Anyone else mourn the loss of preschool freedom?

[preschoo]

My eldest starts Reception at a UK private school in just over a month, and if I’m honest I’m not feeling excited at all.
What I’m struggling with isn’t the school itself, it’s what we’re losing. Until now we’ve had complete freedom to travel whenever we wanted, make the most of good weather, spend whole days outdoors and go on holiday in term time when everywhere was quieter and cheaper. We were outside for 4–5 hours most days, even in drizzle. The only thing that kept us indoors was torrential rain all day.
I know people often say, “She’ll make friends,” but that’s not really a factor for us. She’s already got plenty of friends and a very full social life, so school isn’t filling a gap in that sense.

I know she’ll enjoy school, but at the moment all I can think about is how tied we’ll be to school holidays for the next 13+ years. It feels like the end of a really lovely, flexible chapter of family life.
Did anyone else feel like this before their eldest started school? Did you eventually stop missing that freedom, or do you still think it’s one of the downsides of school life?

I’d especially like to hear from parents who genuinely loved the preschool years, rather than those who were counting down the days until school started.

I have just completed 23 years of school runs with multiple children and honestly I will not know what to do with myself in September but I am so excited. This summer really is a decompression zone for me to get my head around the fact that I can literally just do what I want to do.
It’s not a period of my life I would be willing to ever repeat. But it was fun and there were lots of lovely moments along the way

I hear what you are saying but school will be compulsory from September and the expectation will be that you attend 100% of the time unless too unwell for school.

If this doesn't appeal to you there are 3 options.

1. If your child was born from April to August they are Summer born and you can defer their school place for a year.

1. You can request the option of flexi schooling.

1. You can home school.

Hope this helps.
X

I loved the preschool days.

Mine are 10 & 12 so we're well entrenched Iin school years and holidays that cost the earth but the worst thing for me is how fast the time goes once you're marking it in half terms.

I blinked and my eldest finished primary.
Enjoy KS1, it's very cute

Yeah. It's a pain. Dd is about to head into GCSEs and I'm already looking forward to being able to book a holiday out of stupidly expensive and busy school holidays.

Home school? I loved the preschool years and the freedom that came with it, both mine are disabled and busy places are a no go so we still occasionally fake a day off school.

yes but I didn't clock on till she started school tbh. Grateful we are in Scotland so the summer hoildays start earlier here at least.

Do you think this is experienced differently as she’s going to private school? 😂

Not quite the same freedoms but I miss that nursery/preschool needed minimal input from me and my work hours weren’t really affected. Drop them off at 8, pick them up at 6 = done.

Now it’s endless emails, fundraisers, plays, assemblies, parents evenings, school photos, uniforms, packed lunches, sponsorship days, fetes, science fairs, fancy dress days, homework, negotiating afterschool and holiday care …

I miss not having something to the tune of that every single day of the year.

School isn't compulsory.
Education is from age 5.
Keep her at home and home educate if you feel that strongly.
You could employ a tutor/governess instead of the school fees.

I thought most private schools have longer days, but shorter terms, so there may still be options to go on holiday when state schools are still in term time.

I struggled with mine starting school and effectively had to grit my teeth and keep reminding myself that as much as I missed how things were school was definitely the right place for them at that point.

This is what I was going to say. You might not get the freedom of going away whenever you want, but you should still be able to benefit from some cheaper holidays.

Or, as others have said, if you want total freedom you'll have to look into home educating. Education is compulsory, not school.

I've got 4 and hated the starting school process of each one.

Yes - you are tied into a timetable for the next 13 years which makes the years go by in a flash.

When you work in a school as well it's even worse. You get a new class and before you know it it's halloween discos and xmas holls. Back in the new year and at some point in jan/feb you realise you've just about learned every ones names. Then you realise it's only the easter term and june left and it's summer hols again 😳

Yes exactly the same and it did change but my son adapted really well which helped and I have another little at home. Eldest is in Y4 next year now and the school years go so quickly ..

If your child is going to private school you’ll get longer holidays and time together and can still travel at cheaper times. That’s one positive.

I guess with homeschooling I worry that the child will be a little odd socially (however this is based on my experience of a very limited number of homeschooled kids my age that I met when I was a child)
How strict are schools with missed days or adding an extra holiday week let’s say mid June?

We flexi-school DD1 so she’s at home an extra day a week, but we are also in Scotland so taking her out for a week’s holiday elicits nothing other than a ‘Have a nice time!’ from the school. Different culture up here I think around the education landscape.

Schools are getting more strict in fining now so you will have to consider that if booking holidays.
When is your child's birthday?

Not all schools will agree to flexi schooling so you are lucky you got the ok to do that.

Luckily our council area has default acceptance of flexi-schooling (assuming no safeguarding issues or other concerns) for all schools in the area! It works differently in Scotland, it’s usually a local authority-wide decision v school by school in England I believe.

My children now all older 14, 10 and 6 were well ready to start school but I did miss taking them to little groups and things.

It is a big milestone for children tho (and parents!) but on the plus side - private schools have much longer holidays.

It’s one reason home schooling is on the up… you’ll be paying to educate but will get cheaper holidays

Private schools will have their own rules around taking time off school.
I regularly read about children of celebrities who get taken out of their private schools to accompany their parents on trips that are connected to their work (ie if a big famous film star the whole family might go to the USA for an award ceremony).
I assume this is with agreement from their schools.
You'd have to ask the school you have signed her up too in order to answer that.

Yup, free to take a day off whenever, and if you wanted a day to yourself (or to catch up with work or housework) you could leave them there from 8-6!

I often read on here that things get easier when they start school, but 9-3.25 every day, constant holiday clubs to sort for the next school holiday, and expensive family holidays is not "easier" imo.

Yes I do miss the loss of random adventures. But primary school is so sweet, it flies by so quickly so enjoy it as much as you can