet Ryan...I wonder if he'll still feel that way in 20 years??! I am so thankful for his wonderful teacher who has helped in his transition into the classroom, which can be overwhelming for some children(like Ryan). As I left the conference yesterday I realized the importance of good teachers(especially in kindergarten), and was reminded of this great poem by Robert Fulgham:



All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at school.

These are the things I learned:

* Share everything.
* Play fair.
* Don't hit people.
* Put things back where you found them.
* Clean up your own mess.
* Don't take things that aren't yours.
* Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
* Wash your hands before you eat.
* Flush.
* Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
* Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
* Take a nap every afternoon.
* When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
* Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
* Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.
* And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.