Starting Primary school next week- eek! (Scottish mums)

[Scaredofthedark]

Support/help/advice thread for all those whose dc are starting primary 1 next week.

My dd starts next Wednesday and we've come to the arrangement that if she's brave and doesn't cry then neither will I!

I've explained to her that some little boys and girls might cry and mummies too because they might not know the school ( she went to the attached nursery).
Explained that the teacher is 'the boss' and to ask if she needs anything.

Also read a few that simple things like playground noise would be best told to children in advance-the playground will be very noisy, with lots of children running about everywhere so watch where you are going! Anyone else with advice?

Not much help (we are starting P4 and P6) but I well remember the first days.

If your DD has been at the attached nursery has she been taken up to P1 for induction? This would make it more familiar.
I seem to remember that the little ones took it all in their stride - it was the parents who were a bit weepy.

I found that when the bell went at the end of the day and they all come out was when I got misty eyed. They all looked so small.........

Good luck on Wednesday

I've taught P1 a few times. In my experience the mums are more worried than the kids. I'm sure you've thought of this already, but make sure you give out a positive won't-it-all-be-lovely-fun sort of attitude. Several times I've had kids who scream and cry when mum is still there, seemingly terrified of going into school, which in turn upsets mum, but as soon as mum is away they are happy as larry. The kids pick up on mums feelings and act out to it. Loads of kids cry a bit the first few days but 9 times out of 10 they are fine within 5 mins of mummy leaving.

My DS is only 3 and starting nursery next week, I am trying SO hard to take my own advice but the idea of my baby going to nursery is so traumatic!

HI there.

My dd is starting P1 on Wednesday too, and boy is she determined that she is not going!!

I have no real tips either (been there, done it with ds1), except to relax, which was easy with ds1 as he is so easy going and was so ready for school! dd is a completely different kettle of fish. i dont think she will cry, but she will make it known that shes not happy. She went for an induction before end of term, which seemed to go ok, but her class has a probationer 3 days a week, so the poor girl is gonna have a rough few weeks till dd decides if she likes her!

Good luck on wednesday, i think I may need it too!! lol!

My dd goes back on Monday into P3 and she is looking forward to getting back and seeing all her friends again. DS is going back for nursery but it will be all change there as only 3 were left in his group at the end of the last term and he will have a new keyworker too - lots of new faces and friends to be made.

ds starts P2 next week and remember last year well.

Had him all mentally prepared and day 1 was fine, at our school they handled the whole thing really well. They staggered the time each class started so only one P1 class was going in at a time. We got to take them all into the classroom, helped find their named coatpegs/seats and the teachers/teaching assistants took photos of them in their tiny little seats at their tiny little desks.

Some families had mum/dad/gran/grandpa/etc/etc which made it a bit overly busy and stressed some kids out a bit. He was fine when I left him at his desk (and I was okay too, mostly relief as how well it had gone ).

But day 2 was a disaster. They were to line up the next day to go in themselves, he was okay at first, but again all the parents/grandparents/etc/etc hanging about within the line made it a bit daunting and he was sobbing his little heart out and refused to go in - he calmed down once all the adults dispersed, was brave and went in eventually holding the hand of another little boy who hadnt gone in either. Once they were both in me and the other boys mum had a wee cry .

day 3 he had a little cry as I think he realised he had to do this every day forever, but he did go in himself.

day 4 onwards he and most of the class were fine - took me another few days to get over how grown up they all looked all lining up themselves! .

Post longer than I expected - just wanted to say even if day 1 goes fine watch out for days 2-3 and perhaps prepare your dc for the amount of adults that will be there!

Good luck next week!

Lindax-I agree with what you say re the number of adults actually. Ds1's first day was a nightmare as the room was tiny and just so many big people with lots of cameras and camcorders (!) etc.

Hopefully it wont be too bad for dd, as her year group is going to be split, so will be slightly smaller, and hopefully slightly fewer adults!

it depends on the school. This year our P1's are only doing 1 short day and then are in full days from tomorrow

north lanarkshire

our wee ones are in half day for next two weeks. (am in Fife)

my ds starts p1 tomorrow but tbh im more worried about dd going back, she's going into p3 and we've had tantrums already :(

I'm guessing she'll come home miserable tomorrow as she will be sitting in between 2 P2 boys (shes in a composite class again) she's the oldest and tallest in the class, shes devestated that she wasnt picked to go into the P3 class in the big part of the school and to top it off she still cant read and can barely write and her teacher is soo laid back shes horizontal and not a fun teacher! I have a knot in the pit of my stomache about it all.

I think this year im gonna have to go to the education dept to get her some help this year as they have been saying since P1 that 'her reading will come' which it clearly hasnt and they are doing nothing to help her!

My DS starts P1 tomorrow eek!

He seems ok just now but I'm a bit wibbly already. I'll just have to suck it up and stick a smile on it

DS is quite shy in new surroundings and he doesn't know anyone in his class as he went to a private nursery rather than the school one

Aww bandgeek-bless him!

I hope it goes well for him (and you)! Have everything crossed that it goes well.

dd is only girl from her nursery class going into P1-her friends all went to different schools. like i posted before she is determined that she isnt going tomorrow-she has already said she has a sore head and cant go to school with a sore head now can she?!

Lol ln1981, they are not long in learning, are they? Just noticed you are in Fife, me too!

I had the tears before bedtime and am fully expecting it in the moring too, but think (hope!) he should be ok when he is there.

Good luck for everyone's little ones starting school

I know bandgeek-think she may have learnt that from her big brother, who managed to get a skive out of me last term pulling the same stunt! im well onto him now though! haha!

how did your wee one get on? hopefully it was ok.

dd cried when i went to leave but when i picked her up she couldnt stop telling me what a great time she had-result, methinks!!

Not in Scotland but small boy starts school in a couple of weeks. At his school, parents deliver children to the school gate, where they are met by teachers, so you don't have that whole debacle with grown-ups crowding out the classroom. I'll let you know how it goes.

DS enjoyed it! There was no tears (grom either of us!) and he seemed to like it again today. Massive sigh of relief Long may it last!

Nomie44 - Ds's teacher couldn't get in the classroom yesterday due to all the parents loitering around

Thats great bandgeek-glad he enjoyed it!

it took ages to get into dd's class yesterday too! and then today, she was crying again as some parents were going upto class with their kids even though we were told yesterday we couldnt so it today! Am hoping that next week it will have settled down.

nomie44-i hope it all goes well for both you and him, and thats quite a good idea about the teachers coming to get them. we had parents standing in the lines of the newbies class, which then crowded out the other lines-absolute carnage!!