How do you find out what your child has done at school today? 3 days in to primary school and I know nothing!

[Platesmasher]

Ok so I know more than nothing.

We've had the letters S and A and actions to go with them.
We know that he has to put his hand up to ask a question which was enthusiastically demonstrated.
And we know the name of the boy he sits next to and that he got told off for shouting.
And that he keeps his gym kit under his desk.

But really, what about all the other bits in between.

I demand a video recording of his every moment.

IABU I know.

Help!

[Morloth]

I get "Nothing" when I ask.

His buddies are always ready to throw him in it though, as he is them.

I just figure he has a part of his life now that I am not part of.

[Platesmasher]

yes, i have to admit to feeling pangs of excitement while ironing....and wondered just how long that would last? not long i imagine.

at poo (with custard) for lunch.
DS1's favourite answer to any question is also poo.

[flimflammum]

LOL, my DS has just started school too (we're overseas). He does tell me stuff, but I'm never sure what to believe. I actually wrote in his communication book, 'DS told me he saw a samurai shield at school today, is this true?' The teacher replied, 'not as far as I'm aware'.

Then after his first PE lesson he told me they 'didn't have PE because Liam didn't know what a circle was'.

Actually, I was just ironing name labels into his uniform the other day, and suddenly felt like a real mum for the first time, not a baby-mama iyswim.

[pillowcase]

I say in the car 'has anyone anything interesting to tell me?' and then they all compete to tell me some snippet of their day. Works a treat! (guess it might be hard with just one in school though, could try it when teh dh/dp is there...)

[Northumberlandlass]

My DS is going to into Yr1 in a couple of weeks. I didn't get an update in his book until about a week after he started, then we had parent / teacher meetings before Oct half term. But EVERYDAY this was our conversation...

Me: What did you do at school today ?
DS: Nothing

Me: What did you have for school lunch ?
DS: Poo
Me: Was it something nice for pudding?
DS Yes, Poo with custard.

[waitingforfanjo]

When my DS started state nursery in january (aged 3) I was surprised at how different it was from his private nursery. Like someone else said, they seem to just get sucked in through the open door & the next 2.5 hours remain a complete mystery.

I stopped asking him what he did after about 2 months, because I just got told 'nothing'. If pressed he would say he'd been on the computer. Every day. And did nothing else. I did actually ask the teacher if he did anything else .

Now I just say 'did you have a nice time?' and am just grateful for the funny little snippets I glean. Like who was naughty, who's got a rash which girl was sick all over the floor and who wet their pants. Lovely!

[choosyfloosy]

try making statements. 'i wonder what you did today.' 'i wonder if you learned about S and A again today'. This works better with ds than questions.

Having said that, Year 1 next Wednesday may be a whole new world of 'nothing'...

[seeker]

I say "Tell me one good thing and one bad thing that happened today" This is particularly effective if you have a car full of children from the same class - 5 good things and 5 bad things gives you a pretty good picture of the day!

[mybabywakesupsinging]

I have stopped asking ds1 what he does at nursery since he carefully explained how he had climbed up a ladder onto the (very high) ceiling and mended all the lights. Apparently the nursery staff were very pleased about it.
I await with interest any gems from school...

[merrymonsters]

I find that the best way to find out what's going on is not to ask at all. I think the 'what did you do at school today?' question really puts them on the spot. Since I've stopped asking, they just tell me stories later on when they think about it.

[sweetkitty]

DD1 has done gym in which she played shark game and played with hula hoops, then her befriender said she like her Bratz pants, she didn't eat all her apples and she done lots of hard work

DD2 who is at nursery is learning about "Ramadam where they don't eat when they sun come up but eat when they sun goes down and then have a big party called Eid on prayer mats" love it!!!

[moodlumthehoodlum]

DD was the same for the first term. If I relied upon her for info, the only thing I would have found out about in the whole term was that her friend William was sick near the fish tank. Not exactly a whole term's work but there we go.

What does work with my dd is to find someone else in the playground who has a more helpful vocal child, find out from their parent something that has gone on, and then ask nonchalantly about that? Could that work?

[LightningBolt]

Moodlum,I have tried all of the above and he can never remember,apart from telling me about playing ben 10 and Dr Who in the playground.

[moodlumthehoodlum]

Say - what was the best bit?

What was the worst bit?

And (DD particularly likes this one..) who was naughty/silly?

Works a treat every time, and you get nuggets of info you wouldn't normally get.

[LightningBolt]

Ds always says "I can't remember" when I ask him what he has done at school,lol.

Luckily the parents evenings provide a better insight.

[Platesmasher]

...and he met a girl at lunchtime who had chocolate sandwiches.

[Platesmasher]

I got a recital of a speech some big kid made canvassing for group captain votes.
For a moment i though he was going for it...something about 'Please let me be house captain because i am nice and i like people'.

It was obviously the most impressive thing he'd seen all day.

I didn't ask though, he just started making a speech...he seems happy so I'm not worried. I just want to know 'stuff'.

[MrsMerryHenry]

Still sitting on your hands, Smasher? Have you cracked yet?

[Takver]

Nah, mistymoo, that's not true at all. You find out very quickly if
a) they do something awful
b) they run full tilt into a wall at playtime.
In the latter case you will find that not only do you know, but so does everyone else in what seems like a 10 mile radius.

[Mistymoo]

My first reaction to your question was:

You don't and never will.

[Takver]

Try asking what they had for pudding at lunchtime I always got an enthusiastic answer for that one!

[Platesmasher]

thanks for indulging me on this thread.
I need moral support.

And he does seem awfully tired for a child who has done nothing all day.

He's ready for bed at 6!

[FlyMeToDunoon]

Ah yes the parents who demnded to know why their children weren't doing anything all day at school. Their children were 'not liars' so if they said they were doing nothing it must be true!
And those who demanded that their child 'not just play all day'
I loved the looks on those parent's faces when I showed them the books of letter formation, number work, the drawings, paintings and craft projects we had done.

It is a bit sad when they start school because a large part of their lives becomes hidden from you. But it is a part of growing up for them.

[elmofan]

no news is good news

[Pandoraneedsbugs]

3 days in and you know all that!
Im quite as that is more than I would got from my ds at that age!