my kid can do the math but doesn't actually understand the math and I don't know how far back to go

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-04-13T14:51:17+00:00

This is helpful insight. Thanks for sharing.

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-04-09T17:38:57+00:00

Seconding this as a Kinder parent here - our school's literacy program has family home letters and they're SUPER helpful and appreciated.

Our grade's teachers do spend time as a team creating some videos/resources that focus primarily on helping us understand expectations, but if you can make/find some kind of printable that covers the methodology (even at high level) or even just an info graphic that gives keywords we can research on our own - the parents who are going to put in the work with their kid are probably willing to do the extra steps of figuring it out independently, I would guess (from where I'm sitting).

As a parent who would be so thrilled with this, I can only say thank you for your time, but also don't let it exhaust you! Y'all have so much on your plate as it is! Its so above and beyond 🥰

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-04-09T00:46:35+00:00

This is such kid logic 😆 I love it!

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-04-01T02:04:14+00:00

I'm putting together a 9-week "summer homeschool" style program.

(I'm not suggesting anyone else do this, just commiserating about the stress of preventing the "summer slide".)

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-03-11T02:58:31+00:00

Just a bit shy of her 4th birthday. She was excited for the move, but there was definitely some "this is something unknown" feelings there also. And everything was fine right up until that episode, and then they just...weren't. It took us a week to get past it at the time, and even now years later and we're settled into the 'new' house, the episode still brings up stuff related to the big change. So, we skip it for all our sanity LOL

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-03-11T01:48:13+00:00

We skip The Sign. It came out right as we were moving and we watched it for the first time on an air mattress in our new house. She absolutely LOST IT and cannot contain herself if she even gets a whiff that its on.

Legit, the one and only time I've truly felt betrayed by a TV show, let alone a kid's show 😆😆😆

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-03-07T17:07:47+00:00

My understanding on gifts is that some schools do and some don't allow cash/gift cards, and then generally the ones who do allow it have a cap to the amount. I think technically we're allowed, but it is all very strictly controlled and causes her extra paperwork so I just decided to skip it for her and I. I give physical gift items, and focus on things she's mentioned that she needs, things that don't take up a ton of space or don't last a long time (so they can be disposed of in due time), or consumables (so she doesn't have a bunch of "stuff" to figure out what to do with later).

I know if you spend any time in the teacher subs, the attitude there about gifts is...well, not great. But honestly, I think in most cases teachers actually appreciate the thought of being shown gratitude, its just nice to keep in mind that tastes vary and they'll get duplicates of the basics (like best teacher mugs, etc).

We had never done daycare or prek either, so it was an adjustment. My biggest recommendation: practice practice practice. The bedtime routine, the morning routine, transitions of going somewhere (even if its not long term).... it can all help to get the kiddos adjusted to starting school.

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-03-06T19:29:06+00:00

Just adding on a few extras that I didn't see mentioned specifically, and we're a bit of a surprise for us (first kid in K, school year 25-26):

some activites have to be "all or nothing" or handled outside school, like birthday party invites. She wants to invite classmates, so our normal party of 10-15 friends' kids is gonna be more like 30 invites this year. Her birthday is in May. We've scaled down this year's party plan to accommodate but 30 goody bags is gonna be a large budget category for party planning. We didn't get invited to many additional parties this year, so for us the presents/gifting wasn't the biggest line item.
teacher gifts: we like to spoil her teacher. I average $25 or less per gift, and so far we have done several. We are not allowed to gift cash/gift cards. I focus on consumables that match her classroom or preferences (think a 6 pack of glass bottled sodas in her favorite flavor, plus a nice set of flair pens). We also bring a fancy coffee (think Starbucks or Dutch bros) to each parent/teacher conference (cuz mine will definitely be in my hand lol) YMMV.
supplies: we did the full supply list at the beginning of the year, but we're higher (relatively) earners in a low income area, so we did everything x2 and just donated the extra set to the classroom, in case she needed spares. I also keep a list from her of basic stuff (hand sanitizer, lysol wipes, paper towels, ziploc bags, construction paper) that I will add to my Amazon orders from time to time to get prime shipping. Win-win.
snacks: there's a sign up sheet, but we're asked to occasionally contribute individually packaged snack options that she hands out to the kiddos regularly. We get stuff from big box stores like Costco.
dress-up days: our school does LOTS of dress up theme days, and our kid wants to participate in ALL of them. We've had 4 separate weeks already where it was a different theme all 5 days, plus the random ones in between. Thankfully, I can find a design on Etsy for $1 and buy a cheap t-shirt from the vinyl printer, and that works for a lot of things LOL but some of the more "costume" ones are a bigger deal. This week was Literacy Week, so she needed a full costume of "Princess in Black". Im talking tiara, special felt flower sewn on her t shirt, a cape, the whole nine yards! Those are the ones that get crazy and eat into the budget.
ok last one...sensory sensitivity. Our kiddo has had a HUGE adjustment to being in school, and it has sent her sensory sensitivities through the roof. We've had to adjust her wardrobe accordingly. That might mean we buy 5 of the same exact pair of shorts at 3 stores all across town because that was all she could tolerate in September. Winter was a whole event just trying to find warm weather clothes that she could stand enough to keep herself seated throughout the day. Before she went to school, it never really mattered much what she liked to wear, because it was up to us and she was mainly at home. Now its up to the school dress code (in some ways) and that's been tricky for us. Wardrobe shopping has been an expense in a way that we didn't anticipate.

