Anyone got a child starting school in January?

[MerryChristmasPANDAGHappyNewYe]

Title says it all really. We live in a part of the country that still has 2 school intakes a year, and so DD starts school next Monday. She is my younger child, and I am looking forward to her starting school, but am a bit wobbly about it too, as the day approaches. Anyone else going ghrough the same thing to share the experience with would be appreciated.

Thanks.

yes - my dd starts on thurs - I am very wobbly. Will post more later as she is nagging me for stories.

Deep breaths now...

Thanks for the reply Dimpled. We can encoursge each other I hope! Is she your first/only child, or do you have others at school already? My DS is in Y2 - he is 7. I was fine when he started school, and I honestly thought I was ok about DD starting, but I am starting to feel quite nervous. I know she will be fine, I practically had to drag her out of the classroom on her visit, and she is very comfortable in the school, but all the same.

Hi ladies

My ds is starting school on Thursday & he can't wait. I know he is going to be fine as all his friends started in September - he missed the cut off by 8 days.

I can't believe that I'm beginning to get butterflies for him though. I'm being really positive about it all to him but it's going to feel very strange once the settling in week is over.

Looking on the bright side though it does mean that I'll be able to take my younger ds to more clubs - he's 14mths and I don't feel I've done as much with him as I did with ds1.

Hope your lo's first days go well, perhaps we can compare notes afterwards. Beks

Hi Panda and Beksmum

Hey panda I also have a ds 7 in year2. My dd was talking about thursday and going to school in a very relaxed way this evening - which is great. She seems excited. It is strange as I am really feeling that I will be home alone. She has been in preschool for mornings and one full day for the past year, but because it was bits of time I always relished it and had a list of jobs I needed to get done adn it was never enough time. I don't know how it will be having 9-3 to myself every weekday! I have been looking for bits of work adn will start with earnest once she is in school I guess. Silly thing is that I know I will be sad on thurs so will be best to be busy but I cannot work out what to do with myself. I don't really want to see lots of people so what? gym? shopping? housework? I know it is a luxury to have time like this to dwindle away but I am feeling a bit lost and so very very sad!

My ds1 is starting on Thursday. He was 5 in December, so he is really ready to go! Not sure I'm ready though (although still have ds2 at home).

Hi guys. My DD3 is starting in the morning and I am feeling very very wobbly. She is my youngest and I am going to miss having her around at home so much. But I know she will love it and she is really ready for it so I am trying to focus on that.

Hi,
have you thought about educating your children at home instead of sending them away?
Home education is such a joy for the whole familily..

You don't have to make them go.

best wishes,
Lisa

Hi Lisa

Yes it is something I have thought about but having weighed up all the options I do not feel I am the best person to teach my children as they are both very different and I thnk they will benefit from time apart and other adults.

Thank you for your input - home schooling is always food for thought and I see that there is a strong support base on mumsnet.

Hi all

My ds1 starts on Friday. I feel more panicky than wobbly because I can't find any white shirts for him. I've tried about 10 shops and on-line. What do I do ? As a last resort I've bought short sleeved ones for him to wear under the school jumper, but will they be asked to take jumpers off in class ? ...and I haven't actually bought the school jumper yet, so what if they've sold out as well? [shaky nail biting emotion]

Does the school stipulate long sleeves? If not short will be fine, our school they have short polo shirts under their sweatshirts and the classrooms are so warm they really don't need long. I did see some long-sleeved white shirts in Tesco recently though - have you tried supermarkets?

for ruthydd - school shirts 3 for 2 here
woolies

short sleeves are better in school, he will only end up with the bottom half of his sleeves caked in paint/glue/flour/water!

I've still got 9 months with my dd before school but she wants to go straight into year 3 in September with her sister!!

Good luck to all the new starters and to their mums/dads too! DD started in September, and I remember those inital feelings. Hope all goes well.

Ruthydd - I need to get dds uniform too. I bought polo shirts in August when I was kitting out DS, but left the trousers and skirts as I knew her leg length would change. I went into the box of school uniform that DS has outgrown, only to discover that the sweatshirts are more marked than I remembered, so I think I will buy her a couple of new ones too. Think we might pop into town this afternoon to trawl the shops - I will check out Woolies - thanks Foxtrot!
Need to check out her shoe size and get the plimsoles too, now I will hand down DS's, they only wear them for 2 minutes when they go from classroom to hall, they do PE in bare feet.

Does anyone else get a home visit? We have DD's teacher and TA coming to see her tomorrow afternoon. I like the fact that DD will get their attention for 20 minutes, but will need to tidy up!

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I've been to Matalan, Peacocks, Next, John Lewis, Tescos, Asda, Ethel Austin and M&S, as well as specialist school uniform shops. How, oh how, did I forget Woolies ? Fingers crossed!

I'll hope to post tomorrow about general nervousness of starting school, post no shirt stress.

ds starts on 8 th so worried, hes only tiny and theres a child who bullied him going too

Didn't notice you there for a moment PandaG - hope your DD enjoys her first days at school, and good luck with that home visit!

Home visit ? Blimey, where I live, the teachers would need a police escort. We have our meeting with the teacher tomorrow at the school (when I hope to buy the jumpers).

Lucycat - thats just what I needed to hear - thanks. It might almost be time for a relaxing glass of wine

ahhh I'm sure he'll be absolutely fine ruthyyd. Enjoy your meeting at the school!

my ds1 is starting school on monday. i dont want him to go!!

feels like they are stealing him!!

also, he only knows two other children in his intake-his other friends from pre-school either went in sept or go next september. im sure he will make friends, he's a confident child.

im worrying about everything! will he manage dinnertime ok? playtime? will he wonder wwhy ive put him there? i have explained to him and he seems happy but still?!

And i will cry when i leave him, i know i will

good luck to the other mums!

Hullo and good luck to all.

My dd1 starts school on Monday too. She's 4.5 and actually has done 5 afternoons (2 hour sessions) at the school since the October half term, so in a way she already knows the ropes. But now she'll do a week of half days and then full time.

I'm actually quite excited about it. I think she's ready, she talks about school very postitively. And plays lots of 'let's pretend' school games! Though I'm sure she's going to be absolutely exhausted for the first few weeks.

I'm taking next week off work so I can drop her off and pick her up. And my parents are doing the next week, to ease her in slowly. After that on the 3 days I work, she'll be taken to school by a lady down the road, and then picked up and taken to her childminder at the end of the day.

Well, I've just been into town with DD to buy her uniform - was a nightmare to find it small enough! Nowhere had a full range, but we have enough to start with now, and I will go back after the sales have finished to pick up some more. Will sew all the nametapes in tonight!
We had lunch in town together, was lovely having some one on one time. She is so looking forward to starting school.

Those of you with DC starting tomorrow, please let us know how you get on.

Thanks for the kind wishes Hula. Hope to see you soon!

ds started this morning (half days only for the first week and a half).
He can't wait to go again tomorrow and wants to keep his school top on until then.
It does feel strange starting all this again after 10 years and with my eldest on her gap year having finished school.
I think it's the 8.50am deadline that I will struggle with the most.

my daughter is very excited about her start tomorrow and I am feling good, a bit sad but good.

I have decided I am going straight from school to the gym to join up and hopefully do a pilates class, then for a coffee at the new costa. I am then going to come home for a bit of work and tackle the list I have put off over christmas and maybe book a haircut for friday or next week.

Not too scary but I will miss her, esp. if I go into town!