Child starting reception in September - your best tip please!

[Coffeeonadrip]

As above, daughter starts reception in September. She's an only child. What's your best tip to survive this with some sanity intact?? She's been going to preschool so she should be ok separation and making friends wise. Will I be ok though?

Expect her to outgrow her uniform within about 6 months and the shops make not have a huge range or availability where you need to buy the next size up.

@RamItBunty

Don’t feel compelled to do pta or volunteering, it’s not mandatory and it’s best left to the competitive mums they love all that I do sooooo much

In that case don't get your child a ticket to the disco, Halloween party or Christmas fair.

Teach her to dress (including shoes and coat) and use the toilet/wash hands independently. Teach her to recognise her name.

Get at least 3 sets of uniform, 5 if you don‘t want to wash midweek. Name EVERYTHING.

Expect her to be exhausted, keep evenings and weekends low key for the first half of term. Take a snack for pickup.

Remember with the getting undressed- keep the pants on! A friend is a reception teacher and she says the first time she tells a class to get undressed at least 50% get totally naked.

Mine seemed to need a full cooked meal with pudding at 4.30pm whether or not they'd had hot school meals and a snack after school. Also after school activities on Friday were missed more often than not. Even if the child is used to 8-6 5 days a week in nursery, it's a real shock to the system.

Pta emails and the whiny shout out emails for volunteers All deleted immediately

I normally get all DC’s uniform from m&s and Sainsbury’s. I’d buy twice a year as half way through we’d struggle with gems and bobbling/colour fade.
Last year I got DS’s from Asda as school wanted a really specific shade of dark grey and Oh My Life! They still look brand new! I am converted!

Hems not gems

Keep very positive! She needs to feel excited, not worried and she'll feed off your emotions. Look forward to it, it's such a wonderful, special time x

Also 100% agree with snack at pick up

@Treezan82

Keep very positive! She needs to feel excited, not worried and she'll feed off your emotions. Look forward to it, it's such a wonderful, special time x

Yes your dd will look to you for cues and you need to be positive It’s exciting and scary

@Katjolo

Label everything.

Including shoes. They all have nearly identical shoes! There was a thread on here about a child who was investigated medically for all kinds of serious ailments after she developed a bad limp.

Turned out she'd mixed her shoes up and had odd sizes on

If your school allows coloured polo shirts rather than white, get the coloured ones! White ones go greyish no matter how many times I wash them in a hot wash with whites only and vanish. And sunscreen stains them yellow around the neck. Ditto for white socks, get black, grey or navy whatever suits your uniform.

Be prepared for them to come home filthy, daily baths here (normally don't because of sensitive skin) and the autumn term was a total mud nightmare.

They will be oh so tired especially in the first term so low key after school and simple dinners. Mine went to bed at 6:30pm no exaggeration until the half term just gone and slept 12 hours straight each night, it's now more like 7/7:30 as she's gotten used to school.

Be prepared for the inevitable fallings out even with children this young and try not to get involved unless your child is hurt or really upset. I couldn't believe I had to deal with this is reception (and I did have to get involved because mine was hit several times).

If your child goes to nursery you'll be used to receiving much more detailed updates on their day than you receive at school. Especially in covid times, you drop off, you pick up and you don't really speak to the teacher unless there's a problem. Very different to the daily breakdowns you get in nurseries/preschools. You're about to become a whole lot less involved in their lives and it's weird to begin with.

Don’t worry about having everything you need for the first day of school. Shops sell uniform stuff all year round so if you aren’t sure what bits to get you can always get the basics and then get other things later as you have more of an idea.

Following..good luck op

Buy spare contents for pencil case as it’ll inevitably get lost

If you’re interested, there’s a lady near me who runs ‘school readiness’ workshops, I did one in the run up to my dd starting and I found it really helpful. Little things I could do at home to help dd prepare, and a chance to ask lots of questions. I’ll see if I can find the link. It’s on zoom or in person.

I got an iron on patch so my DS could identify his book bag easily (his is a Dino)

Label everything, buy one more jumper than you think you need 🤣

I'm trying heat transfer vinyl to label inside necks of cardigans this year (not a big outlay since I have a cutting machine and can use scraps to cut names out) - cos Sharpie isn't as great if you've got a navy or dark green colour uniform.

Arrows or half a sticker inside shoes (I've always done -->

ChristinaLydon on Instagram or schoolreadiness.co.uk

Buy uniform a size up, not the size that fits perfectly in September. Buy from the second hand pool if there is one, M&S is good quality for new. Five tops, two or three bottoms, two or three jumpers or jackets. Don't just use name labels, they can be removed from stolen jackets, use a fabric sharpie.

Don't buy white socks unless you have to, grey never look dirty.

It's not all or nothing with volunteering. We both work so no time for PTA (all the meetings are in the middle of the day anyway) but agreed between us we would do one thing each term (e.g. parent helper on a library trip, only takes a couple of hours) and both do a stint on a stall at the summer fair. I also did a lot of work to help a teacher sort out the school garden (because I like it!).

Schools have differing attitudes to homework. The way they talk about it often indicates it 'has' to be done, but in reception I guarantee you the teacher will not be much bothered and beyond reading there is no evidence it helps with anything. Have a chat with them and don't do it if it's stressful or a struggle with tired kids. You will set it up as a battle. Eldest was into year 2 before she would realistically concentrate on spellings etc. Go to the park for a runaround instead.

Ooh yes second jersey uniform. Loads easier to get on and off, doesn't look tatty, very comfy. Basically they can wear joggers. M&S seems to last very well and have been able to hand it all down.

Keep a new shirt ready for picture day 👍🏻

Sharpie the back of the woven badge with their initials as well (if they have one).