Say no to soda and candy...and drugs, too!

My kindergartener came home yesterday and asked me why he had to write "Just Say No" on one of his worksheets. It's Red Ribbon Week at school, and all week long, teachers have been hammering home the anti-drug message, complete with a rubber "Just Say No" bracelet that was sent home in his folder.

I totally dig the program, but does my kindergartener really need to hear it at his age? He's five. And I'd like to keep him that way. You know: laughing, playing, thinking the world is a fun place and life is carefree. He'll discover it's not soon enough, but this is too soon.

Why do I need to explain drugs to him right now? He's amazingly persistent and he'll want to know what drugs are. What kind of drugs there are. Where do you get drugs? What do drugs do? Why do people do drugs if they're not supposed to? Does he need to know all that? Will I need to explain what cocaine is? Marijuana? Heroin? Roofies? How will I explain trips to the DRUGstore? Why do I feel like I have stumbled into a bad episode of The Wire?

I'm still trying to teach him that candy and soda are unhealthy foods. Can I please work up to the drugs?
An anti-obesity campaign sounds like a better option to me --- at least for now.

--- Phuong Nguyen

Editor's note: Dong-Phuong Nguyen might be the Hillsborough County School District's worst nightmare. She is a perfectionist at everything she does, above all else, being a mom. The milk must be organic, the peanut butter too. They toys are lead-free. "Hate" is a four-letter word. Nguyen lives in New Tampa, where the schools are excellent. At least that's what people tell her. As her son enters kindergarten, she'll be the judge.

Kindergarten mom: Is it time to let go?

My kindergartener's teacher told me that instead of walking my child to class, I should drop him off at the car line and have a fifth grade patrol officer walk him. She said it would be easier for his transition in the morning.

Of course that freaked me out because I need to know that his little bottom made it to class. I solicited thoughts from all of my mommy friends of course. And boy did they have opinions.

One told me not to hate her, but she agreed with the teacher. (Hate's a strong word, Stephanie.)

Another was appalled FOR ME. (Thanks for validating my feelings!)

One fellow kindergarten mom said she felt rushed in the car line and it was rough having to shove her baby out the car door.

I was torn because this was all so new for my son, but I didn't want the teacher mad at me. A week into the school year and I had a battle on my hands...or did I?

So I compromised this morning. With my son in tears I drove through the car line, parked in the front lot and walked him over to the patrols. We met the fifth grader and the three of us then walked to the building, stopping just inside the door. I kissed him (my son, not the patrol) and watched as they walked down the hall together. My son was clearly not happy, but he told the patrol that he was "going to play with his friends."

What a sweet boy, that patrol was! Tomorrow, maybe I'll say goodbye at the front of the school as I hand him off.

Of course I ran a background check on the fifth grader. His record came up clean, except for a timeout in 2007. Adjudication was withheld. Not a perfect record, but it'll do.

Phuong Nguyen, Kindergarten Mom

Editor's note: Dong-Phuong Nguyen might be the Hillsborough County School District's worst nightmare. She is a perfectionist at everything she does, above all else, being a mom. The milk must be organic, the peanut butter too. They toys are lead-free. "Hate" is a four-letter word. Nguyen lives in New Tampa, where the schools are excellent. At least that's what people tell her. As her son enters kindergarten, she'll be the judge.

Lunch for breakfast?

It's 10:06 a.m. Do you know where your kid is? I do.

The flipping lunchroom!!!!

I mean, my husband hasn't even rolled out of bed yet (cut him some slack -- he's a sportswriter) and my kindergartner is halfway through his lunch.

Can someone please tell me why he has to eat lunch at such a morningly hour?

People always say: breakfast! breakfast! breakfast!

So from the time he could eat solid foods, we made it the most important meal of the day...at 9 a.m.

Every day this week he has come home with a full lunch box. Granted, he has been too sad to eat. (Strangely, sadness never stopped me from eating when I was hungry!)

So now the parents are being asked to contribute snacks for all 18 kids throughout the year because they're hungry by the afternoon. I don't mind providing snacks one bit.

But kids his age are usually having a snack at 10:06 a.m...Not a full lunch of cheese ravioli, pudding, carrots and strawberries. Ok, now I'm hungry.

Phuong Nguyen, Kindergarten Mom

Editor's note: Dong-Phuong Nguyen might be the Hillsborough County School District's worst nightmare. She is a perfectionist at everything she does, above all else, being a mom. The milk must be organic, the peanut butter too. They toys are lead-free. "Hate" is a four-letter word. Nguyen lives in New Tampa, where the schools are excellent. At least that's what people tell her. As her son enters kindergarten, she'll be the judge.

Kindergarten mom

While most parents count the days until school starts, in our house, we've been counting the nights. Our kids spent all summer staying up so late, they wouldn't get up the next day until 9, sometimes 10. One day last week, they didn't open their eyes until 11:30!

Many times, family or friends will call on a Sunday morning, inviting us to lunch. Let's meet around noon, they say. Um, I know it's already 10:30, but the boys just ate breakfast.

We had a lot of afternoon playdates. Nothing in the morning. Busch Gardens early to beat the heat? Um, can't.

School starts tomorrow. We have to be there by 7:45.

I hope they don't give detention for tardies in kindergarten.

Dong-Phuong Nguyen, Times staff writer

Editor's note: Dong-Phuong Nguyen might be the Hillsborough County School District's worst nightmare. She is a perfectionist at everything she does, above all else, being a mom. The milk must be organic, the peanut butter too. They toys are lead-free. "Hate" is a four-letter word. Nguyen lives in New Tampa, where the schools are excellent. At least that's what people tell her. As her son enters kindergarten, she'll be the judge.