More child starting reception type questions (sorry)

[Xihha]

DD starts school in September and I think I'm more nervous than she is (DS starting school was different as he was more independent and I knew the school really well).

Anyway 1) DD's school insists on either Clarks or Startrite shoes, is there much difference in quality? (I've always gone to cheap shoe shops, even when i was little so have no idea)

2. DD needs a pencil case, have I got to name everything inside it and if so how the hell do you label pencils? or can i just label the pencil case and accept she may lose a few pencils?

3. We've been practicing opening lunch boxes, sitting nicely to eat, putting her own shoes on, getting changed by herself and managing tights so she can go to the loo by herself, is there anything else she needs to practice?

4. when I was at school all girls wore vests under their uniforms on days we had PE, I don't think it was ever a rule but very much expected, is this still the case?

5. why do I still feel like I've forgotten something?

I can help with some,

Label pencils by using a Stanley knife or open pair of scissors and scoring off about an inch or so at the end. Then write name with a pen on the exposed wood.

Maybe get her to recognise her own name?

Also that she can recognise her own belongings?

I like Clarks shoes but then they have always lasted a full school year with my DC so I don't see them as expensive. .

www.whsmith.co.uk/Products/Back-to-School-145-Piece-Personalised-Stationery-Set+Stationery+90012020 has everything you could possibly need

Thank you, Clarks prices don't seem so bad if they last a year, ds gets cheap shoes because he goes through a pair a term, sometimes more!

ooh i like that set, I might have to wait til later in the term though as uniforms leaving me pretty poor.

You can buy 'named' pencils really cheaply, just google :)

Recognising and being able to write her own name is really, really helpful.

Is it a private school? If it's a state school I'd tell them to go whistle re clarkes/startrite shoes unless you want to buy them. They'll only last until she grows out of them - no matter the quality.

But really, stop stressing, it will all be fine!

DS starts reception this year too and we have Bern practising pouring water from a jug and will practise doing up his coat.

I helped out in reception class last year and can only think to add practising putting on and fastening her coat - which may be tricky to convince her to do in this weather

Other thing we've been asked to do (dc4 starts in September too) is encourage them to wipe their own bottom if they do a poo!

Hi our oldest starts primary 1 soon too. I don't know if year 1 is the same as primary 1(in Scotland) For her school we need
Pencil, sharpener, eraser, colouring pencils ALLlabelled. Painting apron, gym kit in seperate bag again all labeled gym kit must be black shorts and plain white t-shirt and black gym shoes.
School bag, lunch box with juice bottle( unless having school dinners which are £1.90 a day) pencilcase and warm waterproof jacket which must all be labelled too.

I hope there is nothing I have missed. Lucky the school had a meeting with parents before end of nursery as I would not have thought of half the things they ask her to have :)

Chipping, yes it is a private school (very generous FIL) thats why half the stress, they are so much stricter on everything than DSs state school!

Ah, I'd forgotten about doing up coats, she has to have a duffel coat so will definitely need the practice. We have finally go bum wiping sorted, we are now working on not using half the roll in the process

Melmo, I think their the same age (DDs nearly 5) a meeting would of helped, we got a welcome book but I think they assume parents know more than i do!

When my daughter started Reception a couple of years ago her teacher recommended that all the little girls start off in socks rather than tights. She explained that when it was all new the children tended to leave it right until the last minute to go to the toilet and it was much easier for them to manage in a hurry without tights!

On the shoes - I definitely favour start rite. Personally I think they look smarter and my daughters pair has always lasted all year!

Shoes - they last till they outgrow them... you have no idea how long that will be. There isn't much between those brands, so just get whichever is cheaper/you like best.

So, is your DS staying at his state school, while your DD goes to a private school? How do you think that will pan out? (or does one have additional needs making the other school a much better option?).

There is one thing I have no doubt about - if there's something else she needs, or needs to be able to do - they will tell you

Toilet paper will usually be in the dispenser type flat sheets so easier not to take a whole roll in one go!

So it looks pretty equal between he shoes, I'll let DD pick in that case.

