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

[MrsWembley]

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.

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.

Awww so cute!

Very very cute, herby.

Paper came to take pics today. DD looked very cute in summer dress, cardi and bookbag. But it brought home to me how tiny she is. The age 3-4 cardi was ridiculously big on her...

She's very excited and I'm not sure how I'm going to keep her entertained all morning before school starts at 1.

Mrs W, I bet DD looked gorgeous, even if she didn't look like your baby any more.

It is eighteen years ago, almost to the day ?
A sunny day with leaves just turning,
The touch-lines new-ruled ? since I watched you play
Your first game of football, then, like a satellite
Wrenched from its orbit, go drifting away

Behind a scatter of boys. I can see
You walking away from me towards the school
With the pathos of a half-fledged thing set free
Into a wilderness, the gait of one
Who finds no path where the path should be.

That hesitant figure, eddying away
Like a winged seed loosened from its parent stem,
Has something I never quite grasp to convey
About nature?s give-and-take ? the small, the scorching
Ordeals which fire one?s irresolute clay.

I have had worse partings, but none that so
Gnaws at my mind still. Perhaps it is roughly
Saying what God alone could perfectly show ?
How selfhood begins with a walking away,
And love is proved in the letting go.

blubs

Oh Herby, he looks lovely.

I have had timetables and what they are covering this half term sent home in her book bag along with her homework (reading, a sheet of questions to ask her about the book and a phonics work sheet) and a letter explaining where everything goes each morning, I'm never going to remember it all! on the upside DD says she had the best day ever and wants to go back everyday

I forgot to post & wish everyone good luck but it all seems to be going well!
On the flip side, all my new class have done 1 session now & no one cried, everyone was smiling & everyone went home with the right (labelled ) jumper!
Some Mummies cried but were careful not to let DCs see
So far, so good!

DD's in nursery this afternoon and tomorrow for the last time. I'm actually wondering now if that'll be worse, al the goodbyes and stuff.

Awww, she'll love it.

DD missed her last 2 days at playgroup because she was poorly. However, we still had one of their library books, so we had to pop in yesterday to return that and pick up a couple of things we'd not picked up as she wasn't in. She was so excited to go into playgroup and see the leaders. She chatted to them really maturely (such a change from 6 weeks ago) and then went and said goodbye to each of them in turn.

And then bounced all the way to the car because it was 'school tomorrow'!

Bless her!

Glad to hear it's mostly positive experiences, and that herbaceous finally got some info and an apology!

DD had her first day today (just for an hour) and I was when DH strolled down the stairs at 8:15 in his his tracky bottoms. When he said he 'would be OK' for her first morning, I assumed that meant he was coming to do the-coffee-and-biscuits-and-meet-the-other-parents.

TBH, I think I needed him more than DD!! (He fairly quickly said he would go with us when he saw my face and when I prompted DD to say DD said she would like him to come). Although I thought I was only a little bit nervous, I needed him to drive as I had really bad stomach pains, which I insisted weren't nerves. These went fairly quickly once we got to school . It was nice to have him there when DD had a little tantrum when we had to leave.

Loving the photos of your DCs in uniform. Galena you must be so so proud!

The little toad didn't even say goodbye!

She had a ball! Made a friend, drew pictures and played. And apparently they had a snack at the end! :)

Galena that article is fab - you must be so proud of her - and WOW that the lottery winners are going to fund her op!!! She looks adorable (and yes so tiny). Glad she loved it today

Well done to sparrowfart as well for holding it together (and making DH go) .

DD's second day went well. She did cry again at drop off but son cheered up. They al got changed for PE (which I would love to have seen) and she has brought her first "reading book" home - although it does not have any words in . She is so tired tonight. I'm going to try together bathed by 6-6.15 and straight into bed.

Awww Galena your dd looks lovely :)

Ds had his first day today. He had a little wobble this morning but no tears although he said he felt a little shy especially when he had to answer the register as our surname begins with A so he was the first one to do it. Once he went in he was fine and was high as a kite afterwards so must have enjoyed it!

Galena, what a lovely article, I'm glad she had a good first day!

DD's gone in for her 3rd day today and walked down the drive holding hands with her new best friend

It was! He was all bravado and excitement on the way, with his little legs sticking out of his huge shorts, then went very quiet and sad-looking once inside. Nice, caring atmosphere, and lots of fun to be had, but general air of lots of stuff we felt we should have known - £3 for snack money here please; no no of course you can't get the book bag here; pick up is 3.15 (not 3.30 as I was told). One thing that boils my piss is internal admin that is illogical, not designed for the end user, and about which you're made to feel stupid for not knowing.

Got given the (out of date) prospectus and newsletter on the way out! Playground still not started.

Little man looked very sad as we left, but I managed not to cry, mainly as I had to undergo aforementioned tedious admin.

Did you manage a face-to-face chat with the Head, or at least manage to make an appointment?

Not as yet. All is chaos. According to the newsletter we were given, the main site is in building work turmoil, and currently doesn't even have a kitchen, so I'm waiting until things are calmer. I now have all the info I need, anyway, so it would just be a rant at her about crapness she already knows about.

She has asked for 'suggestions' about the forthcoming website upgrade, however. I may contribute 'constructively' to that.

Very tired little girlie today - even though it was only another 2 hour afternoon! Hope she's going to cope with school! :)

hmm - my DS won't tell me anything about his first day at big school. Is this common?

DD didn't tell us much until a few hours later. She hasn't said anything about today though. Perhaps try asking leading questions like 'Did you have a snack? and what happened after? was it playtime?' etc.

He's home! We had a minimal, yet positive, report of the day. "For lunch I had salad, coleslaw and jelly. And, of course, cous cous."

He made a friend, Ashta. When asked if that was a boy or a girl, he said: "Girl. I mean, boy."

He got a sticker for being good. And a vast book bag.

Oooh, get me. Just had a phonecall from the head teacher, apologising for the utter crapness of treatment of new parents. She has lots of ideas of how it's going to get better, and invited me to meet her tomorrow morning.

Get in.

bearhug - DD started not telling us how her day went while she was at day camp this summer - I would ask and she would say 'I can't tell, it's a secret' which made me paranoid. She is still doing this a bit, but we can get some info out of her if we ask questions like Galena suggests. The problem for us is sifting the fantasy from the reality. DD had a bad bruise on her arm today; she told me BoyX (who isn't even in her class, but she knows him from nursery) did it. Will have to follow it up with teacher tomorrow.

herbaceous - so glad you little man had a good day, and that the headteacher is looking for your input to improve things.

happy camper - DD is quite tired too, but we are keeping her activities going (swimming, dancing, and gymnastics) and hoping she will adjust. Today she slept until "green light" and I'm hoping for more of the same (she often wakes between 5 and 6).

First time doing school run in the rush hour tomorrow. Fingers crossed for a good run!