Child starting reception - does anyone else find it feels so unnatural to let them go?

[Crazyoldmaurice]

My eldest daughter starts reception on Thursday, we met with her teacher and teaching assistant last week for a grand total of 15 minutes. My daughter is so so excited and desperate to start school and I know she'll love it so no particular concerns but is anyone else really battling with their gut right now? It just feels so odd and unnatural to entrust my daughter to 2 people who I've barely met for 6 hours a day.

Oh I HATED it!

I was horrified at leaving her. I'd been a SAHM so had never left her with anyone apart from her Gran.

However...it's good for them and they need it.

It gets much easier though...you will find it rewarding in a new way. It's lovely watching them make friends and learn things.

I cried when my youngest started school. I was so sad to leave behind toddler groups and that time I had just us on my days off. But she will love it! He's year 5 now and my daughter is year 8. It flies by!

Its absolutely awful and imagine how it feels to have a child who hates school. DS would cry every morning and plead 'mummy please don't make me go'. It goes against every motherly instinct to force them. Awful times. He's 11 now and just started secondary school, still doesn't particularly like it but has accepted he has to just get on with it. I still get the knot in my stomach. At 3/4 they're just babies still.

Teachers and school are experts at this. It's not just "leaving your child with 2 strangers". They are qualified and work hard to help your child learn and settle

Remember, they are only strangers for the first week.