DS (5) won't be going to school until August. What should I do with him?!

[MultipleMama]

We're moving in December to a different country. DH and I have decided not to let him start this term to avoid more disruption to his routine especially when he'll be entering a whole new system in August(2014).

Now, we're stuck on what to do with him for those months. 2 mornings if the week he'll be attending day care with dd(2). I have 2 other dc and I'm PG so I'm struggling with ideas.

I work from home so in need of activities that are educational and that keep him and dd busy.

Any tips, advice, and ideas are welcome :)

December is months away. If he is 5 already I wouod definitely be sending him to the local school so he could have fun and get to do nice activities with some other kids. He will probably cope better with having to to leave in December than he will cope with hanging around with just you having to keep him occupied for the next few months, especially if you are trying to get some work done at the same time.

I agree, send him to school. The systems will be pretty similar, and surely better he learns to sit and listen and have structure to his day when everyone else is learning. I'd have thought he'd be bored silly at nursery. School can then give you pointers of what to do with him between December and August education wise.

Yes send him
He can start to learn sounds & letters
Can he read yet?
Plus he'll find it easier to socialise if he starts now

But as schools start this week I guess you've left it too late

Which country are you moving to? I bet he will be able to slot in to the school system in the new place in January.

Maybe look on the home education board for some ideas.

I would send him to school for the social aspect- unless you can explore HE and see if there are any groups he can slot into but,with other children and working, simply sending him to school would be easier.

Thanks for the tips. He turned 5 today. He can read really well and his writing is good too. We're moving to Germany and the 2 schools (one back-up) we're applying for don't start accepting applications until Jan for the August term (which is like our Sept term).

He is enrolled at the local school and today is an inset day so he should start tomorrow (this was our back up plan). The school has been informed that if he is absent he will not be attending and to call them in the morning (gone through all channels and informed them of upcoming move).

Reason I posted OP is because I'm having doubts and starting to panic. I wanted to know if I could make it work for all of us and DH needs to know by end of the day to take him tomorrow. He wants DS and DD home but now I'm 2nd guessing. We did want to home school but I found it overwhelming and left it too long to figure out something else as I've been too worried over other things and now I'm stuck. Talk about a cluster .

You're pregnant and working and have 2 other dc. Give yourself break! And do you honestly think you can effectively home school with everything else going on?

Send him to school. What's to lose really? He'll leave at or near the end of term with everyone else, just not go back.

Do kids not start til 6 in Germany? If they start at 5 I'd be talking to the school to get a special dispensation for him to start in the January. Otherwise he'll be out of education for a long time. Surely kids who move house over there don't have to wait months before going to a new school. It's really worth asking.

Even if he started this time next year in Germany that would be early (I have a friend in Germany whose DC are nearly 8 and 6 and the nearly 6 year old wont be starting school until next year. Although the nearly 8 year old did start when she was very nearly 6)

However I would have expected he would go to Kindergarten when you get to Germany - is that a possibility?

OP can't send him to school, only nursery. If he's turned 5 today, he's not eligible for school in this country until September 2014 anyway.

I'd find a decent nursery with a pool of children who've just missed out on the 2013 intake, and let him go there 5 mornings a week.

OP isn't in Germany til December Peter , just suggesting school til then.

Peter, that's nonsense assuming OP is in England. Full time education is compulsory the term after the child turns 5, but schools must accept children the September after their fourth birthday.

OP, as you've got a school place I'd be inclined to send him I think.

Peter he is definitely eligible for school in England - children born between 01/09/08 and 31/08/09 are able to start school com thus September.

At that age you hardly do anything with them educationally. Just play with him.
I did less than 15 mins a day with my ds at that age and when he went into school after easter he was way ahead of his classmates.

I think it would be counterproductive to send him to school here because the system will be different in Germany, the whole culture of education is different. Just enjoy your extra time with him.

So school it is. He turned 5 today and we petitioned for early admission which was accepted so he starts Year 1 tomorrow. He will be attending a International school in Germany and they start earlier than 6. We'll be taking him out of school during Christmas break if we decide on school... which is looking more likely.

Thanks for your input. I'll discuss it more with DH later. I do think I'm taking too much on but I had hoped things would have been more organized. Oh well haha. :)

How did school go? Hope he had a good first day.

HPDF took him and said he cried and threw a tantrum but DF stayed with some of the other parents (they could stay upto an hour) until DS settled in which took all of 5 minutes when a boy asked him to play. DH picked him up and couldn't shut him up all the way; he loved school.

So it worked out for the best, thanks everyone.

Oh that's great. Hope your move goes well in December.