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Kids, school and Holiday-itis

jenn mccabe

jenn mccabe

She's OUR sunshine!
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Jan 5, 2013
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It's been an interesting week. We just came off a 5 day long weekend/Thanksgiving holiday and the kids always have a hard time getting back into school/homework after that many days off. Also ... add in the fact that we decorated for Christmas. Things are feeling festive around here!

Tuesday, I got a call at 11am that my son got a wood chip in his eye, so I had to pick him up and take him to the eye Dr. It was a little swollen and irritated, and even though the Dr said he could return to school the next day, I did let him stay home on Wed. too. He totally "milked" that situation. Today, the nurse calls again. This time it's my daughter complaining of feeling faint and ill. Our other car is still in the shop and the husband was at an appointment, so I couldn't pick her up right then and there. But I did convince her to try to make it through the rest of the day. That's 2x the nurse has called me this week.

I remember when they were little and the excitement of the holidays and a long winter break made it so hard for them to concentrate and focus at school ... but I'm kind of getting the feeling they are experiencing a little "Holiday-itis" this week.

How do your kids handle staying focused this time of year? Do you find they have a hard time with it too? I also dread the first day back to school in Jan after the long winter break. Sigh.
 
2 nurse calls in a week isn't fun. :( At least your DD was able to finish the day!
I think it's tough this time of year cuz there are so many illnesses floating about, so on top of holiday-itis, kids (and adults) really do feel yucky. I find it tough to be in the holiday spirit when I'm sick, or when I'm cleaning up after sick kids. And having said that, DD was sick the week before Thanksgiving and she missed some school that week and I was sick, too. Then of course the kids were off for Thanksgiving but DD had a bad fever again the Tu and W before T day. UGH. And now DS is sick, and DH is recovering... so, long story longer, I don't think my kids have had a chance to feel holiday-itis this year cuz they've been too ill to really get too "into" the holiday spirit. :( Thankfully they felt good on Black Friday, which is when we bought/decorated our Christmas tree. And I keep crossing my fingers that we're all healthy on Christmas so we can enjoy being together!
ETA: I think I know why I don't like to listen to Christmas music or otherwise decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving: it stretches out the holiday too much. I swear I'm not a Scrooge! Last year we celebrated Christmas with my parents on Black Friday cuz they were visiting and wouldn't be back for months. Then we celebrated with my ILs in January (and of course had our own Christmas in between). It was too much/too long. So this year we're paring down visits and expectations. And since we've all been sick, I'm glad we did if only for our recovery lol but also cuz the kids seem more joyful (when they're not hacking lol/col).
 
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@Tree City knock on wood no real illnesses yet ... i'm hoping my daughter just feels tired (nurse said all vital signs were A-OK!) it definitely sucks the life out of the fun when you & the family are sick for reals during the holidays. i too hope you guys are through it all ...

and yeah, Christmas visits/get-togethers that stretch from Black Friday all the way through Jan is a lot!!! I don't blame you for trying to control that this year.
 
Poor you!!!

Kennedy doesn't recognize time/dates as a rule, so he has no clue about holiday-itis. He did tell me that he's "bored at school" because he has "all the knowledge already" and is done with it. He's in first grade. Ouch. Unfortunately, he seems like he is going to be like both his mom and I and have it waaaaaaaay too easy with school and learning (aside from time :giggle... he just has no ability to sense himself in time). His math is really strong, and his reading is just crazy. He can pick up just about any book in the house (even mine) and read 95% of the words. He may not understand everything contextually, but he can read it. He met all of the goals for the end of first grade year before the back-to-school night, so it is going to be a constant challenge to keep him engaged.

My poor nephew has been sick constantly. He's missed so much school already this year. He had the entire Thanksgiving week off with croup. Then he went back to school and vomited. He is one of those kids who catches absolutely everything that goes around.
 
scrapsandsass said:
Poor you!!!

Kennedy doesn't recognize time/dates as a rule, so he has no clue about holiday-itis. He did tell me that he's "bored at school" because he has "all the knowledge already" and is done with it. He's in first grade. Ouch. Unfortunately, he seems like he is going to be like both his mom and I and have it waaaaaaaay too easy with school and learning (aside from time :giggle... he just has no ability to sense himself in time). His math is really strong, and his reading is just crazy. He can pick up just about any book in the house (even mine) and read 95% of the words. He may not understand everything contextually, but he can read it. He met all of the goals for the end of first grade year before the back-to-school night, so it is going to be a constant challenge to keep him engaged.

My poor nephew has been sick constantly. He's missed so much school already this year. He had the entire Thanksgiving week off with croup. Then he went back to school and vomited. He is one of those kids who catches absolutely everything that goes around.
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Oh my goodness Kimberlee ... you guys in for it with Kennedy. His statement made me giggle. But yeah, that is going to be tough to keep him focused in an environment where he is so ahead of his peers. Maybe a challenging book stuffed into his backpack and an agreement with the teacher that he can quietly read on his own when he is done ahead of everyone else? He sounds like such a bright child ... and I know what an avid reader you are so I am impressed! And I hope your nephew can stay healthy in December and enjoy the holiday!
 