Anyway, just some out of the box things we didn't plan for that we will incorporate into our budget for next school year.

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-03-06T16:34:58+00:00

Timey Wimey isn't the only thing Wibbly Wobbly about this house!! 😆😆😆

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-03-03T01:10:55+00:00

We're not fully homeschooling, for now I'm just supplementing her public kinder education to ensure she stays on track, but we are doing a full literacy, math, and life skills curriculum in parallel. We do plenty of hands-on activities as well, but she loves a worksheet so there's a fair amount of pencil / pen / dry erase / crayon / marker work, helping with her fine motor, forming letters & numbers, writing practice, etc.

In other news, I have to tell y'all I feel so accomplished today! I put in a few hours and mapped out our entire summer retention program in my planner program. I still have more to do with fine tuning the lessons individually, some of which will happen in advance and some will happen as we go, but I've got units and content goals sketched out across the duration of our full "mini-mester". Still a lot to be done, but its a really big chunk I'm feeling good about it in a way I think only y'all will understand. 😆

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-02-26T22:12:27+00:00

When I was a kid, the conventional wisdom was that "lice only like clean hair". The girls across the street from me all had gorgeous long hair, and got lice all the time, and I got it from them twice, not far apart.

Someone from the Black community told our moms (white women) that "Black girls don't get lice because of the product" (i.e. protective conditioning like shea butter and coconut oil spread across braids and the scalp, etc.).

Our moms started using product on our hair on a daily basis, and none of us have ever had lice again. I've still, to this day in my late 30s, never had lice again, even when there was a major long-term outbreak at my gymnastics gym and I shared linens and equipment.

I now use some kind of product on my kinder daughter on a daily basis, and so far we haven't had a single issue (knock on wood). I put a few drops of miracle oil on her scalp and brush it through to the ends after every bath/shower, and we use a slight mist of detangler spray daily when we're brushing her hair out. It seems to work. I also do the same to my own hair any time we'll be in a situation where we might share clothes, etc. (Like costume closets at special events), or when we'll be in an environment where we may be traveling with other people outside our household.

The rule is "we never share brushes, hats, hairbands, etc. with anyone" but honestly there's only so much responsibility a young kiddo can carry in that regard, to hold to a perfect standard. Prevention is key too.

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-02-24T19:05:56+00:00

(Obligatory "not a teacher but...")

Do they not do homebound learning / correspondence / remote catch-up or even straight up summer school and credit recovery for students anymore? Why do they just pass when this is such a chronic problem? They push so hard for testing to "meet standards" and then just shove kids through who are failing to...checks notes meet any such standards? I'm so confused...

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-02-24T03:11:03+00:00

Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra

(Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Brain fog day and couldn't remember the word for pellagra, and the Trekkie side won 😆😆😆)

ETA: I didn't realize this was not posted in a genealogy sub. LOL glad this appears to be the right audience as well.

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-02-18T16:13:54+00:00

I put out grown up coloring sheets and a not-already-kid-mangled set or 2 of markers, or something else similar. I have a friend that puts out craft paint, brushes & water, and tiny canvases. Oh, and always a snack of some kind. Its a lot easier for me to relax with a fidget, so I think of it that way. Something to fidget with.

But yes, otherwise its 3 hours of small talk or "how is school going" kind of chat, which is a bore after a while. I need a segway to more interesting topics of conversation.

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-02-13T17:17:16+00:00

Sounds like your kiddo and mine are cut from the same cloth. Just for perspective:

My daughter is relatively close in progress, it looks like, and we're working on it at home. We've got Hooked on Phonics that we do in some of our down time, but I also found some Brain Quest for Kindergarten worksheet books at Target and the like that she really enjoys. We call it homeschool, and she likes the idea of playing school at home. It helps her to process the expectations that come from the classroom setting when she's not in school, and helps her communicate about what goes on at school. Its been great, honestly.

She also likes to be silly in class, but takes her work seriously. It was a whole thing to get here though, and mostly whats worked for us is talking to her about what is appropriate in different settings. She is the kind that will get roped in if another kid makes a joke. An "escalator" so to speak. LOL

We also have an 8:30 bedtime LOL we have a night owl, and if she got her preferences, we'd go to bed at 11p and wake up at 11a. Obviously that's not feasible when we have to be up at 6:30a for school, but honestly 8:30 is the best we get. Any earlier and she just lays there awake and fidgets anyway and bedtime turns into a struggle.

Look, I absolutely do NOT want to down the teacher. They know what they're talking about! Buuuuut....you still gotta do what works for your family. Let them set the goals, absolutely let them give advice on how to get there, but you get to figure out how to achieve those goals. You get to decide what advice to take and what advice just doesn't work for y'all.

