Does anyone else have summer born children who seem very little to be starting school this September?

[hattyyellow]

Our twins start school in September and I'm not too thrilled about it. They'll be 4.1 when they start and they're not keen on the idea at all.

School have said they should start full time but we can talk about cutting back their hours if they struggle. They get so so tired just from two mornings a week at nursery.

Anyone else got summer born littlies starting?

[lljkk]

Not this year, but I did last year, so I understand your worries.
Luckily our school starts part-time for a term for the younger children.
I think your school is right to say 'see how it goes', as long as they can be flexible and allow the option of part-time.
Almost all children are very tired when they start reception, btw.

[ChampagneDahling]

My DD is August baby and her primary school only had one intake, so she started in Sept and immediately was invited to a couple of 5th birthday parties. She found it very tiring and slept very well but she got through it!

We didn't do a lot of eve activities because it was just too much. However in the long run it has made a huge difference to her academically and she is holding her own among her year group despite 11 months difference in age with some of them.

[jabberwocky]

Ds1 has an August birthday. He went 3 days a week at age 4 then full-time at 5. He does seem so much smaller than many of the other children! But academically and socially he did fine.

[DorisIsAPinkDragon]

Hi I've got a DD who will be 4.1 in Aug but we are (I think) V lucky to be starting in Jan (2 intakes).

Howeever we didn't find out for definite that we would be starting Jan (closer school only 1 sept intake), so I have gradually increasing pre-school attendance by 1 seesion each term so she now does 1 moening and 2 full days to pre pare her as tiredness was one of my biggest worries. We also don't do any eve activities yet

Good luck is there anyway you could increase their nursey / pre-school hours now in anticipation?

[PfftTheMagicDragon]

Indeed, DS will be 4.00000000001 (roughly ) when he starts in September and he seems so little.

[forehead]

My DS will just have turned 4 when he starts school in September. We went to an induction today and he looked so sweet. I'm not worried because he has a brilliant Reception teacher who is firm but fair.

[Smithagain]

Yes, DD2 will be 4.1 when she starts.

She's developing fast at the moment, and I think she'll enjoy school. I'd certainly not want her to have another full year of nursery - she's definitely growing out of it.

But she is physically very, very little and still has a chubby, baby face. I do worry about her being permanently cast as the "baby" of the class. Today someone asked me when she was going to turn 3!

[Littlefish]

Hattyyellow - if you feel that they are not ready, then you can do the following:

Accept the place at school.
Inform the school that you are deferring the place and that your ds's will be starting in January/April or which ever you think is best.

As long as they start school at the beginning of the summer term, the school cannot withdraw the place.

Alternatively, you can inform the school that they will be attending part time only until Christmas. The school will try and persuade you that full time is best. However, you know your children best. The school cannot refuse your request for part time. School is not statutory until the term after your children are 5.

If you are thinking about going for the first option - ie. accepting the place and then deferring until later in the year, please check this with your LEA just in case it is different in your area.

[fatzak]

An August 25th boy here! School have this year moved to just a September intake(typical!!!) but we have spoken with school and are not starting DS until January. They are fine about it and there is another boy starting in January too.

[Builde]

Marmaduke's (message of 5th June)experience is almost what we experienced. Our oldest daughter is shy and cautious and we were apprehensive. However, she took to it like a duck to water. Reception teachers are lovely and you will also have a full-time Teaching Assistant in the classroom. (Plus lots of other adult support from volunteers, child-care students and the head.

Children are very tired in the evenings during the first term at school and I would suggest you don't try any new after school activities, like swimming lessons, unless you are already doing them. Just let your child come home and chill and play.

Also, you will be expected to do some reading at home and other activities after school. Do what you think is right; it's more important that four year olds play after school then sit down and do structured activities. Some of our local schools hand out lots of homework. Ours is just about right, but I do have my own 'lax' system for dealing with the 'spelling list' although I am very happy to do reading books.

[McDreamy]

Yes DS is a July baby and is starting in September. Thankfully he's part time until after Xmas as I don't feel he's ready.

[nix66]

Hi all, 18th August ds here, am really nervous for him to be honest... would defer him till January but would worry about the friends side of school as he's quite shy and I'd hate it if he had no friends

He's great with numbers and can add numbers together up to 12 but has no interest in letters or letter sounds... so haven't pursued it ... will try and focus on him being able to dress and undress himself properly I think!

[hattyyellow]

Thanks all this is very reassuring (sorry for delay in replying, we went on holiday the day after I posted).

The girls had their taster day last week and I was suprised how well they coped. They are much more positive about school than they were about nursery..I do wonder if part of that is novelty and they don't realise how often they will be there..

Good to know we have options..

I do think they are ready for more stimulation, they are bright little girls and being twins I think they will actually benefit from being somewhere each day where they can share experiences but also have more time apart. The school are supportive of ensuring they can do different activities from one another at times.

There is also a summer born majority in the year which I imagine will help..

Hope it works out okay for everyone else and thank you so much for all past experiences.

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

DD has only just turned 4 so she will be 4.3 in Sept. I was worried until we went to visit the school and the teacher made it clear that the first term will be mostly about playing.
DH and I had talked about whether we should defer till Jan but dd is so excited and coped well when she went for a taster session.

[FairLadyRantALot]

Hi there,
I can totally understand how you feel...I have felt like that before....indeed only last year, when my August-"Baby" started school. I was soooooooo worried, I actually was quite unreasonable because I was so worried
But my ys has done so well in school, no problem whatsoever....academically he is fine and emotionally, yes, it was noticable he was one of the youngest, but, the teachers were great and dealt so well with it.

Saying that, my es is a June-"Baby" and it took him many years to catch up academically, etc...so, he was dis-advantage by being so young when he started....

I do think it is sad that, if you decide to keep them home for a year longer, that they than can't start in Reception, but have to start with year 1 straightaway....which kinda defeats the object in my opinion.

[whereeverIlaymyhat]

I think the whole reception year is very play based which means they get a big shock when they go into year 1.
All my babies have been summer babies and we are currently TTC, this month ie a March baby is my cut off for this year purely because I do feel primary school is tougher, not impossible though for all children born after Feb.

[singersgirl]

I've got two August boys and they were definitely very little - DS2 (now Y3) was still 3 when he did his taster session at school. But they have been fine and in fact have thrived. DS1 is now Y6, still not 11, but has got into a very selective school for next year.

There have been times and situations when their age has been really noticeable. DS1 had to start full time, at 4 and 2 weeks, and he was shattered. But we just did no afterschool activities and very few playdates for a couple of terms - he just came home and watched TV for a couple of hours. DS2 was lucky in that he was able to go mornings only until Christmas, which was the same as nursery.

Handwriting has been an issue for mine, and also motivation at times - the more mature children in the year would just get on with stuff, whereas mine wouldn't do it if they didn't feel like it sometimes. This irons out as they get older. Sport has also been a bit of an issue; they're not naturally very sporty and so, being young as well, are doubly disadvantaged.

Top tips:
Don't schedule anything regular after school for at least a term
Meet them with a snack and a drink; carbs really help
Expect unreasonable behaviour and try to placate, not to reason
Allow TV/outdoors/pottering vegging time
Don't ask what they've been doing, just tell them how lovely it is to see them again

I can't say I followed all of these at the time, but looking back I wish I had.