It’s Time To Leave The Nest As The Start Of Kindergarten Nears, Families Juggle Excitement, Anxiety

Breanna Crawford, 5, can’t wait for kindergarten.

She was so thrilled to be at registration in Post Falls Thursday that she almost didn’t leave.

“I don’t want to go,” Breanna protested, gripping a crayon and shaking her long black ponytail.

Breanna is like lots of other tykes who nod vigorously when asked if they’re excited about going to school.

Many of their parents are less enthusiastic, despite the front they put up for their children’s sake.

The excitement and anxieties of the first day of kindergarten build as schools throughout Eastern Washington and North Idaho prepare to open this week and next.

Breanna’s mother, Kelly, isn’t worried about her well-prepared daughter riding the bus, making friends, behaving or doing well in school.

She does worry about creeps.

“I’m terrified of people coming to schools and taking the kids,” she said. “I’m afraid of someone coming and grabbing her … because I’m not here.”

Never mind that abductions from playgrounds are rare. The fear is part of the general anxiety parents feel when an offspring goes to school for the first time.

Other parents said their anxieties included school buses, the unknown teacher, class sizes and their own unreadiness to let go.

Kindergarten teachers tell of having to pull children out of their parents’ arms that first day, or parents peeking in the windows after class has started.

Coeur d’Alene’s Bryan Elementary Principal John House spoke from personal experience.

“It’s the first major fork in the road of parenthood,” he said. “It’s been 20 years since we sent our daughter off to kindergarten. I can still remember the sobbing and weeping, and it wasn’t from her. It was from my wife and I.”

Sandra Metzler of Spokane said sending her last-born, Carson, to kindergarten is more emotional than it was for her first two.

“He’s the baby. I think I’m going to be sadder about it. This is the hardest. You’d think it would be the easiest.”

Patti Astlund, another Post Falls parent, agrees. She pictures herself sobbing when she drops off her daughter Jessi for her first day of kindergarten.

After all, that’s what she did when leaving Jessi’s big brother on his first day.

“When your kid starts school, it’s a sign that they’re growing up,” said Patty Astlund. “It’s a sign they don’t need their parents any more.”

In some cases, the youngsters may still need their parents for safe transport to and from school.

Stuart and Diane Putnam will drive their first-born child, 5-year-old Travis, to Finch Elementary on Spokane’s North Side, even though they live within walking distance.

“We’ve been making sure he knows his name, address and telephone number,” said Stuart Putnam as he registered his son last week at Finch.

“I already know my alphabet,” chimed in Travis, a brown-haired bundle of enthusiasm in a Batman shirt.

“The main thing is that he knows not to leave the school grounds before we pick him up,” Putnam said, then turning to Travis he added, “because we’d hate to lose you.”

Educators are very aware of parent fears, and pledge to do their utmost to keep danger at bay.

At Post Falls’ KinderCenter, as soon as children get off the bus, they’ll be ushered away from the street, through the school, into the fenced play area.

Sgt. “Officer Pete” Marion will visit the school to teach youngsters how to avoid strangers and protect themselves.

A more common fear this fall for some parents in Post Falls and in Coeur d’Alene’s Ramsey Road neighborhood is losing their child in the public transportation shuffle.

Because their neighborhood schools are too crowded, kindergarten children are being bused twice. First they go to their neighborhood school where they transfer to a bus that takes them to either the KinderCenter in Post Falls or Hayden Lake Elementary in Coeur d’Alene.

“We’ve all been parents ourselves,” said Kathy Kuntz, principal of Hayden Lake Elementary. “We understand their anxiety and there’s nothing worse than a lost child.”

Special efforts - including posting volunteers at the school bus loading area and taping notes to the students’ T-shirts - will be made the first couple of weeks of school.

Getting a child prepared to start school can help kids and parents relax. That includes helping them with their ABCs and other basic skills.

For some children, those basics will take a little more work to achieve.

Take 5-year-old Denis Kasimov, who counted to 10 as he walked around and around a column in front of Audubon Elementary on Spokane’s South Hill.

He arrived two weeks ago as an immigrant from St. Petersburg, Russia.

Counting in English is a big accomplishment for Denis.

“He asks me how he will get along in school when he doesn’t know English,” said his grandmother Alexandra Lyssak, who interpreted for Denis and his mother as they registered at Audubon. “I say, ‘No problem. Just a couple of weeks will be difficult for you.”’

Perhaps the most important ingredient of any successful school day is getting a good start.

“One of my sweetest memories is of a dad who brought his daughter to school every morning,” recalled Post Falls kindergarten teacher Kristin Thiringer. “It was a little daily ritual.

“He got out, walked around the the car and opened her door like she was a little lady. … The corner was their parting place. She’d take two or three steps away, turn around and they’d blow each other a kiss.

“She’d always come in with a big, happy smile.”

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MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: MAKING THE TRANSITION Here are some suggestions from teachers and parents on how to make the transition from home to kindergarten easier on children: Visit the school before the first day of classes and let your child try out the playground equipment. If possible, introduce your child to his or her teacher. Attend the kindergarten orientation or school open house at the start of the school year. Talk to your child about what to expect at school, on the school bus and in class. Be sure they understand who they can turn to for help. Build their confidence. Remind them of their strengths, and assure them that their teacher will like them and that they will like their teacher. Get your children used to going to bed earlier and getting up earlier. Don’t do all your school clothes and supply shopping at once, but break it down to an item or two every day or every other day. Dress your child in comfortable clothing for school. Kindergarten is an active and sometimes messy time. Read aloud to your child every day for 10 or 15 minutes. Research has shown that children who are read to and who see adults read at home become better readers themselves. Help them learn to recognize basic shapes, the eight basic colors, the alphabet and the numbers from one to 10. Be prepared to leave your child at the classroom door. If you expect your child to have much difficulty separating from you, give the child a small comfort item in case they miss you. Stay involved. Volunteer if you can and make time for parent programs. At a minimum, show interest in what your child is learning. - Susan Drumheller and Carla K. Johnson

The following fields overflowed: BYLINE = Susan Drumheller Staff writer Staff writer Carla K. Johnson contributed to this report.