Oh! Oh! My firstborn starts secondary school in September. Surely that warrants a support thread?

What a disastrous day!
I took dd's blazer to a tailors to have the arms adjusted. They needed to be shortened by 2" and have the same ribbon attached to the end. Well he charged me £10 but he ruined it. I was so annoyed but he said it was the ribbons fault and that I couldn't have my money back as it took him an hour to do.

I had to take the blazer to another tailor who are charging me £5 to fix the mess. I told the first tailor he had to pay the £5 and he agreed!

Just hope it's ok when I go and pick it up tomorrow afternoon. It's different material to the collar but the colour matches so hopefully it will be ok.

I was so annoyed with him. It was the ribbons fault. I've heard it all now!

I don't know how dd is feeling but I'm getting excited for her.

Glad Sec Sch pupils don't wear coats - we haven't got one yet either!

Anyway, it would be so uncomfortable over the blazer.

It's OK to walk him to bus stop on first day if that's what he wants. dh went with ds1 to the bus stop first day.

ds2 doesn't want us to and is happy on his own, so we won't go.

At least I'm not the only one not sleeping ds starts tomorrow and I really don't remember being this anxious about him starting primary school.

For some strange reason I lay awake fretting about him buying his bus ticket, followed by some weird dreams about my ex snogging me and then cage fighting naked

(DD1 was in Y8 equivalent last year, and doesn't have uniform)

The key question is does he want you to? Only do it if he says yes (or says no but means yes)

Re coats, DD1 wore one in her 1st year at secondary, last (freezing) winter, she refused anything warmer than a tiny fake leather jacket to leave home at 7am and stand at bus stop

I will leave to it but only because I can see the bus stop from my livingroom window!

lol wilfshelf, I also have that dilama! busstop is only 5 minutes away from the front door but I'm sure he could do with the company

Quick poll please: walk him to bus stop on first day? Or leave to it? [I think I know your answer already, but just gotta go ARRRRGH! ]

At ds1's school about 50% of the students wear the coat. (It's a uniform coat, but is a nice one - lightweight, properly waterproof, a sports-type thing.) At an intro meeting a member of SMT told ds1 that the more intelligent 50% of the school choose to wear a coat!

ds1 does wear a coat - sometimes he has to wait 20 mins for the bus, so there are occasions when he would get drenched otherwise.

Apparantly secondary school kids don't wear coats

Try not to stress mmmperuna!!!
They will all be fine (voice of experience, who is still going to be )
Have you anything nice planned for yourself tomorrow?

tomorrow is getting near. Have planned a theme park trip to keep him busy today and tire him out so he sleeps well - not sure it works for me - I was awake from 4am to 6am stressing

DD starts next Wednesday, travelling on a public bus. I haven't bought her a coat, because apparently they are not 'cool'. I am going to wait until she asks for one :)

Haven't done coat either.
He has a waterproof which will do if it pours down, but he won't need a warm coat for a few weeks.

We are still looking for a coat as well. Do not quite know what will look nice on top of a blaser. What did you buy if you have bought a coat already (for a girl)?

Ds starts on tuesday. I'm dreading it and feeling excitement for him at the same time. I mean, lets face it, when you're ultra geeky, obsessed with money, success and fortune, deperately trying to start up a business at the age of 11 and don't give a shit what people think of you ..... it really could go either way!!

I think he'll be popular in sixth form, anyway

(cat64, we havn't bought him a coat yet either! I'm relying on September being kind )

My 10 yr old DS started secondary last week, a year earlier than he would have done in the UK (we're in Switzerland). The big plus is that he's stayed in the same school campus as his primary, just moved buildings.

But heavens, it's an administrative nightmare! I've had 4 different supply lists for various subjects, all of which turned up/ were due on different days, so I spent what felt like the whole of last week in the stationery shop in town, learning all sorts of interesting new French vocabulary. And now he's started getting proper homework (last week was just covering books, etc) and again, it's all turning up in a really 'all or nothing' haphazard fashion from his various teachers.

He's not the most organised soul, so has already picked up two 'I forgot stuff' marks by not turning up in the right room with the right books. Two more, and he'll get detention...

And he starts at 7.40am!!!

On the plus side, he really likes all his new teachers, and is quite starstruck that he now has MEN ones.

He's alot happier now he's discovered that there's birds on the school emblem

He's decided the school bus leaves too early (7:12 from the football stadium) so would rather use public transport as it takes 25 minutes as opposed to the hour and a half on the school bus. I am very worried! I need to let go of the strings but I think it's too early. I can get him to the bus station here, he'll catch the red, walk around the corner and get on the tram for 2 stops, then get across the road. I think he'll be OK, I'm still worried though. I can collect him. I will take him for the first week and hope there will be an older boy I can bribe ask to just make sure he's OK.

Belle-is he on the school bus from our end? If so I know 2 boys starting Y5 who will be getting on further along the route. The parents have recruited an older boy to get them to school for the first couple of days so I'm sure your DS could tag along?

Anyone seen this?

Nothing we didn't already know, really!

help my lovely DS, also my first born, will be starting at a London comp far from home on friday - his journey will take an hour and will involve a bus and two tube trains....only one other boy from his primary will be going....ofcourse i iwll take himand collect him on his first day ( a Y7only induction day) ...but what should i do after that... i think i am more nervous tha he is ...he will have to start playing
rugby...