First child at school, wow

[dinoice]

So, we are now on day six, and I have to confess I am exhausted, never mind my child.

I am in absolute awe of how anyone manages this, plus works full time and manages to look like anything other than a person who has been dragged backwards through a hedge.

I try and be organised, I am organised, but wow.

I need to get four of them up, dressed and fed and out by 8am. Pre school we left at 830 anyway, but under no pressure to do so.

Now, absolutely certain someone will poo at 7.59.

Twenty minute drive, eldest taken in, she's managing well. Either leave other three in car or wrestle them all out and down and back.

Off to do chores, or work three mornings, with those three, play based job.

Back home, lunch, naps. That's now chaos, move nap half an hour earlier, absolutely bloody horrific. Chaos.

Leave 2.30 with three screaming children to collect for 3 (see morning point about being late).

Home 330ish, start on tea, empty bag, paperwork to fill in, snacks to sort for everyone tomorrow, water bottles, new clothes, gym kits whatever.

Tea, bath, homework. This is causing issues, everyone wants to do homework, so I have a two year old, three year old, four year old and the actual child at school doing the same homework.

Fall into bed and start again, plus the numerous wake ups, dogs to walk, everything else I've forgotten. Oh yes, I work admin in the evenings three nights.

Scared to look at the PTA stuff, house is a tip, why did I get white polo shirts.

Is it nearly the holidays!!!

Honestly it gets better once the weather is cooler use joggers for pjs and you will get fewer raised eyebrows

Op I feel you I too have 4 children 9 7 4 3 I also live rural I have to walk 6 miles I take the 2 dogs also to kill 2 birds with 1 stone ( I'm epileptic can't drive) it gets easier as they get older we leave out at 8am and I arrive home with 3 year old at 10.00am I clean up have a cup of tea wash iron clothes and back out at 2pm to pick up,home for 4ish depends if 3 year old starts messing around! Cook & clean kitchen,homework,reading baths and beds!
There's no way I could add work into this house would be upside down the dogs wouldn't get walked,I already look like a walking zombie 😅.
In September 3 year old starts nursery for 2 days a week part of me is saying to relax and enjoy those 2 days the other part of me is telling me to go back to college.

Fair point but that accounts for absolutely zero braking or turns or overtaking cyclist indeed anything at all!

And means the op starts her engine and it instantly hits 30mph and she roars off!

Welcome to primary school! You do have 4 very young children though, they'll get older and easier

Come again

you walk 6 miles on rural roads with 4 young children day in and day out?

Oh and two dogs

Yes I do 3 miles there 3 miles back I've no other option

I know I'm sort but picturing all your little ones doing homework like their biggest sibling makes me feel all weepy, it's so cute.
You've got it so tough now, I really sympathise, and it feels like it will never end, but please make sure you still take lots of pics and vids for when you can look back with fondness. (In 20 years...)
(Ps def do not have any more babies...)

You're not obliged to do the homework.

We listen to ours reading the reading books they bring home because listening to them read (and reading to them) is proven to really help them learn to read. The rest we ignore. Thankfully our school also thinks homework in primary is a waste of time so they don't harrass us to do it.

@SmellyNelliey do you definitely not qualify for free school transport? Where we are you get it if you are more than 2 miles away.

Now, absolutely certain someone will poo at 7.59.

This perfectly sums up my experience of motherhood.

On rural roads with 4 young children and 2 dogs?

if ever I heard a reason for moving - that’s one. For their safety and quality of life if nothing else

who wants to be 6 years old and walking 3 miles home in pouring rain after a full day at school?

Why am I the only one who can’t see the new edit button so I can change sort to soft?!

No our school (little village school ) don't offer that,the secretary will help if I've had a seizure and she will pick them up/drop off if one is poorly ect,if the cows are not in the fields we will go through them which cuts the time and distance and makes it alot safer.

Thank you all. The driving comments have made me giggle.

Time wise I NEED to leave at eight, because school starts at 830. It's ten miles, should take twenty minutes, but factor in pheasants, sheep, tractors, burst rivers, whatever else. Then I need to actually park. Get out the car.

Yes they are cute at homework. Perhaps they could all go now!

It's nice to chat here. I might run over the next person who says to me oh it must be so much easier having one at school. NO. NO it is NOT.

Perhaps I should tell school it's all or nothing !

It's the local authority that provides transport if your nearest school is more than 2 miles away, not the school itself.

@SmellyNelliey that's really really tough. Hats off to you.

You absolutely should get help.

I would take you if I could!

This. Unless you are not in the UK, get on to your local authority. You should qualify under both distance and safe walking route rules.

https://www.gov.uk/free-school-transport

@SmellyNelliey

there must be more to this

how on earth can you traipse 3 miles through fields at 7.30am in the morning in jan with 4 young children

and then the same again when it’s dark on the way back

this is no quality of life for you and certainly
not for your children

Wow op I’m exhausted reading that and I’ve been there, take the younger ones in pjs just change nappies make sure all clean and dry and fling in car a lot of it is just organisation and making sure you’ve left in time. I’ve been there and now my youngest just started high school - 4 boys
it’s great we moved so high school is literally 5 mins away after doing school runs for years with all the kids to primary and secondary I can sit in my livingroom and wave him off. It is tough op and it will be for a while but it flies in and you’ll find yourself with 4 school age kids soon wondering where the time went. (That’s me now)

Put the younger 3 to bed in ‘pyjamas’ that are just leggings/shorts and a t shirt. No need to get them dressed in the morning (yep, slob mum alert lol). Put 4 bananas or peanut butter sandwich in the car for the next day breakfast. They can eat in the car (and it will keep them
quiet). God speed

There is more to this our local school allowed my 2 eldest to be physically,mentally and emotionally bullied due to there colour of skin,so this was the better option for the DC I have tried to move for the past 4 years,but unfortunately where in this situation so I've got to make the best out of it.
I'm going to apply to see if there is help for the school run.

Two things: once DC has settled in a bit, can you get them doing some afterschool activities a few nights a week so the the pick up is a bit later? Like 4.20? And homework: what Reception aged kid is having to do homework? That is totally unnecessary & I would drop it totally

Or more likely that the roads mean she can drive at 40/50/60mph for parts (as someone who lives rurally, we have plenty of roads that I'd call rural in that you wouldn't want to walk them with 4 kids as there's no pavement but are double width with proper lines and are more than suitable for their national speed limit) and when you factor in turns/braking/overtaking you come out at a lower average 🙂