School dilemma. What would you do?

[MmeLindt]

DH has a new job, supposed to be starting 1st October so we are all moving to Switzerland soon.

The contracts were signed at the end of June and we are just waiting for the goahead from the CEO who has to approve the contract. According to the company this is a formality but they cannot start the ball rolling on the removal until it has been signed. It is a new job in the company that DH has been working for for about 5 years.

For some reason the contracts have not been approved yet although we have been assured that they will be.

Now to the part with the schools.

We are at present in Germany and the schools go back next Tuesday. I had decided not to put DD to school (she should be starting this year) here as she would only be going for 4 - 6 weeks before the move.

Now the move might be delayed, and I don't know what to do. Realistically we have to move in September as we are not goign to have a house here from 1st Oct.

If she goes to school next week I am worried that she will just get settled and then we will have to move her to a new school, where she does not know anyone and she does not speak the language. Logically, the new school is goign to come off worse in a comparison.

Would you put her to school here, even if it just going to be for a few weeks? Do we risk not putting her to school and if the move is delayed have her not starting school until perhaps November.

If you have got this far, then I would be grateful for any comments and suggestions as I am fed up with the sleepless nights while I lie awake and worry about her.

Have to go and make tea/put the DCs to bed but will be back later.

sorry to be blabbing so much all over the thread, just occurred to me to ask how long the school day is at your school.

Here things are in a state of flux. First school had become a "verlässliche Halbtagsschule" 8-1.30pm, kids came out starving because they hadn't had lunch and it's a lot of hours crammed in, lots of sitting, no real place to run around just the half hour standing around.

School number 2 "verpflichtende Ganztagsschule"= 8-4pm, 8 hour day is very hard on the dc

If yours is still the old system 8-12, that might be less stressful (90 minutes less than dd had intitially and home for lunch say 12.30).

Just seen this thread MmeLindt.

I think I'd be inclined to let her start school in Germany, as long as she wants to. If all her friends are starting she may feel she is missing out if she is at home with you.

We've had a number of these type of decisions to make over the past year and I find it incredibly hard. You so much want to do the right thing for your dc and end up thinking that whatever you chose will be wrong. I feel your pain

SSsandy
Don't worry about blabbing too much, your thoughts and experiences are helpful.

We sat down with some neighbours yesterday, was supposed to be a BBQ but it rained so we had to stay indoors. Got nicer later when the DCs were in bed so we sat outside wiht a Prosecco/Aperol. That did help.

We have decided to put her to school here. There is still no word on the move and I don't want to risk her being out of school for 3 months. If it is just 6 or 8 weeks, then well, at least she has had some experience of school life.

We have a verlässliche Ganztagsschule here but tbh, it is just a mornign school with an afterschools club. There are no lessons in the afternoon. She will go from 8am to 11.45am so not too a long day.

I am still a bit unsure about the whole thing but we have to make a decision and I have to hope that whatever we do will be right for her now.

Thanks to everyone who posted, it has really helped me to write this all down and get all your ideas.

Update
Well, today was DD's first look at the school, she was shown her class and put her art materials away. Tomorrow there is a church service and she has a short lesson.

And what happened this morning? Yes, DH got the signature. Gah!

So it looks like she will only be going to school about 6 weeks.

She was very happy to go to school though, as she is very very bored at home. So she will have something to do and will have a bit of experience of school before we move.