Please tell me all the great things about primary school

[toastwithbutter]

My oldest is starting in sept and I’m so sad. My two DC play together constantly as very close in age, and I work 3 days so have two days a week with them both home with me. It’s been the best time of my life.

I can’t help but feel so sad that my eldest won’t be with us much during the week any more, and although I’m super positive in front of him I feel privately a bit apprehensive about it all!

Could you please tell me all the good things about when your children start primary school to help me feel more positive?

Feeling part of the local community - I made many friends in my local area once DD started school. I feel more rooted in where I live now somehow.

Love the chats we have on the walk to school.

Really enjoy looking through her workbooks on parents evening and seeing all the cute little stories she has written.

My youngest in doing their gCSE exams now and I cannot believe that after this I’ll have no child ina school.
I see mums and their primary kids going home chatting, mum usually carrying the book bags and oh it makes my heart ache for what I had.

Learning more about who they are away from you, meeting the kids who will become their friends and seeing them grow. Listening to their new discoveries every day, celebrating their wins with them (no matter how small) and bursting with pride about what they can do.
honestly I felt the same when my dd (only) went to school but she thrived and it was amazing seeing her world widen ( she’s now in her 9)

You get to watch them grow towards becoming an adult... they learn new things, find confidence and have different experiences.

I do remember DD2 being a little lost though when DD1 first started though.

Youngest will enjoy some one to one time as they won’t have had as much of that before.

Primary is a lovely time imo...and the day flies by, they're home before you know it and there's endless holidays, inset days etc

They so quickly grow and develop into lovely, polite, autonomous kids. They have their own lives which hurts a bit but makes you burst with pride when you see them making their own little friendship group or solving problems for themselves. They're SO PROUD of the things they learn and want to show them off to you all the time.
The way they run to you at the end of the day and throw themselves into your arms, and then immediately ask to stay and play more 😁😁.
The teacher we have is also wonderful and I've learn so much about dealing with children from watching her.

My favourite bit about Reception was seeing my DS absolutely blossom in confidence. School has been so good for him.

Aah OP I feel for you. You get used to spending so much time together, it is a big change.

I promise there are lots of positives. Your child learning so many new things, making friends they’ve chosen, play dates, birthday parties, going to watch their performances/sports days. You feel part of a bigger, closer community, there’s always something going on (ParentMail, special lunches, homework projects, reading, raffles, certificates/medals, etc).

And when they are occasionally off school unwell you still get that time to relax, cuddle, read stories, re-live some of the unhurried time you’ve enjoyed spending together so much ☺️

I also found I had more time to do a broader range of activities with my younger DD than when we were collecting my DS at 11.30am from Nursery, the day was more open for us to go swimming and to different groups which ended later.

I hope the transition goes well for you all ☺️