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Original poster

Support thread for parents burying their heads in sandpits with PFBs off to school

273 replies

MrsWembley · 15/08/2013 09:51

Am I the only one, stood here looking at my DD and thinking,

'nooooooooo, you can't be ready, you can't be about to leave me forever, they can't have you, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...'

I'm fine with it, really. It's just, well, there's only three and a half weeks to go.Sad

How have others dealt with it? How will you deal with it? How will I react to it? Glad of the peace? Sad at the thought that someone else is now teaching her? Missing her company? Grateful for the time alone with DS?

And how do people deal with school politics? And then there's all those frightful stories I've read on here about dealing with other parents!

If you've been there, please come and help us. If you too are sitting around, pretending it's not about to happen, come here to carry on the pretence.Wink

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Original poster
MrsWembley · 24/08/2013 19:43

Meant to ask, what are CVC words?

(Disclaimer: I teach secondary English and we're not expected to teach children how to readGrin)

OP posts:
Adikia · 24/08/2013 19:52

CVC is consonant vowel consonant, so words like cat, dog, tap.

Original poster
MrsWembley · 24/08/2013 20:05

Ahh, that makes sense.Smile I thought it might be something complicated in a Jolly Phonics sort of way.

Those are the sort of words DD sees on the word games she plays on her father's tablet. So she'll be used to them when she sees them in class.

OP posts:
Iamnotminterested · 24/08/2013 20:21

TheHappyCamper - re your mention of the child 'already bringing home reading books' in nursery; IME you'll probably find that it's at the insistence of the child's pushy mother. I do speak from experience here.

TheHappyCamper · 24/08/2013 21:38

Hmm, well DD can 'read' me a book but it's clearly memorised Grin - it can be quite convincing though! She will sound out some simple CVC words but isn't really interested doing it with me - she is looking forward to her new teacher Mrs S teaching her to read however Hmm

I am suitably impressed by any 4 year old actually reading.

Iamnotinterested - note to self

herbaceous · 24/08/2013 21:57

I feel I should say that in this regard I'm not a pushy mother. He's basically taught himself. Today we had friends round, and he picked up the 8-year-old's joke book and read them out. Really pretty startling. However, he can't write and refuses to draw, and won't wipe his arse or put his shoes on, so it's all swings and roundabouts!

Galena · 24/08/2013 22:01

DD reads. Really reads. Fluently and with expression, even unfamiliar books. I'm so worried her new teacher will have me down as a pushy mother. Blush I'm so not though, It's all been led by her, I've just helped her.

I'm thinking of offering to hear readers in the class but not sure if that'll make me look more pushy!

Adikia · 24/08/2013 23:21

DD still has to sound unfamiliar words out but she can work them out quite quickly, we only get expression with ones she's read before. She can write as well and spell simple words but she can't wipe her bum either.

I didn't teach her, my 9 year old sister and DS did, they've been reading their school reading books with her since she was tiny.

Iamnotminterested · 24/08/2013 23:27

Galena - I'm sure your offer of help with readers will be taken up.

But not in a reception class where you have a child.

Reception reading levels are governed by secrecy laws that the KGB would be proud of.

Galena · 24/08/2013 23:33
Grin

We'll see... I think the parents at DD's school could be described as 'thoroughly uninterested' in their children's education on the whole. ..

Adikia · 24/08/2013 23:38

might be worth contacting this charity they organise people to go into different schools to listen to children read, I'm thinking about it once DD is settled at school.

Original poster
MrsWembley · 28/08/2013 01:14

I still haven't bought any uniform.

Any chance I might be prevaricating?Wink

OP posts:
EasyMark · 28/08/2013 17:20

Hi
my ds will be 5 in Feb and is starting full time school on Monday, they call it foundation 2 here. Ds has done a year of half days and now starts full time.

I have his uniform and PE kit and footy kit, just started sawing in name lables.

He can dress and undress himself, wipe his bum and knows he wants sandwiches but cant read and can only count up to 14 and has speech therapy for mixing up his t and c sounds and not being able to say s yet Sad

His understanding and emotional understanding is very good and he is friends with lots in his f1 class.
The school is a small local ofsted outstanding primary with only 200 in the whole school and the head knows the children all by name. So I hope it will be ok but I still dont want him to go Sad

HarumScarum · 28/08/2013 21:50

Galena, my daughter's school would be delighted to have you hear readers in your child's class. I have always done it and lots of other parents do too. Not all schools are paranoid about parents knowing how other kids are doing. I have found it a lovely way to get to know other children in my daughter's year group. Sometimes we don't actually read at all, just chat. The one to one from a nice and interested adult is something that not all kids get and is really valued by some schools.

