Does your child enjoy primary school?

[piecesofeight]

Please answer a general yes, no or middling and share their age. Thanks. I'm intrigued ...

[MingMingtheWonderPet]

Yes overall - DS is 7 yo and in Yr 3

[GooseyLoosey]

Yes for both of them, although ds did not enjoy reception last year much

[nailpolish]

yes

dd1 age 6 (P2)

[piecesofeight]

FWIW, my son (4) is a definite "no" before going and in pretty much all discussion about school, a polite "yes" when anyone else asks him, and pretty much a "middling" most days when I collect him. He's starting to have increased time there - lunches this week on top of mornings - and he can sense it and is not a happy bunny. Sigh.

[compo]

yes
ds is in reception

[ninja]

Yes - DD is 5 in yr 1. She even wants to go when she's ill

[nailpolish]

piecesofeight - he is only 4. he is only wee! i think from observation 50% of wee ones dont like school when they start

dont worry

[Gobbledigook]

Yes all 3 of mine love school

Reception (age 4)
Yr 1 (age almost 6)
Yr 3 (age 7.5)

[edam]

Yes, he's 5, in Yr 1, and has enjoyed himself since nursery sessions. (Although complains about swimming lessons which are compulsory in Yr 1.)

[swedishmum]

Dd1 (now Y10) hated it - but totally thriving at sec school
Dd2 hated primary until I moved her in Y5 - then loved new school
Same for ds - moved Y4
Dd3 (class R) loving it so far.

[cory]

Yes. Ds is 8 and in Yr 4. Seems happy enough.

Dd (now 11 and just started secondary) had some rough times in junior schools, due to disability badly handled by school, but on the whole she enjoyed it. Loved Infants, though there certainly were times in Reception when she got a bit fragile in the mornings and cried... But it passed. I more or else expected that since she was a very dramatic child.

[Lemontart]

DD1 reception yr - YES
DD2 Yr 3 (7) YES

Interestingly DD1 was almost schoolphobic at one point and was considering moving her to a private school. Same school, same rules, same classmates etc BUT with a new teacher. What a difference. She loves her new teacher, suddenly she want s to do her work, rushes to go in, tries hard with homework etc etc.

piecesofeight - I have been in your shoes and my DD1 HATED school from early on and you have my sympathy. For her it took a different teacher for it to improve. I totally empathise with how you must be feeling. Perhaps the increased time he stays will ease things. The lunch hour can make or break it as it gives them more social time at school but out of the classroom. It might help him find more friends and enjoy school more. I know my little one (DD2) in reception now was a lot happier once she started staying until 1pm. Her favourite bit of school is school dinners and it makes her come home really happy. Coming home happy puts a positive spin on the end of the school day and a lot easier to go in the next day. She has gone from being a little unsure and unsteady to absolutely loving it - all thanks to that lunch hour where she has found her feet, made friends and become much happier.

[goblinvalley]

Yes, loves it - hard to get him away some days

DS is 5 and in Yr 1

[ThingOne]

Yes, but 4, in reception and hasn't done a full day yet - that's next week.

He loves it and wants to go every day. He has a fantastic teacher and a great TA.

I am obviously expecting this state of affairs to carry on for the next 14 years .

[piecesofeight]

Thanks for posts. A relief to hear that there are at least a few of you who've been where we're at, although I feel for you, as it's no fun. DS asks most days if he has school the next day and is delighted when he's told he hasn't. He asks in the morning what the lunch arrangement is and is unhappy that he's now staying for that - and then it escalates and of course, being an irrational four-year-old, everything is then crap. It gets a bit wearing.

DS knows lots of the children at school - it's a small village one - and his best friend is in his class too. He's also a big and pretty confident lad when he gets going, and is doing fine with his reading. He just doesn't seem to thrive on the structure - the do-this-then-stop-then-do-that-then-stop. He keeps saying - with going in only half-days, too - that he doesn't have enough time to play anymore. And TBH, I get where he's coming from: I'm no good with rigid structure - I like to get into the flow of something. So I suppose I don't really know what to say to him, because I prefer leisurely mornings in pyjamas and with the Lego out too.

I feel sad watching his freedoms and spontaneous play opportunities shrink and seeing him feeling miserable about that too.

BUT I'm encouraged to hear there have been a few other wobbly reception years that have transformed into enthusiasm a year later ...

[wilbur]

Ds1 (7) and dd (5) both very happy at school. Dd had an unhappy wobble when she was at the nursery, but they were brill at gently helping her and now she want to go to school on the weekends too.

[Smithagain]

Yes - Year 2. Has always enjoyed it.

[Marne]

yes but she's only just started so this may change

[Litchick]

Yes all kids love it and have done so since day one. In year five now.

[MollieO]

My ds (4 - started reception this term) went running down the path to school today and I heard an older boy behind us ask his mum why my ds was running. She answered that he was running because he is enthusiastic about going to school. So far he loves it but then so would I when I hear about the things they do in lessons - having croissants and jam in French and building dens in the woods in Numeracy.

He had a bit of a wobbly the first two or three weeks which was put down to switching from a choose what you do (and finish it)Montessori nursery to the structure of school.

[Troutpout]

dd yr 1 Yes..although finds Y1 work ' a bit boring'
ds yr 7 No..disliked it all the way through and is actually liking school a bit for the first time now that he has started secondary

[TheDuchessOfCorpseBride]

DD1 6yo in Year 2. Loves it. Is gutted to be at home ill again today.

DS1 5yo in Year 1. Yes. But occasional whinge in the morning about taking in toys or similar.

[MrsNormanMaine]

Yes - this is her first term. Goes only 4 days a week but is desperate to go for 5 so must love it.

[girlandboy]

DD - YR 8 secondary school...loves it
DS - Yr 4...NO (only goes for the social life)

[hellywobs]

My son loves it. He says weekends are boring (year one).