Cheques - and other quaint old fashioned things I'll need to brush up on ...

[HipHopOpotomus]

DD1 is starting Reception on Thursday.

This morning we went to the school to buy some school uniform bits and I was told they can only accept payment by cash or cheques. What!?!? no Pingit? No card payment? No paypal? No online payments? No ParentPort or whatever it's called? I'm expected to pay for school meals with cash or cheques too.

I had to go home and hunt down one very old dusty cheque book.

So what other quaint/retro delights are ahead of us in the year/s to come???

Yes - I keep a stash of envelopes and some change just for purpose of sending cash into school. No idea when i last used the cheque book!

Maybe enquire if they are going to be doing parent pay. Ours does parent mail but not the facility to pay.

I've signed up for Parent mail but they don't use Parent Pay

Will have to get some envelopes in too - don't have much call for them these days either

Since DC started school I get through LOTS of cheques and envelopes. And spend a lot of time filling, emptying, washing and refilling water bottles. As they must be FULL when taken to school. Despite school having water fountains, taps and associated plumbing!

I still use cheques a lot to pay for things at school and also dance lessons etc. I run drama classes and only take cash or cheque as does dd's ballet teacher because the cysts involved in taking cards or PayPal are too great for a small business.

Brush up your baking skill when the cake sales are coming in.

We get a lot of details through parent mail but we then have to print it and send back a signed slip. Grrr.

We are lucky, our school also uses the payment facility, I already do too many cheques for various handymans/cleaners.

I came to say the same as smalltown cheques are fab (order a spare school on to have in the car/bottom of your handbag) as you can always prove you paid and they cashed it!

Water bottles (aargh) get a bottle brush now, as if your kids are anything like mine they somehow spit in it or something producing black mould when left at school overnight despite only ever being filled with plain water.

Label everything that you would mind loosing. Toys that get sent in for show and tell, hats....both gloves or tie them together, both shoes especially if they are startright/clarks.

Label book bag and pe kit but also put a keyring/ribbon something distinctive on so your child can spot their bag in a pile of identical ones.

Oh yes, cheques, envelopes, water bottles, jam jars with lids, several pairs of gloves in the winter...

For me, the year seems to follow the timetable of:

Pay for school dinners;
Infant Halloween party (outfit and cakes);
Junior Disco (outfit and cakes);
Christmas Fair (cakes, jazzy jar, bottle tombola);
Christmas hat day (decorating stuff for hats);
Pay for school dinners;
World Book Day (outfits);
Easter (decorated eggs, cakes);
Pay for school dinners;
Summer fair (cakes, jazzy jars, bottle tombola);
Sportday (outfit in team colours)
End of year collections, cards etc

So, mainly cakes and decorating stuff.

themed dress up days... at 2 days notice.

Random items requested for "craft" tissue boxes/ jam jars, plastic bottles...

Baby photos, family photos , christening mementos... all required at 1 days notice.

I'm good at cakes :)

Sounds like I will have to dust off the sewing machine (mental note NEVER to tell anyone I have one)

Cheque book needs a new clever & available home as it's be languishing in bottom of unused file for years. Even dance class I can pay by BACS. good tip re misplaced cash - my cheque book is (once again) my friend.

Anyone remember when the supermarket tills used to print them out for you??

An evening finalising labelling ahead.

Parent mail, I wish.

DDs primary tried an email list, but never got it past most parents spam checkers.

They went back to death by paper, helped by the PTA sending out fliers too.

Then they learnt to text. This was not a good idea, because it let them change their mind at the last minute. Oh we've forgot on Children in Need - never mind we can text the parents. They can find spotty clothes for tomorrow. grrrrrrrrrr!

Their best ever was "we've cancelled Maths club. Fine except I'm in Birmingham that's 2hrs from school and you idiots have texted me at 2pm" I wasn't expecting to pick up at 3.20pm.

Wouldn't have minded if it had been an emergency, but it wasn't they'd just forgot on the head was at a meeting.

Just get all household income paid directly to the school and they can send you back the change.

Your cheque stub will become like a journal or documentary of your primary aged child's life. School trips, uniform, cubs/brownies subs, swimming/music lessons, school lunches, school photos, maybe the childminder, after school clubs, fundraising (because you kept the cash you raised in sponsor money), more trips and lunches... Maybe the odd cheque to a plumber or MOT garage, but mostly a lovely reminder of their seven years at primary school!

Am a huge fan of cheques for kids clubs and activities. Admittedly a cheque book lasts years because its only school stuff and kids clubs I used them for but they are excellent for proving to crappy admin systems that you have paid for something when they claim you have not. I used a cheque every time, even if I have the cash.

OMG the school photos. Be prepared to remortgage the house.

And the cake sales, Take cakes in then buy them back later.

Oh and a tin from the back of the cupboard is no longer ok at Harvest festival, You need to make up a Hamper of veg like what they sell at farmer's markets. Then wait til everyone is in the playground before school before marching down with it.

Tinned/packet stuff only round here, sparkling, for harvest festival, so they can actually distribute it 'safely' to homeless/struggling families. Fresh stuff strictly not allowed!!

That's a better idea Kit. We had to buy it back after the service.

Be prepared for the competitive presents for the teachers at Christmas. You need to start looking now.

Go to poundland and buy 100 small brown school money envelopes - genius things I never in my life thought I'd be impressed with a small envelope

Junk modelling - never again throw away a washing up bottle/cereal box/toilet roll tube as you will be required to produce models/masks/pet carriers at short notice

Costumes - yy to a sewing machine or get acquainted with your local large asda/sainsburys/tesco for last minute essential costumes

School filing - you will have more slips of paper to complete and return than you ever imagined

Birthday parties - invites seem to go out months in advance at our school so get yours booked early and invites out so you dont discover a week before that someone else has a party at the same day/time as your dc's and have to re-arrange the whole bloody thing Drop and run does now seem the norm though which is a bonus

You will be required to re-learn how to read in order that anything about phonics makes any sense. You will do a lot of reading at home. Ditto counting and adding.

When you ask your dc what have they done today you will be told 'nothing' 'playing' 'can't remember' in strict rotation with the occasional another child broke a school rule scandal thrown in

Ah reception year DD started year 1 today so wonder what's in store for us!!

I tended to find asking 'Was anyone naughty today DS?' got the most information out of him.