To ask what the good bits are of children starting school?

[Buddahbelly]

Ds starts next week, he only turned 4 in June and just seems so little, even though I know and his nursery have told me he is more than ready for the challenges of reception.

I swore i'd never be one of those mothers who still baby-ed their big boys and yet here I am having a slight wobble that a part of him is changing and I'll never have a little tiny boy again .

I know I'll be fine, I know he'll be fine, and I know in a few weeks time I'll wonder what on earth I was doing sitting crying for his baby days to be back (that at the time I longingly wished would just hurry up and end!) God it's gone so quick!

So remind me again what have I got to look forward to this year?

[RunningLulu]

They will learn to read and write, they'll grow more confident, they'll start appreciating your food lol

[Buddahbelly]

The day he appreciates my food I will eat my hat! Its daddys tuna pasta all the way no matter what I try and cook him

[DrLockhart]

You will see them grow in more ways than one. It is amazing to see.

I noticed incremental jumps of Dd 'growing up'. I wouldn't notice anything and then spot how mature she'd become.

They also quote another adults' opinion as the absolute truth 😂 "But Mrs Jones said...." It's hilarious when you have different views to Mrs Jones!

[Timeforabiscuit]

They become their own person which is such an amazing delight, the celebrations come thicker and faster.

First book they read, when they tie their own shoe laces and they actually do stuff independent of you it makes them literally glow with happiness.

In my opinion it just all gets better, you lose very little compared to what you gain.

[Chrisinthemorning]

Same here, DS was 4 in June, starts on Wednesday and I keep randomly bursting into tears. I'll miss him so much. We've always had 1-2 Mummy and DS days a week.

[electricflyzapper]

I enjoyed the extra/free time it gave me depending on whether it was my first born or a subsequent child starting school.

I loved hearing about their day. I loved their happy little faces when they came out of class. I loved hearing how good and clever they were from teachers- it can really be very affirming that you have done a good job raising them when you hear how well behaved/kind to others they are.

They learn to read, and learn things you did not tell them. It is the beginning of them becoming individual people distinct from yourself. It really opens them up as citizens of a wider community the just your family. That is a good thing, honestly it is though you may not desire it right now.

They (hopefully) make friends and get invited to play at people's houses and go to parties.

And the time you do have together at weekends and holidays feels all the more special and precious because it is not always available anymore.

There are probably loads more things other people will mention. I don't recall ever being sad when one of inevitable started school. Embrace it.

Now tell me why I should be happy that my precious, darling son is about to leave home for university.

[Discobabe]

Your house staying tidy for more than 5 minutes. Weeing in peace. Not hearing "Mummmmyyyyy" every two minutes. Time to think uninterrupted. Drinking hot cups of tea. Time to do stuff you want to do.

The only thing to look forward too from dc are the new found attitudes they bring home mixed up with the grumpy tiredness from learning all day 😁

[electricflyzapper]

one of mine started school, that should have said.

[Laiste]

Good things are: change in routine, weekends and school holidays becoming more special, they learn independence from you and learn to sit still for more than 3 minutes

IME, mind you, the never ending rigid school routine as endless requests for money from the school, the much busier weekends, the mountains of homework, and the fact that your sweet child picks up the worst habits of all the most annoying kids in their class seem to cancel the 'good' bits out

[LuchiMangsho]

DS has done a year at a preschool/nursery and is continuing at the Reception class of the same school. He was suddenly more 'grown up' in a good way- much more independent and having a life that Mummy knew nothing about (and which he told me very little about!) gave him a sudden feeling of independence.
Making and maintaining friendships. Always so excited to see his friends- this was very important for a shy and quiet boy.
I have always had Fridays off work and I'm going to miss spending that with him (going back to work half days on Fridays now...!).

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

6 whole hours of peace and quiet
Ds is really looking forward to it, so while I'm a bit nervous for him I'm more excited, I know he'll thrive.

[ffon]

You get some time free from your children

They get more independence

They have lots of different experiences you can't give them

They make friends

They learn loads of stuff

[CoconutAndVanilla]

So remind me again what have I got to look forward to this year?

Seeing him at the end of the school day, and hearing what he did and about his new friends

[longestlurkerever]

Oh there are some lovely bits. The phonetic spelling is so cute, and I wept at the nativity play, and her excitement atcwirld book day. Watching her so at home with her new friends. Reading practice is a slog though.

[PeppasNanna]

Peace & quiet...

[Blondieblondie]

One of the biggest things that stood out for me was how quickly they learn to read. It was amazing to sit and do his words with him and I felt that little bit more amazed and proud every night.

[cloudyday99]

Free childcare

[Buddahbelly]

discobabe the weeing in peace is the most thing I'm looking forward to.

I've always worked part time since having him plus I work from home do am planning on increasing my hours, I just think how quiet the house will be, I may have to keep on watching cbeebies anyway to sing along to what's on your plate

What I'm not looking forward to though is the amount of requests from the school. He's not even started yet and already had 2 reminders not to forget his snack money on his 1st day

[justilou]

You get five and a half hours without anyone yelling "Muuuuuuuum! Look at meeeeeeee!"

[Yorkieheaven]

Peace and quiet for 6 hours! Priceless.

[Imaginosity]

I find my children more interesting the older they get. They are 7 and 5 now. We have really interesting conversations. I don't really miss the baby days as i found them hard work

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

I think I've got stuff the wrong way round. I've always worked ft but dropping to pt in a few weeks. Ft seems much less manageable now he's getting to an age where he wants play dates, football club etc. Not to mention nativity, parents evening and so on. It was easy before school, am drop at childminder, pick up after work.

[longestlurkerever]

Snack money? Wtf is that? If you've not used state nursery before you might find it a bit of a culture shock though. Private nursery is providing you as the parent with a service. State nursery/school is not, and it takes a bit of getting used to.

[yummumto3girls]

You get to appreciate all of the hard work you have put in, in helping your baby grow in to a kind, confident little person who will make your heart melt with pride every day.