Our First Parent-Teacher Conference for Carson

Last week, Sara went to our first parent-teacher conference for Carson.  It feels crazy to have a child old enough for conferences already!  While we didn't expect to hear anything bad, per se, the anticipation of a parent-teacher conference is kind of nerve-racking!  LOL. 

Mrs. Hans had lots of wonderful things to say about Carson and did not really say anything that was a surprise to us.  He is doing extremely well in preschool - socially, academically, and physically.  She said several times that she wishes she could have a classroom full of kids like Carson.  :)  A couple weeks back, she had mentioned that Carson was one of the smartest kids in class, if not the smartest.  She mentioned that again during the conference.  She is so impressed with his maturity level and his knowledge and skill, as well as with his eagerness to learn even more.  She said she can always count on Carson and that he is very mature for his age.  The kids all have different jobs in class and she says she always gives Carson the most difficult task because she knows he'll get it done correctly and quickly. 

Mrs. Hans is quite impressed with his logical way of thinking and playing.  She said he'll definitely have a future in the science or math field if he keeps it up and she asked if there were engineers in the family.  :)  She mentioned that he really excels when they learn about patterns, math, science, and anything with order - like the calendar.  And she is quite impressed with his handwriting and recognition of letters and numbers.

One thing Kevin and I have wondered about is how Carson was doing socially.  He has what I'd call a sensitive personality at times and can be a little reserved in some situations.  Although he usually gets comfortable quickly nowadays and is much quicker to become very social, we still wondered how he was in school.  Carson always looks forward to going to school and is never sad when we leave, but he does get a little down at times when we're saying goodbye.  Mrs. Hans has noticed this, too, and she believes he's playing us... which is what we suspected, as well.  :)  She said its worse with Kevin, which I can also believe.  But as soon as we are gone, he's just a normal kid that loves school.  He interacts very well with all of the other kids and has formed quite a few good friendships among his classmates, moreso than most other kids in his class from what she can tell.  Carson plays very well, gets involved, and shares extremely well.  Mrs. Hans said he is probably one of the best sharers in the class, which she found surprising since he's been an only-child up to this point.

Mrs. Hans confirmed that Carson is very much a rule-follower, he definitely knows right from wrong and what is expected of him, and he is eager to please and do well.  But he also is influenced by other kids that may be having a little too much fun at times.  This was no surprise to us at all, as we've noticed this time and time again.  He has a hard time resisting joining in when other kids are getting a little wild.  And it can be a little challenging to get him to calm down once he gets going. 

It was a great parent-teacher conference.  As parents, we know we can be a little biased about Carson's abilities, so it was so nice to hear confirmation of things that we already have thought for awhile.  :)  Mrs. Hans recommended Carson for the 4-year old class next year.  She believes he'd do well in either the 3-day or 5-day class - that he's definitely mature enough for the 5-day class at this point if we choose that route.  We haven't made a decision yet - a lot will depend on our work situations post-baby #2.  For now, we'll just enjoy the remainder of this school year, be thankful for having such a smart little guy, and we believe the right path forward will be made clear to us.