So, before something we’ve been desperately looking forward to happens, we are bound to do some more work – fill out the enrollment forms. I had never bothered to take a look before getting started and thought it would only be providing some immunization records and a bunch of signatures for authorization. But, I was wrong! One of the forms turned out be three pages of questions asking about my child’s personality, daily routines, food preferences, sleeping habits, etc, etc. I swear I haven’t written so many words by hand for a whole decade! At first I thought I wouldn’t have much to say about any item listed there. My kid is just an ordinary kid with a slightly (well, let’s put it this way) bad temper. Then it turned out that all blanks ended up running out of space for my rambling answers. Now I have to ask my husband to reprint the form and I’ll have to do it all over again.
Or maybe I should look at it differently – it can also be a good record to keep:)
Describe your child briefly, including personality, abilities and anything else you would like us to know about your child.
Generally a happy kid. Eats well and a lot. Very much into music, likes to dance and to listen to songs and instruments. Puts himself to sleep with a musical crib toy. Self-feeds quite well, dislikes to be fed by others. Responds to basic words and phrases like: finds and points to his cup when asked “Where’s your cup?”, closes the door as requested, asks to be undressed when hearing “We’ll get you a bath.” Imitates adult behaviors like talking on the phone, looking from a camera, using an ear thermo. Very demanding. Has bad tantrums when being refused or things don’t happen the way he expected.
Daily Schedule
Describe your child’s typical day. Gets up between 7am and 8am, then has breakfast. Plays indoors in the morning. Usually one snack before lunch. Lunch starts at 11:30am, followed by a nap at 12:30pm. Wakes around 2pm – 3pm. Two snacks and one outdoor play at the park (30 – 60 mins) in the afternoon. Dinner at 7pm, and then TV time at 8pm for 40 minutes. Goes to bed at 9:30pm and falls asleep before 10pm.
When are difficult times for your child and how do you handle them? 1. Diaper changing. Sing to him and he would be happy, often shaking his head to the rhythm. 2. When he wants something specifically or asks you to do something for him but gets refused, he would cry unstoppably. We usually leave him alone for a few minutes and then distract him with something else.
Eating
General Appetite? Good. Food favorites: Fish, starch (rice, pasta, noodles, potatoes), yogurt, peas. Food dislikes: Shrimps. Feeds self: Yes. Uses Fork: No. Uses spoon: Yes. Additional information you’d like to share regarding your child’s eating habits: He doesn’t have many teeth yet, so we cut meat into small pieces. He likes yogurt and cheerios for snacks.
Motor Skills
At what age could your child sit up unassisted? 7.5 months. At what age did your child crawl? 9 months. Pull self to a stand? 9 months. When did s/he take first steps? 12.5 months. Walk without support? 13 months. Describe your child’s favorite physical activities, indoor and out. Indoor: getting on and off bed or sofa, dragging large objects like the laundry bag; outdoor: running.
Sleeping
What is your child’s sleeping pattern? One nap a day for 2 – 3 hours starting from 12:30pm, and sleep through the night for 9 – 10 hours. What time does your child go to bed? 9:30pm. Awaken? 7am – 8am. Does your child have his/her own bedroom? No. Sleep through the night? Yes. Does s/he have any specific bedtime fears? No. Does your child use a pacifier, thumb or other comforting object or behavior? Thumb sucking and a musical crib toy. What is your child’s mood upon awakening? Good if he has had enough sleep. But we usually let him wake up by himself. Does s/he take naps? Yes. How often? Once per day. For how long? 2 – 3 hours.
Social Relationships
Has your child had any previous group experiences? No. But he meets other kids at the park. Were you pleased with these experiences? Generally yes. Does your child have regular playmates? No. Ages? N/A. What is your child’s style of engaging with other children? He is interested in older or kids of the same age. Sometimes he just waves or looks at them curiously, but other times he tries to get their attention by touching their face or grabbing their hands (which we usually try to stop). Does your child spend time contentedly by him/herself? Sometimes. List favorite toys or activities: Musical toys, cars, stacking blocks and rings; enjoys taking things in and out of containers, taking off and putting back on all kinds of covers and lids, attempting to put on clothes and shoes, listening to nursery songs. What frightens your child? (loud noises, animals, rough children, darkness, storms, other things?) Nothing. Does s/he need or ask for a lot of adult attention? Yes. What makes your child get upset? Being refused. Wiping his face or hands. How does s/he show her/his feelings? Throw temper tantrums. What methods do you use when your child behaves in a way in which you do not approve? Bla bla bla. (to be honest, I don’t have a good answer for this one. I wish I did.)
Language
What is the primary language(s) spoken at home? Chinese. What language(s) does your child speak or understand? Chinese. When did your child speak his/her first words? Not yet. First phrases? Not yet. First sentences? Not yet. Estimate how many words your child uses. N/A.
Comments
What would you most like your child to get from a school experience? Learn to communicate and build a good relationship with others, esp. kids. Learn more language and self-care skills.
Ran Ran 