AIBU to think first day of primary school celebrations are excessive?

[EineyMiney]

Hi, we live in Scotland so today was DSs first day of school, starting primary 1. I’m just home from dropping him off and I can’t help but think what a circus!
We didn’t do anything special, just a normal school morning, no balloons, DH didn’t take the morning off, no grandparents came over. I was really trying to make sure DS wasn’t overwhelmed.
However, when I dropped DS off, there were multiple families with both parents, younger siblings, grandparents at the gate getting pictures. The school did say only 2 parents in the classroom but even this felt like too many and I’m not sure why it couldn’t be one parent per child.
In addition to that I noticed almost all the children had the bloody expensive optional blazers! Why? They are only 4 or 5!
Then I got home opened instagram and now I’m seeing plenty of children with balloons saying first day of school!

AIBU to think this is totally excessive and not necessary and probably not even good for the children who are just going to be overwhelmed.

My neighbours dc started last Wednesday I heard them say on Friday on the way out "but ive been to school already" 😂

England don’t have mid year starts either. They had a January intake when I started in the late 80s but that stopped soon after I think.

Some parents may choose to delay the start until the term after a child turns 5 but that isn’t common practice.

When I started in early 80's we had 3 term intakes.
The September - December birthdays started in September.
January - April started after Christmas.
Then the summer birthdays after Easter.
It meant the summer birthdays only got one term in reception whereas the autumn birthdays had a full year.

Yanbu..the world's gone fucking mad and it's social media that's done it.

Local school to me doesn't even let parents in the playground. All these extra people blocking the road won't help matters. I believe reception teacher meets them at the main gate then walks them to classroom

This is the shit show that social media encourages, I'm so glad that my kids are grown up

I don't think there's anything wrong with it to an extent.

I took some photos of my child on his first day before going to the school - but at the front door at home. The school asked parents not to take photos in the morning but to take them at pick up - which was a good idea.

My child's grandparent came with us, but that was mainly for support as my child was very nervous about going. And his sibling came as I wasn't exactly going to leave a toddler home alone.

No way would I buy a blazer for a 5 year old (don't think our school even has them as an option luckily). I agree there's a lot of people trying to make money from balloons/selling random stuff that's all unnecessary and over the top. Sign of the times...

Our school did staggered starts, so if there ere any OTT parents (judging by the parents U know fairly well now there would have been) it would have been only 2 at a time as I think 2 or 3 children started each few days.

Much better way to do it....

I remember being very emotional when my son started school and going for a long walk and a good cry. All the instagram facebook nonsense, no need its just to brag. My husband and I went toghether to drop him off and get him settled, but he was so ready and waved us off no fuss. We did a few nice photos in the garden and that was that.

Couldn’t give a single fuck really

Bitter? You have a bloody cheek. Every thread I see you on you're arguing with people and being very rude.

I’ve just fallen down a SM first day rabbit hole and never mind the frilly uniform I’ve just witnessed my first photo of a kid in a hat. Assumed it must be a private school but no, looks like a normal state school and no one else wearing one.

Even when mine were starting school there was some very random clothing choices such as a tartan pinafore (school uniform was navy) and the navy blazer with red piping sewn all round it. I have no idea what goes through some parents beads

Fortunately none of the schools I worked in ever had any of this nonsense. It's just an almost guaranteed way of unsettling children, when they really need everything to be calm and matter of fact.
Considering how many children have attended a Nursery of some kind, often for longer daily than they will spend in school, it all seems rather pointless.

Each to their own but there were concerns raised a few years ago about the obligatory ‘in school uniform outside the house’ photo which could allow people to work out where a young child lived from knowing what school they went to and using google earth etc to look at nearby streets for the house.
Grim; but unfortunately the world is…..

Some of the frilly stuff is just dreadful. Wee girls dressed up like those dolly toilet roll holders. Just why?

What are you on about?

Why are a few balloons over the top but not a dedicated first day of school board?

I think both parents should definitely attend. And what’s the harm of a bloody balloon at home?

It’s just a balloon.

Oh this sounds like people need to get a life. Too much!

That happened with DS. We had to turn right to go to playgroup, and he was very excited to be turning left one day to go to school. The next day he wanted to turn right and when I reminded him about school being on the left he said "But we've been to school!"

Bonkers!

IIRC (Dd is 22) her first day at school comprised a couple of photos in the garden on her in uniform and then DH went into work late so we could both walk her to school. There were a few cheap balloons tied on the school gate and I probably made her favourite tea when she got home.

I am so glad I got to do all this without social media expectations.

40 plus years of working with nursery and reception age keeping things calm and low key at the start of school works best for most children by all means celebrate such a special day but big celebrations and family get together best kept to the end of the day.
We always had a cake at the end of first day of term and fish and chips from chippy on the first Friday!

I didn't even take DD on her first day - the joys of being a teacher 😐

Balloons and photo shoots - wouldn’t be me, but each to their own.

There’s nothing wrong with buying a blazer though, it’s not excessive.

A ballon is not - a ballon arch display I feel is too much