to dread my child starting school

[NewBirdOnTheBlock]

if threads on MN are anything to go by?

PTA, play dates, playground bitches, stolen uniforms, water bottles (WTF! I grew up in Gibraltar (v.v. hot) and we never shrivelled and died!) vest or no vest, jeez, the list goes on.

Are all schools a minefield as it would appear from reading threads on here? i am dreading the thought of it

No not all are. But its a small training for life at school. It wouldnt be good to stay at home all your childhood with only mum there. You have to learn to deal with other people. I think the social interaction is as important as the learning side . Be positive and then your child will be too. They will make new friends and may well enjoy once settled in.

I don't think most schools are that bad Newbird
Although I don't do PTA, or playdates, I don't really know any of the other mums - unless I need to see dd's teacher I drop off or pick up, and leave!

No they are not. School life as represented on MN bears absolutely no resemblance to real life for me! Uniforms don't get stolen, the school provides water bottles, I've never noticed a teacher looking askance at DD's vest, the other mums are pretty much all nice and friendly, 'play dates' are a very relaxed ad hoc thing and the PTA are not remotely mafia-like. You forgot to mention reading levels by the way - these seem to be a special kind of hell in themselves. Again we don't have them here.

But then I don't live in the South East of England which probably helps.

Nah, I've never had a properly awful experience. It's all been good..about to do it all for the second time round too

I can understand why you feel like that! I don't recognise most of the schools on here so don't worry. A lot of parents don't like what goes on in schools because they are having to relinquish control of their dc's day to someone else so water bottles, contents of lunchboxes, playground boisterousness, suncream, reading levels etc take on huge significance. Makes for some 'interesting' reading that's all. You'll be fine!

People tend to post more when they are annoyed by something, not much of the normal day to day stuff makes it online, it just isn't that interesting, if you are lucky there will be one thing worthy of a thread on MN moaning about the school a year.

Imagine how boring it would be if we all posted saying

' dropped DCs at school this morning, chatted to another mum came home, did ironing/mned/went to work. Picked up DCs after school did homework and had tea.'

Most days that is pretty much it.

me too. I am glad I work full time and will never see the evil school gate bitches!

I dont actually want DS to get beyond 2 sometimes!!!

If you think about the number of DC, parents, and schools represented by the population of MN, you get a sense of perspective about the tales of woe... Yes all these horrors do happen, but not to most people most of the time.

I never had a single issues with the PTA, an argument about water bottles, lunchboxes, homework, vests, or any of these things in the whole of DSs time in school.

Occasionally an issue came up, I went into school, talked calmly to the teacher, and we reached a resolution. Sometimes the conclusion was that the teacher would do something, and sometimes it was that I had misunderstood and there wasn't really a problem.

I think that's a much more "typical" experience of school than the things which come up on MN threads. Not that those things don't happen, but that they are the exception rather than the rule.

heh heh heh the suncream threads haven't started yet

Schools are wonderful places: you can send your offspring off there and enjoy a quiet morning on MN with a cup of coffee! With a bit of luck they will come home and tell you something you didn't know before.

I do live in the South East of England and haven't a clue what level water bottle my dcs are on. But I don't half appreciate that coffee

I predict suncream threads after Whitsun. Closely followed by teachers' holiday bitching threads. Then the predictable why-are-uniforms-out-of-stock threads in late August.

What level water bottle my dsc are on

Funny old MN innit - what a bunch of contrary marys. Millions of threads about the awfulness of school and then when someone posts directly about it everyone jumps on to say how great school is! I remember dreading in the same way and now we are coming to the end of primary I can say that it was overall positive but it is a shock to the system. The worst for me was the school's insistence that a 4 year-old should 'take responsibility' for his belongings, his actions, his learning, etc etc. School can be unfair and unpleasant sometimes and staff can be unreasonable and you will have to suffer the pain of separation but that's parenthood for you.

that's because life is contrary, nut! we have had some rotten experiences in primary school- and some great ones! all part of life's great tapestry and all that. as long as I get my cup of coffee....

Aye aye cory. More great than rotten I presume? Again, like MN. You shouldn't have mentioned coffee...leads to biscuits...leads to DAMNATION!

Everything about the DCs school is so refreshingly normal and non-controversial and non-upsetting that it is rarely worth posting about.

I expect your chil's school will be much the same