DS is going into year 5 and at an outstanding state school, he's happy and is consistently getting way above average levels in his reports, the quality of teaching is excellent and the classes are small, so his education wouldn't improve by changing schools but he has some quite complex emotional issues relating to his father (not DH) which his current school have bent over backwards to support him through so changing schools would be bad for him, I did give him a choice though and his counselor also talked it through with him. He also knows if he changes his mind we can look at it again.

Trinity I wouldn't put it pas DD to find a way

stupid 't' button is playing up

Re shoes both Clarks and startrite are of comparable quality in my eyes. I'm surprised that the school make this stipulation in some ways although as a parent I have always insisted they have Clarks or startrite for school/ nursery because they are properly measured and fitted and they spend so much time in them. The quality is high and DS1 had kept his for a year as he hasn't outgrown them. They are also generally sensible shoes

I've already old DD she isn't allowed to grow anymore has her uniforms too expensive to replace
I thought it was a bit strange as DSs school are happy as long as the shoes are black and don't flash but DDs school have a really strict list for everything, right down to hair band colour!

1. I have found that Startrite last longer than Clarks, particularly when they are little and are hard on their shoes. When dd2 was in reception if I bought Clarks I had to replace them after one term!

1. You can get tiny labels for pencils from websites like Stuck On You

1. The only other thing you need to do is to show her how to put her stuff on her peg and also I would recommend putting something on her book bag which will make it easily identifiable to her.

1. I always put vests on mine, unless it's really super hot.

1. Don't worry - you sound like you have it covered.

OMG, I would be going NUTS at being told I had to buy Clarks shoes. They are RUBBISH and the fittings are awful. I never understand how people rave about them and say 'oooh but they're such great quality' when they just utter pants. We used to buy from Clarks when DD was little and shoes would only last 6 months at the most. We then found a local independent store who are fantastic and shoes from there last at least a year. I've since learned a lot about Clarks and I now feel on a one-woman crusade against them! Their kids shoes are sold with only the smallest amount of growing room but children can have far more growing room than Clarks give, hence their shoes only lasting half a year at most. They are also rather badly made - the leather is apparently cut across the grain (or something like that) which means they are cheaper to produce but make the shoes weaker. My Dd's 2 pair of Clarks sandals fell apart within months but now that we buy from the independent store my children outgrow the shoes way before the shoes wear out.

But it's the fitting that's the worst part for me. I tried an experiment once and took my DD to 3 different Clarks shops and asked for the same shoe in each - she got fitted a completely different size in each shop. In one shop they said she had very narrow feet, in another they said her feet were very wide... the just want to sell you shoes and don't care whether they fit well or not.

Rant over :)

Passthetwiglets my sentiments exactly.

Theres a local shop that stocks Clarks and startrite and has a fantastic reputation for fitting children's shoes properly, it's the shoes falling apart that worries me, coz you know they'll do it on a day where I've got no money.

Thanks Lottie, stickers and some vests added to the list, I've got pink name labels that have a little picture on so their different to everyone elses but might add a keyring as well

Xihha, if you can find an independent store and go for something like Ricosta, Petasil, Aster, Norvic, Richter then you'll save yourself a fortuen in the long run. Not everybody has that sort of money upfront though, I realise.

Personally, I think they are being ridiculous to insist on a particular brand as surely it's what the shoe looks like that counts?! Fien to specify eg. black, flat, etc. but it's madness to specify a brand. And frankly I'd be questioning whether they're on a nice little back-hander...

Not sure if anybody answered about the vests but I'd go purely on the weather on this one. And see how warm the classrooms are - mine have never worn vests under uniform as indoors is always really warm, even in the depths of winter.

I think it's ridiculous too but as I said they are very strict on everything, I knew that before I applied for a place so can't really complain.

On a related note (finding tights) are burgundy and maroon the same colour or is that just my eyes?

Yes you can't complain but you should certainly query. It sounds inherently dodgy!

I'd say burgundy might be fractionally more red and maroon fractionally more purple but not a great deal in it!