First day as Computer Mom at school

I have been joking about the technical issues I have had at home lately and to add to the mix I have volunteered to help my son's class during their computer time.

I had no idea what I was getting into but I noticed none of the other moms volunteered to help out. That made me a little nervous since many of these women have been through Kindergarten with their older kids before. Did they know something I didn't? Was it the time slot?

The other time she needs help in the classroom is first thing in the morning for writing help. I signed up to do that on Monday mornings, which of course J proceeded to get sick on the first Monday I was supposed to help. Frantic call to the room mom to try to find a sub and all was well. The computer time is Thursday the last 30 minutes before dismissal. Is that a bad time?

I asked my friend, a Kindergarten teacher on leave to be home with her little girls, and she said it was the easiest thing in the world. You just walk around and see if they need help. Okay, still wondering why no one wants to do this.

So, I sneak in on the first day and listen to the substitute teacher explain what they are going to do. Sounds just like how my friend described it. And during the entire explanation, J's head was on a swivel looking back at me, I'd signal him to listen to the teacher, he did for 20 seconds then spun around again. I feared this would happen. I don't want to be a distraction for him which is why I avoided helping in his preschool class.

Anyway, we finally lined up and headed over to the lab, the students all (semi)quietly found a computer and were ready to get started. Then the door opens and the speech therapist pops her head in to take my son out for speech. I quickly promise him he can have 40 minutes of computers at home to make up for it and he leaves without a fuss. I am volunteering in my son's class and he isn't there! Only me.

The substitute and his ABA aide quickly decide this can't happen on a regular basis and both promise me they will inform the teacher in the morning. I just shrugged my shoulders and assured them it was okay by me. I can give him computer time at home but not the speech and socialization.

The hardest part for me about helping the other students was remembering not to say things like "Click on the close button." J would have known I meant to move the mouse until the arrow was on the word "close" and press with his pointer finger one time. Rephrasing it to "the rectangle with the C word in it" helped a few of them. The ones that kept trying to push the screen with their finger required a bit more effort. Then there was the boy that wanted the Dinosaurs. Huh?! We'd never checked out Starfall before so I had no idea where the Dinosaurs could be found (anyone have any ideas?).

When I asked J what he did in speech he replied, "Ms. Sam read If You Take a Mouse to School and I got a prize." Woohoo! Two complete sentences unprompted!

So, I am looking forward to seeing what fun adventures are in store for us this week. And J should be there, since his teacher grabbed me in the morning and told me that speech would have to be rescheduled because J loves computer time too much to miss that.