"I don't want to go to school"

[Mouseketool]

So DS is 4.1 and just started school (first full day inc lunch yesterday)

Today I think he was a bit tired and said "I don't want to go to school I want to stay home and play". I can't believe this has started already!! I just don't know how to respond. DH wants to say "Well you have to" which I find a bit mean, but then I don't want to validate it by saying "Why don't you want to go? Aw poor you" type thing - I want to be positive about school.

As background, we had this before with nursery and we questioned why and essentially he was bored with nursery. He also cried and clung when left there. Today he clung to DH a bit when he dropped him at school

DS seems to be settling OK at school, no crying/clinging til today. He is in a class with 3 kids he already knows, told me he had fishfingers for lunch yesterday, was digging worms etc so I don't think there's anything troubling him.

I want to nip this in the bud if at all possible but I just don't know how best to respond? Thanks for any advice from those who've been through this!

[CristinadellaPizza]

DS says this pretty much every morning but I just smile and tell him that his teacher will be really sad if he doesn't go and who will drink his milk with his name on it?

Are you doing early nights? I was shocked at how tired DS was when I collected him yesterday - he fell off his scooter twice on the way home which I have never known him do before.

[GooseyLoosey]

Big up all the fun things at school - the toys, the activities, the people. Make it sound exciting.

[Mouseketool]

Thank you all! Does the milk really have their names on it? That's a great tactic, that sort of thing will really help him, he's a stickler for rules etc. Is there anything else like that?

Yes doing early nights but he's always been a bugger for dropping off - often just lies there til 9 or 9.30

[Mouseketool]

Sorry should have said he's been doing half days for the last 2 weeks with no problems

[CristinadellaPizza]

Well they do at my DS's school (you don't get free milk after the age of 5 so I guess some kids in the class don't have milk).

Ouch - 9/9.30 is late, he must be knackered :( He might start going to sleep a bit earlier now he's so tired - may take a while for everything to get into synch.

[CristinadellaPizza]

Sorry - you asked about other things. In DS's class they take turns to take the register to the school office and take it in turns to choose books from the library. So would saying if he weren't there, it would spoil the system of taking turns have any impact?

[Mouseketool]

Thanks Cristina, will try that milk tactic.

I think I need to probe more about the daily routine as all I know about the register is that it's "on the computer", and I know nothing about books etc.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

I remember my DM telling me that if I didn't go to school the police would come round and take my father to prison.... :) I think sometimes 'you have to' isn't a bad answer.