I expect my 6 yo to have a lifelong special interest in dinosaurs and this newsletter was right up our alley. He specifically refers to his future career as scientist for dinosaurs. First grade homework had a prompt for what would a magic wand do for you and he wrote “The magic wand would bring back all the dinosaurs from the dead.” He spent an hour adding to his picture which was tough for me to watch as my own genetic mirror of perfectionism and hyper focus.
Thank you for speaking to the unsettled feeling, I also have it this year and I don’t know why. My kids started preK and 1st grade, part of our discomfort was suddenly seeing more explosive meltdowns when we had felt my ND oldest had a good support system down and we were all understanding brain differences enough to have a peaceful home. Reading seems to be very regulating for him so I’m glad for it to be in his regulation tool kit to bring his body back to safety especially as he becomes a more independent reader.
Solidarity to you. I’m an educator and the back to school transition still unsettles me every year. And the transitions to 1st and 4th are epic ones! They go from learning how to do school to learning through school, and from learning to read to reading to learn, respectively. Some of these changes start like a wave before these grades begin, but 1st and 4th are where they come to land — often with an increased cognitive load for both kids and their home grownups, especially if it’s a homework-assigning school. I love what you have to say about courage, hope, faith and an attentive orientation to the present. They do feel like the only real small rafts we have for moving with these waves, instead of being always pummeled by them. Wishing you a great year ahead.
Sep 19, 2023·edited Sep 19, 2023Liked by Sarah Miller
I was going to comment on the 3rd to 4th grade transition, but Ryan explained it so eloquently, so I'm just over here nodding. We're having a hard time with the 5th to 6th grade transition, even though our son is at the same school-- middle school is just entirely different. All of a sudden he is supposed to navigate all these new online portals for assignments, grades, etc. While the school communicates generally to the middle school parents, they communicate specifically to the middle schoolers themselves.
I love the idea of taking ownership, but the shift was quite sudden-- we could have used a bridge. :) It's overwhelming.
All this to say (once again) you are not alone. Fritter away, if it serves you!
(Also, Darcy should have her own newsletter! Just saying🤩)
As a subscriber and dino-book author I can't help but humbly offer WHAT THE DINOSAURS DID LAST NIGHT as an addition to your wonderful list of dinosaur picture books. (Especially since we may or may not be about to announce another entry in the series...) 🦖❤️ Loving your Substack, btw!
The long-awaited dinosaur post! I'm marveling at how many titles on this list are new to me when I thought I had reached the end of the internet in terms of searching for dinosaur books. Thank you, thank you! My favorite dinosaur moment was when I had my kids make first day of school signs that include what they want to be when they grow up. Claire responded "Dinosaur". Not a paleontologist or dinosaur scientist or archaeologist, but an actual dinosaur. I think she needs the magic wand mentioned below.
Uncertainty makes me squirm and I'm sorry you are finding yourself in the thick of it.
I expect my 6 yo to have a lifelong special interest in dinosaurs and this newsletter was right up our alley. He specifically refers to his future career as scientist for dinosaurs. First grade homework had a prompt for what would a magic wand do for you and he wrote “The magic wand would bring back all the dinosaurs from the dead.” He spent an hour adding to his picture which was tough for me to watch as my own genetic mirror of perfectionism and hyper focus.
Thank you for speaking to the unsettled feeling, I also have it this year and I don’t know why. My kids started preK and 1st grade, part of our discomfort was suddenly seeing more explosive meltdowns when we had felt my ND oldest had a good support system down and we were all understanding brain differences enough to have a peaceful home. Reading seems to be very regulating for him so I’m glad for it to be in his regulation tool kit to bring his body back to safety especially as he becomes a more independent reader.
Solidarity to you. I’m an educator and the back to school transition still unsettles me every year. And the transitions to 1st and 4th are epic ones! They go from learning how to do school to learning through school, and from learning to read to reading to learn, respectively. Some of these changes start like a wave before these grades begin, but 1st and 4th are where they come to land — often with an increased cognitive load for both kids and their home grownups, especially if it’s a homework-assigning school. I love what you have to say about courage, hope, faith and an attentive orientation to the present. They do feel like the only real small rafts we have for moving with these waves, instead of being always pummeled by them. Wishing you a great year ahead.
Gah. These words. You're a paleontologist, an archeologist, an historian. You unearth and write.
I was going to comment on the 3rd to 4th grade transition, but Ryan explained it so eloquently, so I'm just over here nodding. We're having a hard time with the 5th to 6th grade transition, even though our son is at the same school-- middle school is just entirely different. All of a sudden he is supposed to navigate all these new online portals for assignments, grades, etc. While the school communicates generally to the middle school parents, they communicate specifically to the middle schoolers themselves.
I love the idea of taking ownership, but the shift was quite sudden-- we could have used a bridge. :) It's overwhelming.
All this to say (once again) you are not alone. Fritter away, if it serves you!
(Also, Darcy should have her own newsletter! Just saying🤩)
As a subscriber and dino-book author I can't help but humbly offer WHAT THE DINOSAURS DID LAST NIGHT as an addition to your wonderful list of dinosaur picture books. (Especially since we may or may not be about to announce another entry in the series...) 🦖❤️ Loving your Substack, btw!
As a Dinosaur myself, I love this week’s books! 🦖😂
My mom called me the other day all excited that she found a first edition of Danny and the Dinosaur.
The long-awaited dinosaur post! I'm marveling at how many titles on this list are new to me when I thought I had reached the end of the internet in terms of searching for dinosaur books. Thank you, thank you! My favorite dinosaur moment was when I had my kids make first day of school signs that include what they want to be when they grow up. Claire responded "Dinosaur". Not a paleontologist or dinosaur scientist or archaeologist, but an actual dinosaur. I think she needs the magic wand mentioned below.
Uncertainty makes me squirm and I'm sorry you are finding yourself in the thick of it.
Tyrannosaurus Math and Dizzy the Dinosaur are both new to us and huge hits. Combining math and dinosaurs is genius. Thank you!