Oh this friggin' school break thing! Both boys have ADHD, so staying focused never happens at any time. But, we're dealing with coverage for all these days off. Our daycare lady decided to retire. So, we've been scrambling around trying to find after school care for the 6yr old with severe ADHD. 8yr old with mild ADHD goes to the Boys and Girls club after school, but they're full. I'm seriously crippled with fear. I can't find anyone affordable and/or convenient. My mom & I are juggling our vacation days & it's so overwhelming. I think stressing over it is what threw me into this lupus flare-up. I'd like to be more festive, but it's just really hard right now.
 
We usually school for a few days over Thanksgiving break. This year, we did an adventure drive to the caverns and remodeled in our homeschool room. Nine days no school!!!! Monday was horrible. I sent them to their rooms, and wanted to cry. Hahaha.....then the postman bought packages from my black Friday clicking. Giggles and the. Principal growled at them at lunch. The rest of week, great. Trees are up, and I will wrap some tomorrow.
 
Gahhh this is one of the worst times of the year to be a teacher!! And I'm really not sure if it's because the kids have holiday-itis or I do. Probably both :tantrum
 
My daughter has no focus anytime of the year so this is nothing new for us. :giggle

Her class has to be able to complete a timed 100 problem addition sheet, subtraction sheet, multiplication sheet, and division sheet by the end of the year. She is drowning in numbers (not her strong suit) so she is desperately looking forward to break.
 
AnneofAlamo said:
We usually school for a few days over Thanksgiving break. This year, we did an adventure drive to the caverns and remodeled in our homeschool room. Nine days no school!!!! Monday was horrible. I sent them to their rooms, and wanted to cry. Hahaha.....then the postman bought packages from my black Friday clicking. Giggles and the. Principal growled at them at lunch. The rest of week, great. Trees are up, and I will wrap some tomorrow.
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ahh, the promise of brown packages arriving on the doorstep! puts everyone in "good behavior" mode! hope they hang in there for you for the next few weeks. I love that you call yourself the principal!
 
jesskab said:
Oh this friggin' school break thing! Both boys have ADHD, so staying focused never happens at any time. But, we're dealing with coverage for all these days off. Our daycare lady decided to retire. So, we've been scrambling around trying to find after school care for the 6yr old with severe ADHD. 8yr old with mild ADHD goes to the Boys and Girls club after school, but they're full. I'm seriously crippled with fear. I can't find anyone affordable and/or convenient. My mom & I are juggling our vacation days & it's so overwhelming. I think stressing over it is what threw me into this lupus flare-up. I'd like to be more festive, but it's just really hard right now.
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Oh goodness Jess ... that sounds like more than holiday-itis. I hope you get the after school care thing figured out for your little guy. Any of the colleges have students that are specializing in child care majors/pysch/social work? My roommate was an occupational major student and she used to care for an autistic child. It was so great for her to get experience - and she made a little cash. They usually will do it for less than others bc they can put it on their resume for experience. Maybe reach out to some Community colleges? Those students would be local year round. Thinking of you and hoping things get easier on this front! :beat
 
LeeAndra said:
My daughter has no focus anytime of the year so this is nothing new for us. :giggle

Her class has to be able to complete a timed 100 problem addition sheet, subtraction sheet, multiplication sheet, and division sheet by the end of the year. She is drowning in numbers (not her strong suit) so she is desperately looking forward to break.
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Math was never my strong suit either, so I feel for her. That is a hard thing to accomplish this time of year. Poor thing! Good luck to her ... a few more weeks. :beat
 
Yes, Daniel has a hard time focusing, but this year he is surprising me a bit. He's been very self-sufficient about a number of things, completing chores or assignments without prompting. He's halfway through 6th grade, so he's grown in maturity in some ways. It's good to see him doing those things. However, I think we all have a touch of holidayitis, without a doubt. I'm ready for Olivia to be home from college and Daniel to be out for the holidays. Unfortunately, Jay is on duty this Christmas, which will hamper some of our normal activities. We're going to work around it as much as we can.
 
Yes! Both my boys go to the same school... it's K-8 and this week has been nuts. There have been all kinds of crazy behaviour issues with random kids throughout the school! Thankfully not my kids, bu they come home and tell me about their days and it's been a little crazy. I'm friends with several of the teachers there too and they have a stressed look to themselves lately too. I think we all are ready for a break!

I save vacation days so I can relive my childhood with my kids and have at least a week off over Christmas and I think I look forward to it almost as much as my kids! PJs all day and crafting/scrapping with wine? Yes please!
 
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