I know there is a starting secondary school thread somewhere but I cant find it and really need some flaps and honks!

[Ineedmorepatience]

Dd3's stress levels are going through the roof and I know why but cant do anything to help

We cut our holiday short this week because she was going downhill fast and didnt want to stay. I had planned to be away until Friday so she was occupied and not thinking about it.

She has melted down this morning over not being able to have a coloured door key, apparently our lock is too old And over not wanting me to have a cushion on the sofa!!

We need to make a new visual timetable for the mornings but not sure its a good idea, what do you all think?

[OneInEight]

Honks for you. ds2 has made cunning plan to lock himself in the shed we think on Wednesday to avoid the evil day so is relatively calm so far (there has been lots of DIY activity up there anyway). To add to the trauma of returning school have decided to enforce a new school uniform and changing for PE (both of which he is adamant he will not do) and the taxi arrangement has changed so it comes earlier AND is picking up three other children (not best pleased at that one either). Meanwhile ds1 is "bubbling" as a past HT delightfully called it and the LEA have still not sorted out travel arrangements for him (we are keeping the last bit a secret from him). I am just letting them watch TV and play computer games to keep the peace and calm for the next few days and dh is taking next week off in case we have to do the transport some days (and break into the shed!!!). No idea about the visual timetable as we have never used them here.

[Ineedmorepatience]

Fgs!! What on earth do they think they are doing not sorting out the transport!!

So is the school uniform a new thing at the school?

Dont you just love it when they change stuff!!

I hope the shed plan doesnt work too effectively, look out for bits of food going missing !!

Dd3 has just come back downstairs after a brief strop off to her room and is now glaring at me from the other sofa.

[OneInEight]

Well there was a uniform before but lots ignored so I just sent ds2 in a t-shirt hoody as he was otherwise insisting on wearing a thick winter coat on all day. Now they say they are going to turn people away at the gate if they are not wearing uniform - not had a reply yet to my note saying that we thought ds2 might just take advantage of that!

Luckily shed is very decrepit so I don't think will take much to invade if required. Mind you perhaps I should be more worried about the pile of sticks that look suspiciously like a bonfire in the making but neither has confessed to that one.

What day does your dd start? ds1 is Tues and ds2 is Wed. Hope she has stopped glaring at you now.

[Ineedmorepatience]

She starts on Tuesday. She has stopped glaring but is not happy, she is refusing all my suggestions for lunch and it will soon be tea time!!

I agree that turning people away for incorrect uniform sounds like a really silly idea!! Dd3's school also threatens this

We allow fires so long as we are either camping or they are in the firepit! Not sure if it is wise but hopefully it makes the forbidden fruit thing less likely.

[coppertop]

I'd give the visual timetable a go, just in case it helps.

Have a honk and a flap from me. :)

Ds is swinging between hyped-up-happiness and the-end-of-the-world-is-nigh wailing misery.

[Ineedmorepatience]

Yes copper that is what she is like!! She is either really loud and bubbly or shouty and angry. Talk about rollercoaster

We did the timeline and she was helpful and seemed to enjoy doing it, she decided what steps she wanted to include and we also made a bag contents list to go on the wall next to the timeline.

Good idea polter I think I am going to have to email somebody too !

[IsabellaofFrance]

You can get key tops that are different colours, would they work? I think they fit on any yale key.

[Ineedmorepatience]

Thanks isabella that is what we did. She is happy with the keys now and likes letting us in everytime we go anywhere
The mad thing about the keys is that she is never going to be coming home to an empty house anyway so she doesnt really need them
Today she has been very negative about school, saying she isnt going to like it

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

No advice, really, Ineed. But, wow, is your DD3 really secondary school age already! DS2 was always quite keen to move on, I think it helped having DS1 only 2 years ahead.

[Ineedmorepatience]

Yep ellen she was just 8 when I first came on here and now she is nearly 12!! Its mad isnt it

[Ineedmorepatience]

She has just asked me if we can move to another country so she doesnt have to go

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

How as she been on induction days? DS2 took a few pictures and enjoyed the attention, but never wanted to look at them again. He actually settled in quite well, but he's never made any friends.

[Ineedmorepatience]

She had 1.5 induction days plus a visit with a TA to take some pics which were used to make a booklet for a transition group at primary. She was given the job of making the booklet (which I had to do) and then we never saw it again!!

She did well on the half day which was for vulnerable children and not bad on the full day except for not going to the toilet all day.

Dd3 is going with a few friends and she knows some people in the school already. She generally has more difficulties with adults in school than other kids, she is not really aware of all the nasty girl stuff so that is one good thing.

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

Transition book a bit rubbish, then.

I hope her anxiety doesn't get too bad. I guess it's all getting a bit close.

[Ineedmorepatience]

Yep, "A robust transition" was mentioned by the LA EP and the Tribunal panel!!

She was very screamy at bedtime and saying she wants to sleep with me and Dp! And she wants us to cuddle her forever

Bless her, 4 days to go !!

[Ineedmorepatience]

2 sleeps until the new term

I tried to plan some activities to keep Dd3 busy butnis seems like she isnt going to cope with anything other than lying on the sofa watching good old Harry Potter.

I dont know what to do now, my brain is telling me to keep her active, my heart is telling me to leave her be. She is currently lying under her weighted blanket in her onesie!!

[Ineedmorepatience]

Yes really scary!! She keeps saying she is going to hate it !!

[Ineedmorepatience]

Oh god, I really hate wingin it!!!

[OneInEight]

How's life this morning Polter and Ineed. Earlier bedtime was not taken well last night and ds2 was roaming about the house in the early hours today. We are planning to go out for the day to distract and at the moment both seem willing. ds1 unfortunately enlightened ds2 about the 3 minute taxi waiting rule which might explain his enhanced mood this morning... He has been told we will take him if he doesn't get in the taxi though.

[Ineedmorepatience]

Hope you have a good day, we have decided not to do a day out. We are taking lunch round to her quirky friends house so that they can talk about/watch Harry Potter together. They are off to different schools so it will be good for them to soend some time together.

Last night she announced that she isnt going to school tomorrow so I will defintely be emailing the senco today to see if she has any advice for the morning.

Hope your day goes well one