preparations and concerns

Hi everyone,
Well, we like milions of parents and children are in definite preparation mode for "Back to School" Bear doesn't actually go until the day after Labor Day, but that is sooner than it seems. We have bought some new clothes and shoes for when it turns cooler. We have purchased the obligatory classroom supplies- notebooks, paper, pencils, crayons, tissues etc. Although he will have limited use of most of those items in the classroom, we are donating it to the class to use. We do not have to purchase new backpacks and lunchboxes, because last year's are still fine. However, we have to think about a few extra things that the average kindergartener's parent doesn't. One of my biggest concerns is that Bear will be able to eat independently. He tends to let you do as much as you are willing to do and as been seen opening his mouth like a little bird accepting his daily nourishment. Unfortunately, there are family members who help promote this dependence. It has been a struggle for 3 years now for Bear to learn to use a spoon and fork properly. It is getting better, but he tends not to scoop. He tends to just dip the spoon or fork in and right back out. We do hand over hand occasionally, touch his elbow, oral reminders and at times just leave him to it. No matter what we try, it is still a struggle. Last year in Pre-K, he had someone in the cafeteria at lunch time who could assist him as needed. I don't know if he willl, have that or not this year. I continually talk to him about how he is just going to have to dig in and try. He can't wait for someone to help him. I am really hoping it sinks in. I can't stand thinking that he will sit there so long waiting and run out of time to eat. One thing that I have done though is make sure that he can independently eat finger foods. He had trouble getting to some of his food items last year independently because he needed help getting the lids off his containers(we tried baggies too). I looked all over for containers that he could get the lids off easily. I couldn't find any except for sandwich boxes. They were too big. My solution was to find a local Tupperware lady- yes they are still around- and she very generously allowed me to bring Bear and let him try some containers at her house. They were still quite tight, so she even more generously allowed us to bring them home run them through the dish washer and put the lids on hot and that helped. So, every day Bear gets to "hunt for treasure" by opening and closing lidded containers containing little treats. This way, I am confident that he will be able to independently get them open at school without spilling the goodies. This may not be a problem any of you have experienced or you may be already ahead of the game, but maybe our experience will help someone out there.
I'd love to hear your comments if this blog is helping anyone out there. I would also love to hear how other parents have solved the spoon and fork problem we are still experiencing. Also, please pass the word to any parents that you think might be interested in reading BEARZ View.

Blessings,

BEARZ Mom