Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Site stuff

Join our Innovation Panel to try new features early and help make Mumsnet better.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

MNHQ

Quick top tips on how to cope when your child starts school for the first time

58 replies

carriemumsnet · 22/09/2008 16:44

Does anyone have any top tips to pass on to parents who found the whole child starting school for the first time a bit traumatic and sad?

The Evening Standard are doing an article on how parents, and particularly mums, cope with this parenting milestone and have asked for Mumsnetters' views and top tips.

As usual the deadline's pretty tight so if you could post your quick tips here, that would be grand.

If you're one of the mums who were whooping and cheering as your child toddled off to school for the first time, do feel free to share as well

OP posts:
Mercy · 22/09/2008 16:59

Take a photo of them outside school/classroom

Make your dc favourite meal that night

Erm, can't think of anything else really. I was a whooping and cheering type parent, and will be again next week when ds starts full-time!

PuppyMonkey · 22/09/2008 16:55

Was it the thing I said about the Standard being three weeks too late???

JackieNo · 22/09/2008 16:55

Is this information to help the kids cope with school, or the parents cope with the sadness?

Carmenere · 22/09/2008 16:53

Well I was one of the 'wayhey' school of mums and fortunately dd loved it from day 1. But I had good advice from here about not trying to do too much after school for the first couple of weeks. They get tres tired, what with information overload and for the first week at least, lying on the sofa watching tv is as much as they can manage after school.

Also the first day that they had school dinners, their teacher told them that it was just like going to a party which dd was very happy about.

PuppyMonkey · 22/09/2008 16:52

What happened to the first thread?????

stroppyknickers · 22/09/2008 16:51

Starbucks obviously.

stroppyknickers · 22/09/2008 16:51

arrange to meet some other mums in Starucks/ Costas/ Morrisssons caff. Decide to enjoy the freedom and not be sad. Eat a muffin without sharing!

plus3 · 22/09/2008 16:50

Smile at everyone, act cheerful as they head into to school and sob (if the need is felt once they are out of sight