My daughter has been struggling recently with her new routine and I think a big part of it has to do with moving from preschool into Kindergarten.  She was used to being in a classroom environment to a certain extent, but she came from a rough beginning and struggles with ADHD and anxiety among other things.   In class she struggles with sitting still, following directions, and behavioral challenges.   It seems like these problems are worse, but I think I have always known that they existed or may come to light.   Things started getting worse a couple of weeks ago, with the Breakfast with Dad event at her school.  It seems that kids talk about these things more often than I would of thought, so as a single mom she doesn’t have a dad in her life and the only male role model that she has is my dad.  I did sit her down and explain to her that Pawpaw(that’s what we call him) can do most of the things that a dad can do and it’s ok if she talks about him to her friends when they are talking about their dads.   I also think that she is mad at me because of recent health issues and surgery.  I haven’t been able to do the kind of things that we are used to doing and I think it scares her and makes her sad that I haven’t been feeling well.

Behind this smile is the sweetest girl, but sometimes that sweetness can be a little more difficult to find.  She’s often angry, rambunctious and defiant but I love her with all my heart.  Feel free to join us as we work through my new series “Happy Healthy Kids”.

I have been in close contact with her teacher and therapist and we are taking steps to get her the help that she needs.   One of the things that the therapist suggest was creating a set of rules that the kids should follow.  Since she’s only in kindergarten she can’t really read that well yet but I thought this might be helpful for others who may be dealing with similar issues.    Feel free to download the printable and post it in your own home.  

1. Say “please” when asking
2. Say “thank you” when receiving
3, Say “Excuse me” when you are in the way
4. Put down your electronics when someone is talking
5. Look people in the eye when talking
6. Let others finish their sentence before speaking
7. Shake hands firmly
8. Say “yes” when asked a question
9. Greet people with “Hi, how are you”
10. Open doors for others