Another Week, Another Test

That would be a test for Little Fish. He had his Young 5s/Kindergarten assessment this week. I thought he did great. A little shy, but came back smiling. Only he came back with the occupational therapist (who was like fifteen - no, not really, but it seemed like it) who then gave me a handout and instructions on how to improve his fine motor skills.

Huh? What's wrong with his fine motor skills? Oh, he can't hold a pencil right, and his sister draws almost as well (and she's 1.5 years younger). He did start drawing people with eyes and limbs. I was so excited about this when it happened a few weeks back. But ... I guess I should have been more focused on why he hadn't been drawing people with arms and legs earlier. You know, focus on his deficits rather than his strengths?



"Ok, we'll work on this," I said. And I didn't think much of it beyond adding Legos to my to-buy-when-there's-money list. But then yesterday the Kindergarten teacher called. "We really recommend your son goes into Young 5s." Rather than Kindergarten, that is. Young 5s is just five day preschool. And he would be turning SIX. In Preschool. He'd be seven in Kindergarten, probably twenty before graduating high school. "Why?"

He doesn't recognize letters, his fine motor skills would make handwriting difficult ...

Failed again. Not Fish - how can he help it if no one taught him his letters? That's my job. And why haven't I taught him? Because every time I get him settled for a lesson, his brother needs me (to snap "Do your work!") or his sister needs me ("get out of the sink!"). And by the time I get back to where he was waiting for some school, he has danced off to the Lincoln Logs or the blocks or the computer. And then a sibling will need me again and so the day passes. The fine motor, though, that one I thought would just take care of itself. Or that he'd just have horrid handwriting. Would an extra year have helped St. Nick's handwriting? He's in second grade and it's still horrid, so I really don't think so.

I told the teacher that letters was on our schedule for the summer, once St. Nick was done with his schooling. She agreed to do another assessment in August. And if she still recommends preschool? For a soon-to-be six year old?

I wish I knew what to do. I wish my kids could be "normal" or able to fake normal when I want them to. I wish so many things. I wish my husband would remember/find something ANYTHING to do for mother's day. I wish ....