Choices -
they can overwhelm any parent, especially me.Whether it was selecting the right car seat or crib, I’ve been
overwhelmed with parenting choices.Is
this one safe enough?That one has
better ratings. But this one is really cute!As my daughter got older, the choices changed.Where should she go to preschool?How many days should she go?Half-day or full-day?Now that we’re approaching kindergarten, I
don’t have a choice – I have to get her ready. That’ll be easy, right?
My daughter,
Elyse, misses the cut-off for kindergarten by two days.Two days!A few years ago, I thought there had to be a way for her to start when
she was 4 since she’d just be missing the cut-off by two days. Surely she could
test-up or something?I was in a hurry
for her to get to kindergarten, but I didn’t really know why.She’s bright, talkative, socialized.She’s ready! Then, while checking out various
schools, someone brought up an incredibly valid point that I’d never
considered.I’ll have more time with her
if she starts kindergarten when she’s older; plus, I’ll have her at home
another year before she goes to college!Even if she was academically ready, why would I want to rush her to
start school?That settled it for
me.She’ll be an older 5, and that’s
just fine.
So how
exactly do I get a little person ready for kindergarten? What do I choose to
do?(There are those choices
again!)Someone may have the perfect
formula out there; but honestly, I’ve
found that simply getting her excited about learning is pretty perfect. Kids love to make their parents smile.
When Elyse read for the first time, really
read, I smiled so much I was in tears! She’s reading!Wow!No matter what it’s been – reading, music, art, etc. – when she sees me
excited about what she’s done, she’s excited.It’s that excitement that seems to drive her.Now, I tease her and ask if she’s going to
kindergarten or to college!
When you
make the choice to prepare your child – whether it's kindergarten, college or
life – you want to do it right.Fortunately, there’s plenty of help out there. I love the "Kindergarten Countdown" program. I took Elyse to the library recently, and it
was hard to get her out of there!She
read four books while we were there and took home a half dozen more.She’s excited about this! (See, it’s
working!)
I’ll have to
admit, choosing summer camps was a little daunting.We’re doing ones that are fun with an
educational component.Knowing that the
big kahuna (a.k.a. kindergarten) is just around the corner, I wanted to keep
the learning component throughout the summer.We’re reading our way through the “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten”
list.When one is a favorite, we wear out the
pages.Learning comes in many forms so
we volunteer, too.Even at a young age,
kids can learn to give back, especially when they’re given the choice to do
so.Take your little one with you and
read to other kids, serve a meal or make cards for children who are ill.
As my
company’s manager of our Metro United
Way campaign, I’ve come to know the amazing ways the organization gives back
to our community.But it was when my
daughter became school-age that Metro United Way’s mission to prepare children for schooland make sure they graduate on time really hit home.Not
only do I want my child to be ready, I want every child to be ready.We really have no choice; it’s up to us.I’ll have another choice when my baby starts
kindergarten in August, to cry or not to cry.That’ll be easy, right?
Breck Thomas-Ross Corporate Communications Editor, Hi! Intranet News Site Manager, Corporate Nonprofit Campaigns HUMANA
Breck
is television journalist turned corporate communicator. Prior to
joining Humana almost 9 years ago, Breck spent 13 years as a television
news anchor and reporter. She now utilizes many of her journalism
skills in her work with Humana’s internal communications. She serves as
editor of Humana’s intranet news site. Breck also manages both of
Humana’s corporate nonprofit campaigns which raise
money for Metro United Way and Fund for the Arts. Each campaign has
grown to nearly $2 million and over $1 million, respectively, under
Breck’s leadership.
Breck
holds a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting from Western Kentucky
University. While in broadcasting, Breck received multiple awards
from the Associated Press, including ‘Best Reporter,’ as well as two
Emmy nominations. Through her work at Humana, Breck has been honored as
the ‘Campaign Coordinator of the Year’ by both Metro United Way and
Fund for the Arts.’ She also received the
‘Award of Excellence’ for her campaign communications from the
International Association of Business Communicators. She is a past
board member of Volunteers of America and recently served on the
Campaign Cabinet for Metro United Way. She is the proud mother
of one daughter, Elyse.