Join in here if your PFB is off to secondary school in September or if you have any advice for thew newbies

DS said he feels sick today, but I think it is just nerves, and once he has been through the timetable for a week he will be OK. He was on such a high yesterday when he came home that I think this is just a reaction to the stress.

He had homework last night, he had to write a book review, but he isn't sure if he needs to do it separately on a piece of paper or in his English book. It needs to be in for Friday, so he is asking the English teacher in his Thursday lesson. He has written it out in rough anyway, so on Thursday just needs to write it out neatly when he finds out..

He has signed himself up for after school football tonight, so all good so far.

Went well here too.
Apparently she is going to be the best student the school have ever had and has decided she is going to be Head Girl when she is in the 6th form.
For now she has put her name forward for notice board monitor

All went well here too - and DD has a birthday party invitation for tomorrow (!)

Hurrah... First day went very well and DS came back very happy and full of stories. Big relief all round.

DS is home and happy, he enjoyed his first day.

DD also starts tomorrrow and turns out to have lost the rather nice backpack she's chosen and bought specially. Could be anywhere from Scotland to Devon.

Carrier bags it is then!

My DD1 starts tomorrow - think we have everything and have laboriously labelled it all. Just the nail varnish to remove tonight!

Ds13 started lasted Monday. He absolutely loves it and is hopping out of bed every morning excited for the day ahead.

He started with a lot of friends as they're all in the same rugby team and has made loads more new friends too. His phone has. not. stopped. since last week. So socially we are going great guns.

Academically he's keeping up and he's very sporty so he's excelling there.

However, organisationally he is a DISASTER! Dh and I are like his monkey butlers, "Don't forget this, remember that." x 1000

Yesterday he forgot his hockey kit so dh had to run it into school, on Friday he 'lost' his locker key and the vice principle had to break in to his locker with bolt cutters. He later found it in his book bag. Got home last night, realised he'd left his Maths text book at school and I had to drive over to one of his classmates to borrow his.

And today he has just texted me in a panic, he's left his German homework at home. I'm at work so he has to explain to his teacher that he forgot it.

There is so much to remember compared to primary school, he's really struggling. And so are we. DH is really close to losing it.

And breathe.

Oh Takver what awful timing for her period to start.
Well, I actually kept it together quite well this morning (had a wobble once I'd dropped her off). Secondary school after home edding seems like such a massive step, but she was great, even singing in the shower this morning.

PMSL InMySpareTime - dd's school isn't too bad, but at the other one she considered a navigating compass might have been quite useful for the first few weeks

Also all off this morning fine - only hiccup here that she started her periods for the first time on Monday and is bleeding rather heavily, fortunately she has met her form teacher & she is very lovely, so I think she'll be happy to ask if she needs to go out of class.

Good luck! They'll be fine.

You know how you never realised how your small DC would change so much in their first half term in Reception? Well, they're about to do it again.

Well he has gone, trotted off to the bus stop on his own, he looked so smart and so grown up.

Lots of photos taken and now the wait till he gets off the bus and meets me at the younger twos school this afternoon.

I feel sick!

DS is all set for the morning, the only hiccup so far was when he read the stationery list and thought he needed a navigating compass instead of a drawing-curves one I may have laughed a bit before buying him the right sort
Everything that can be labelled is labelled (and has extra identifying stitches in an odd colour in case thieves unpick the name label), the camera is charged up for morning photos.

My DD is all ready for the morning bless her, she is a bit nervous and will be walking with her friends but I am sure she will be fine.

They are wearing their PE tracksuits for the first two days as induction bonding days which I think will be good for her.

DS is all packed and ready to go in the morning!

nipersvest my DD has to have indoor and outdoor trainers. After all who'd want the muddy ones in the gym or on a badminton court. We got both pairs at Sports Direct (the indoor ones have a flatter sole). Thankfully no mention of astro shoes here.

Am beginning to think that DD no longer needs me as she's decided she'd rather go on the bus with her friends on the first day rather than me take her

She's counting down the hours until Wednesday!

Labelled everything today and have helped to pack her bag.
One more sleep
pours large wine

Don't know about the trainers, I'm pretty sure DS1 has managed with one pair so far (just starting Yr9). Unreasonable to expect parents to fork out for more than one...?

DS2 full of nervous excitement (not total terror) this morning as he went off - they'll be back in an hour - day one nearly done and dusted. I know what's going to happen - I will want a full run down of how it went, what his tutor's like, what friends he saw etc etc, and he will say about three words, then pootle off to his Ipod. Ho hum.

dd started secondary last thursday and omg! it's like she's in shock, she's so wound up, am sure she'll settle down but right now she's worrying about everything. as sure she'll settle down as it all becomes familiar but we had tears last night with her saying how much she misses her primary.

i have a question about sport though - how many pairs of trainers do the actually need?? dd's not really sporty as she prefers swimming, but i've heard talk of indoor trainers, outdoor trainers and astro's! eeek!

My only helpful hint - esp for owners of untidy/disorganised students - is to have several ties and make sure you always know where at least one of them is

Bit of a random tip but I remember how I worried when DC were off so hoping this is useful to someone out there!

DD used to put a £10 or £20 note in her phone, behind the cover. It meant if she forgot her purse or money she still had something to pay for the train or lunch. She used it quite a few times and so it wasn't just a silly unnecessary worrying mother idea!

Ds has just tried his uniform all on, I cried.

Then I dragged him round to the neighbours to show him off.

Of course you can join in.

DS1 is getting a bit more nervous - it's manifesting itself as a smart mouth.

I'm biting my tongue a lot.

Not sure if I can join in?. PFB is starting Yr9 and everything went perfectly smoothly two years ago despite some anxieties on my part - he didn't get lost, he made friends, he didn't get bullied, he didn't freeze due to refusing to wear his coat....
However DS2 now about to start (Monday)- it should be less of an anxiety but its 10 times worse as he's so different. He's SO disorganised and away with the fairies, and quite a loner really, so I'm picturing him wandering around the school completely lost and too worried to ask someone. Like so many, he's excited but he is worried about getting lost and being bullied.

One upside though - I happily spent a good 20 minutes in the stationery aisle - he could absolutely not see what the fascination was and wandered off to look at the PS3 games!! I used to LOVE buying smelly rubbers (erasers!) and the like.

They do soon find their way round and get into the routines, I guess, but its those first couple of days...... - arrrrgh!!