Anyone else feeling emotional about their youngest leaving primary school?

[Chlocot]

Sounds pathetic but I'm really struggling emotionally with my youngest leaving primary school, is it just me?
I honestly feel heartbroken. I'm in tears writing this. Like sob everytime I think about it.
I know moving to high school is a normal part of growing up, but I can’t stop feeling like such a magical, innocent chapter is ending.
Primary school feels like this safe little bubble of childhood, the plays, the sound of singing in the school hall, playground games, role play, the softer days, being truly known by teachers, the excitement over little things.
And now it feels like she’s being thrown into a world of timetables, homework, exams, pressure, bigger expectations, peer influence, older kids, worrying about appearance, fitting in, and suddenly being just another number in a huge system.

I know children grow and this is life, but I feel overwhelmingly sad that the carefree life of being little seems to disappear so quickly. I hate the thought of stress replacing play before they even feel ready.
I keep grieving not just her leaving primary school, but the loss of that innocence, that protected stage of childhood.

Did anyone else feel like this? Does it get easier? Did your child keep their spark and joy in high school, or did you feel like childhood changed overnight?

OP I remember feeling just like this (although it hit me on his last day). I sat on my bed having a cry over his red school jumper! However…this next few weeks post SATs is amazing and I hope you can put yourself in the moment and enjoy it. Year seven, for my boy was quite a gentle transition. Although it was nothing like post SATs junior school, the teachers did inject a little fun into school life. My boy (although summer born) also enjoyed being treated in a more grown up way and liked the subject specific teachers. In my experience, they tend to grow up in year nine (I have three DS) - you have a few years of them being just kids yet!

I cried for a week when my eldest left ! Time
moves on though and now my youngest is about to leave secondary. I soon got over not doing the school run! I am now building my career back up which involves evening social events - I don’t worry about having to rush back anymore. It’s sad but look at the positives as well! Yes secondary school brings other worries but they are starting to become independent - this is what it’s all about after all.

Oh, I’m with you. My oldest is in y6 and I had a cry the other week when we got an email about the leavers assembly. 😭

To add some balance I can’t wait for mine to leave! Try focusing on all the shit bits! I dislike so much about my child’s primary. My child has had a particularly shit week so….
Focus on the independence, the new opportunities, the freshness of the change! Get excited about it and hope for a great new chapter!

Oh yes. Real pangs of time slipping away.

@ThatFlakyGuide oh yes, not having to worry about the school run and dress up days and bring a cake in… also great pluses!

Not here. Sadly my yr6 has had a really tough time, lots of bullying and unhappy times. Until this point he (and we) adored his primary school, but they've let him down horrendously in his last year. In contrast, his incoming secondary has already made him feel more settled, secure and welcome (partly because the bullies aren't going to be there).

I know the reality is when it comes to it, there will be emotions (especially as his AMAZING best friend is off to a different secondary), so I'm not dismissing the majority who will feel heavy from this, but he's been ready for moving on for months now so we're approaching it with excitement for him.

They way we see it, his world is about to become so full of opportunities - more friends to make (or not 😬), more sports and hobbies to try, more things to learn, and yes more mistakes to make... but ultimately more room to grow, find himself and thrive ❤️

Yes I feel the same. She is my fourth and youngest so real end of a era. Ds14 is in year 9 and is still can't even look at his leavers book. God that was a painful day. The good thing is that mainly they take it in their stride

Both of mine are thriving in secondary. The last couple of years in primary were blighted by an insistence on preparing the dc for what the teachers imagined secondary would be like.

I was dreading secondary because I’d become “that parent” who was into the school every couple of weeks about my autistic ds. But secondary was a revelation - they wanted my input, supported ds, helped him find his feet, nurtured his interests and supported him at every turn. Dd is more capable, and has loved the independence, and responsibilities and opportunities.

And I cannot tell you how lovely it is to be away from the school gate experience! To be free from incessant demands for red/blue/green/yellow/book day, charity donations, cake sales, reading volunteers etc.

Wait till they’re on the verge of finishing secondary school and the big world is beckoning. Now that’s scary and is there before you know it!

I do actually. I never thought I was going too. He’s my youngest out of three and the emotion is building. He’s also going to a different secondary school to his friends so I think that’s compounding it. My last child at primary and I already know that’s it. Childhood over come September.

Oh and my eldest is leaving secondary too. FML 😔

I can't wait for my youngest to finish primary school
No more school runs, no making conversation with people where the only thing we have in common is that our children are in the same class.
Cannot wait!!!

Nope. I thought I would but 90% of the families weren't nice and the teachers didn't treat my eldest very well, a referral to neurodevelopment was made in last term of yr 6 for them . So I felt nothing.

@Figgygal

No one speaks at my kids school. They used too when they went to the local, affluent village school (which was nosy and suffocating) but then we moved area. Their school now is a small school in a really deprived area. Parents are pleasant but no one speaks and it’s great 🤣. There are children in my sons class who I don’t even know their names, and zero clue who their parents are.

I am looking forward to no school runs though 🙌.

Mine is also finishing primary this year. I don’t feel sad (yet!) but excited for this next phase of her life. No doubt I’ll be a mess when it comes to prom and her leavers assembly. She’s promised me some tear jerking songs will be sung 🥹.

Ohhh I love this ❤️

Working in primary, I get this a little bit every year! One year they made a video and included sped up shots of looking in all the classrooms empty. I hadn't even worked with that particular year group and I was in bits! Now I have a child of my own about to leave reception and I'm getting the same sort of feelings as we're about to mostly wave goodbye to play based learning! I don't feel like my parents would've felt the same way as primary schools were a more fun place back in the day weren't they? God knows what I'll feel like at the end of Y6, especially as I don't like any of the secondaries in our area. We might have to move!

I suppose the best you can do is just add enrichment outside of school and keep the vibes surrounding school as light as possible from your end.

I hope your child has a smooth transition to secondary. How did you feel about yours? I remember quite enjoying feeling a bit more grown up. Maybe try to find what positives you can/what areas give most enjoyment and focus on those.