4 year old starting school this year as a mum feeling so emotional and overwhelmed…

[Dreamymama]

My summer born will be starting reception this year sept and I have been so emotional about it everytime I think about it I tear up and just the feeling that he will be at school I will see less of him how will he cope with the transition all these things are making me overwhelmed.. he is my only child at the moment and we are planning for another one soon.. but is this normal? Have other mums felt like this?

I don’t know how the gif got in there lol

It is emotional, but he'll be absolutely fine. From a working parent's point of view, the school day is really, really short and they're always on holiday, so you'll see plenty of him still!

Ok the gif made me laugh lol 😂

Aw of course your feelings are completely normal, once you've settled into the new routine you'll be fine. Evenings, weekends, inset days, school holidays you'll see him plenty 😃 To me the school days seem to fly by and they're home before I've got everything I need to do done 😂

Aw, he will be fine. It is a big change but most schools are geared up for it and have strategies in place for any bits that children might find difficult. He might be tired to start with, even if he's used to childcare. You'll be the one going through all the emotions!

(All of the above is dependent on him being a child and not a lamb btw.)

Chances are he’ll love it. There will be many other summer borns in with him so not sure that’s a factor. If he’s in nursery they’ll already be doing school readiness with him so he’ll be more prepared than you think! Make it an exciting thing :) and yes you’ll still spend the majority of the week with him :)

My 4yo is starting in September, but she’s at preschool nearly full time so logistically not much change for us - but I’m still emotional!

Haha, I have no idea where the gif came from 😅

that does sound like I will still see him quite a bit, I guess it’s just a mom emotion hopefully once he’s settle I will feel better 😅

Also, my 4yo is more than ready for it. She needs it now, the change. She’s outgrowing the preschool and needs the challenge of primary I think

Haha the last line made me laugh I literally have no idea where that gif came from 😂😂

hopefully once he is a bit settled into school I will feel better :)

yep having one in preschool almost full time, if you WFH or are a SAHM I guarantee it feels like they’re never there. Plus the 8-3 goes very very quickly.

Yes he has been going to nursery for a year now! For him I am making it so exciting and he’s so happy to go start school but I guess just as a mum it feels so emotional

I have an August born who was only 5 months out of nappies and fairly new to speaking in sentences when he started (turns out ADHD was making him a bit behind on these things). I wasn't emotional about it though I kind of wished, other than losing the full time childcare fees, we could have delayed, but it wasn't an option at the time.

Despite his lack of maturity compared to most peers he did cope well and was happy with school. After his first full week he said 'I don't like school, I LOVE school' They do take things quite gently in Reception and he was able to manage. Learning was and still is a bit of a challenge but he's never disliked school.

Aww bless it’s just a mum thing isn’t it such a big step for us aswell 🥲
i think my son is also ready to take the next step now specially mentally, emotionally I am a bit worried but hopefully he will settle within a few weeks.

Yes I WFH so just feeling like he’s not going to be around much gets me emotional 🥲

It's fine, he'll be tired and cranky for the first few months whilst he adjust but this next stage of life is so exciting, they learn so much that they are eager to share with you become experts in random topics and start to become their own person away from home.

If you (adults in the house) are organised with household chores etc then there is still plenty of time to play when he gets home and weekends and holidays.

That "time slipping through my fingers" Abba song always gets me in September though and DD starts GCSEs this September.

The best thing you can do to help your child cope with the transition is by taking a deep breath and calming down about it. Your job as a parent is to prepare him for the world, and this is a little step towards that. See it as something you are doing, rather than something you’re relinquishing. It might be time for you to take some new steps too — back into the workplace, retraining, a new skill?

Aww bless him, this makes me so happy to ready though I also fear that my son might not like school as he is also just 5 months since he’s potty trained and still doesn’t know how to use the toilet properly by himself which I am working on him now. I did find out
today that half of the kids from
his daycare are going to the same school as him so that does make me happy that he will still have familiar faces around him

He's at the end Y8 nowand still not turning 13 until the holidays. I was worried about maturity and secondary but he has found his little crew and seems quite happy although the learning is stepping up in challenge for him.

I just heard that song and now I am crying like a baby.. 🥲🥲
but yes it’s a new chapter in his life and I am so happy for him just a bit worried but I guess that’s just us mums

Completely normal to feel this way, both my children are summer borns. School half terms are only 6 or 7 weeks long then they have a week off and two weeks off every term end usually. The school run becomes a normal way of life, stay organised, update your calendar every time school contacts you about something they need to bring in. He will be exhausted for the first few weeks because it is so exciting, a new teacher, new setting and new faces along with some familiar ones.

I have just finished 18 years of school runs and goodness doesn't it go fast. My summer borns thrived, made great friends, had a brilliant time learning all new things and the school was fantastic. I met some lovely school Mums some of whom I am still friends with today (and seeing tonight for dinner.)

Honestly, these things do tend to mostly work out. Ds1 I don't think properly realised what school was (when I asked him what he'd done he said "queued for lunch") but was happy enough to go there every day. DS2 it was a bit trickier - within a week his best friend from nursery decided he didn't like him any more (not cool/footbally enough) so he was very upset. But the teacher was wise enough to sit him next to a very capable, sociable little girl, he became an honorary member of the girl gang, and all was well. They're still pals now, at 17 yo! So, even if things go wrong, they'll be ok eventually.

Completely normal. We have normalised being separated from our children at age 4 (& them from us) for large amounts of the day but is it really normal… there’s a reason you’re feeling the way you do. I unschool my DC though so I look at these situations differently to most on here! Just wanted to say though that it’s very normal to feel so strange about it x

Of course it’s normal to not be around your 4 year old 24/7. The SAHM as ‘norm’ is a very recent time- and culture-specific idea. Most women through history have always worked, leaving younger children in the care of older ones or elderly people, or sending them out to wet nurses.

Totally normal op! My son starts in September too, he's one of the oldest (Dec birthday) but super sensitive with some delays, so I'm feeling very anxious about him starting.

I work part time and got a bit sad today thinking this is the last week where I can take him out in the week where it's quiet because after next week it's just weekends and holidays where places will be busy. But we'll adjust I'm sure!

I agree with others though - we're lucky in that we don't need wraparound care so he'll go at 8.45 and be home by 3.30, plus weekends plus holidays, training days, poling days etc.

We'll be sobbing away on their first day while they're playing and eating and having fun no doubt 🤣

School is better than taking them down the mines with us though, eh?