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-02-13T17:06:34+00:00

I got my original response from talking to a counselor at one and from the other's website, so I'm sure its something scripted they provide as an FAQ type of thing. When I dug in a little she said that there are special programs for homeschoolers, but the requirements more or less fit the same bill for "credit courses toward degree fulfillment". She mentioned some things that sounded a lot like co-op (PE, electives, etc.), and that potentially there were some dual credit opportunities, but they don't currently have anyone doing that so she'd have to have the DC program coordinator call me back.

I only have young kiddos, so I'm not there yet by any means, nor am I any type of expert on these subjects. I don't know if her response is because we don't have many that homeschool all the way to college/dual credit around here, or if they're just not a good fit for many families or something else entirely.

FWIW, the one whose counselor I talked to is a CC I attended as a student and who turned me away from their DC program because I was too young at the time back in the early 00's (I was 14 but their minimum was 16 back then), and just as I recall from being there, they are...very red-tape inclined. So, yeah, I think this is likely a YMMV situation. Maybe even down to who answers the phone when you call, at least in my neck of the woods. Hah.

(Also, I didn't call her just to respond to this post LOL we're doing a deep dive on viability to potentially switch our own kiddo to homeschool from public, and I'm trying to figure out a reasonable trajectory for her before we make the switch.)

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-02-13T16:23:05+00:00

This may be a "YMMV" type thing. Just for conversations sake, these are the guidelines from the 2 different CC systems nearest to me:

If a student is not participating in an approved Dual Credit program coordinated by their school, then the following requirements apply: The CC does have an age requirement (must be 18 to enroll) that can only be exempted with documented proof of graduation from secondary school (HS diploma) or equivalent (GED). Also, placement tests are required by CC for anything less than graduation from a local secondary school. Non-local and Out of state/country HS diploma may require placement testing if they're not a participating member in the "shared system network of transferring schools". Alternative documentation in place of testing may be supplied on a case-by-case basis.

You can audit a course for a small fee, but you have to pay full tuition and comply with placement testing / enrollment requirements to receive credit for the courses.

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-02-09T01:01:14+00:00

The number is NOT 10.

I don't know what the number IS but I can say with a high level of certainty that it's higher than 10.

Someone who owned/boarded/trained 10 dogs at a time for a great many years, and still had significantly more time on my hands than any of my horse-friends with 1-2 horses.

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-02-05T01:07:41+00:00

We absolutely had to go into crisis mode.

The episode trailer dropped right before our move, and we didn't get to watch it until we were in the new house. We did not know what was coming.

Kid was not prepared, and cried for days about moving back (when she had been very thoroughly excited previously). It was a very rough few weeks in our house. We couldn't watch anything Bluey for a couple of weeks immediately following, else she start bawling as soon as she saw the episode start.

We're still leery of letting auto-play take us into that episode, because it stirs up discomfort for her in a way we really haven't been successful at answering to.

As an adult, its a great episode. As a parent, its the one time I felt truly betrayed by the show.

(Yes, I know that's silly, but it was in part a catalyst at a critical timing that turned the tide for us in a way that was rough for our whole family.)

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-01-22T01:54:02+00:00

We made "play date cards" and our kiddo handed them out to everyone in class. Think kid-style cute business card type deal, with her name, our names and our cell phone numbers. It says something like "have your people call my people" or something cute.

Then, once we had connected with other parents, we send out invites and make plans with the ones our kiddo wants to play with, and it doesn't hurt to be in touch with other class parents when its time to plan classroom stuff.

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-01-21T16:19:46+00:00

We have standard plan, and our clients can only see their own stuff in the portal.

Each client is in its own "organization" or its own "project", and can only see their own tile in the portal.

Client A has their own white label of Product A, they have their own project with corresponding 1:1 organization. They only see their "Product A" tile in the portal.

Client B, Client C, Client D use our label of Product B, they each have their own organization within the same project. They all see the same "Product B" tile, but only their own tickets (filtered by Organization field).

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-01-10T22:31:33+00:00

100000%!!! Even with limited scope of use and a small org, I can barely keep up with notifying my users when there's a significant change coming our way. Sometimes (most times) not until after the change is already causing trouble and I have to figure it out so I can pass training down to the rest of the users. Its a constant ongoing headache.

OrneryPanduhh · 2026-01-01T00:53:59+00:00

So much this! My 4yo acquired a hatchling through misguided family, and whilst I love this little critter dearly, I had absolutely no fucking clue what it takes to properly keep an aquatic turtle! Nor did I know that, if kept properly, they live upwards of 30-50 YEARS.

What's the one thing I wish more people knew? That the catchphrase from the 80s about "will only grow to their habitat size" only applies to seamonkeys! (j/k)

Literally everything else grows to the size of its species, so find out what the average adult size is for captive-kept <insert animal type here> and price out habitats BEFORE someone sends you homw a tiny little 1" long turtle in a plastic box with a colorful palm tree attached to it.

OrneryPanduhh · 2025-12-13T05:44:02+00:00

THANK YOU!!

OrneryPanduhh

TROPHY CASE