And, honestly, all your kids will be just fine. My DD was a weird small shy kid and her rather rough and tumble school has been the making of her. I worried so much and it turns out that all my worry was completely redundant. She skipped into school on the first day and hasn't looked back (and she was terribly shy at nursery and preschool).

Good luck to all of you and I hope in a few weeks you'll all be posting 'oh, I can't believe I worried so much!'

TheHappyCamper · 30/08/2013 17:43

Hi all. Not much holiday time left now

I have finally managed to take a picture and it is on my profile. She looks so grown up, but not grown up Sad It only took 40 minutes to get her to get dressed and undressed into school clothes then PE kit!

Also, apologies if my comment about reading has been misconstrued. I am genuinely amazed with these children of yours that can read and certainly would not assume you are 'pushy mothers'. Indeed, I would be delighted if DD could read already!

I am quietly starting to fret about Tuesday now - full days from the start here!

EasyMark · 30/08/2013 22:45

TheHappyCamper your dd is so cute but so tiny to be going to school Shock

My ds is tall for his age and in 6-7 years clothes so he looks like he should be at school so I forget he is only 4. Its so young.

warning TMI alert:

I have been trying to teach him to wipe his bum after a poo as he will be at school all day, so needs to do it. It was going fine for the past two weeks untill today and it was sloppy and went on his legs then he was sick because of it and I had to put him in the shower to clean him up (as well as the bathroom). Can I just keep him home? Hes not ready Sad

Adikia · 31/08/2013 00:07

TheHappyCamper she looks adorable, I love the matching hair stuff.

Don't worry, it wasn't misconstrued, there was another comment about pushy mothers. My DD is 5 in October so she's that little bit older and has had more time to practice.

Full days from Tuesday here too Sad

Ive had to go and get summer uniform as being private school everyone else in her class started last year and they all go back in summer uniform (will put picture up in a minute) so now have to label all that having thought I was ready weeks ago.

Galena · 31/08/2013 09:02

Oh Adikia and HappyCamper, they both look gorgeous!

IslaValargeone · 31/08/2013 13:37

3 more sleeps Sad

Galena · 31/08/2013 18:26

4 sleeps here. What an excited little girl we have! Having completely overcatered in the uniform department already, I had to go out and buy 2 summer dresses today as we have temperatures of 25C forecast for Wed when she's in for her first afternoon...

How many are in full time to start with? DD is part-time till 7th Oct. It's going to be a long month!

EasyMark · 31/08/2013 18:37

Two sleeps here.

My ds starts full time on Monday but he did a year of half days so he knows the teachers and some of the other children. The only difference is he will stay for lunch and go in for longer (he gets to play for longer Grin)

Original poster
MrsWembley · 31/08/2013 18:58

More photos, more gorgeousness!Grin

Just finishing off a weekend with DM and thinking, I won't be able to pop down mid-week anymore.

Another week at home for us, with a home visit from DD's new teacher on Tuesday, then half days for two weeks. We're going to finish off our Gromit hunt next week, make the most of the empty streets as everyone else goes back to school. I've also booked a haircut for her and then we'll go buy uniform... not really leaving it up to the last minute

OP posts:
Galena · 31/08/2013 19:12

Ahhh MrsW, you obviously aren't too far from us. We're an hour up the north motorway from where I think you are. If I'm right that's where DD will be having her op in Nov.

I've now finished naming things with labels and sharpie (yes, ok, I'm completely overdoing it!). Grin

sparrowfart23 · 31/08/2013 19:42

Oh my! Hadn't thought about how many sleeps left. Three more for us here, but DD's only in for an hour on the first day, then 2 days of mornings, one week of staying til after lunch, then full time from there! I had planned to do some crafty bits for her - hairband, belts, keychain for bookbag but haven't pulled my head out of the sand enough for that yet. No photos from here as DD has started refusing to try uniform on Sad so I figured I would leave it for now.

No shopping left to do, but I am thinking trip to Legoland while she is still on half days might be in order. Grin

Adikia · 31/08/2013 21:55

All labeled now except the white socks coz its too much effort everything is ironed, PE bag packed, lunch planned and I've finished making matching scrunchies and even made a hanky to go in her blazer pocket Grin

I've never been this organised in my life, so why do I still have this overwhelming sense of panic and feeling that I've forgotten something?

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