Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Original poster

Wondered if hand holding for Sept newbies would be nice?

990 replies

treedelivery · 19/06/2009 16:50

Just that really. Like an antenatal thread but for parents of children starting primary in Sept.

We have our taster afternoon in a couple of weeks - it all feels so alien. Haven't felt this out of it since I bought my 1st pack of nappies and got the giggles at the checkout!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Original poster
treedelivery · 30/07/2009 21:22

Welcome DOg

We are all worried I think, in varying degrees. We deal with it by buying lots of uniform and sewing name tapes on

OP posts:
JustcallmeDog · 30/07/2009 21:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

DontCallMeBaby · 30/07/2009 21:59

golgi (and others baffled by school dinners) - you might be able to at least find out what they cost by googling the name of your local authority and 'school dinners' or similar. School dinners are usually contracted out for the whole LA. You might even be able to find a menu (this is Gloucestershire's for the term just ended, if anyone's interested).

Hope it goes well for everyone ... it goes fast ... just a few weeks until the start of Year 1 for us, when there will be HOMEWORK!

Aranea · 30/07/2009 22:02

Hello Dog

Has she been at the preschool attached to her new school? I sometimes wish I'd gone for that, as this transition wouldn't feel nearly so huge.

golgi · 30/07/2009 22:36

Pinktulips - we're the same - small village with one school in it, all places allocated by catchment - I think it would be quite tricky to end up going anywhere else!

DontCallMeBaby - that's good advice - I found out it's £2 per day. £10 per week. Hmm, packed lunches will be cheaper than that. Our school did say you can do some days not others, I may organise a mixture.

Dog - I worry that mine will cry too much - if he falls over he lets out bloodcurdling screams even if not hurt. This may not go down too well in playground.

Homework? In Year 1?

PinkTulips · 31/07/2009 16:09

ours get homework from hallowe'en on. flascards mostly and the odd bit of workbook work.

i sent the book website am email yesterday saying i'd received the order and one book was missing and enquiring if it was out of stock and when would i receive it. was stupendously polite (for once ).

they've just enailed me to say the publisher no longer makes it and would i like a refund? yes please, and when were they planning on bothering to tell me?

JustcallmeDog · 31/07/2009 21:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

golgi · 31/07/2009 22:12

Dog I must admit this bothers me too. I went to a similar sort of primary school (small, village) as ds is starting at. I had no friends. I still remember sitting at the side of the playground on my own with nobody to play with.
I am trying to think positive, I'm sure the Boy will be fine. He's been at the preschool so knows all the other children already. He does tend to play with the girls more than the boys, but I don't see that as a problem.

Pinktulips - you had to buy books? I hope we didn't have to buy books (panics slightly).

Aranea · 31/07/2009 22:19

God, me too. I'm desperately worried in case she doesn't make friends. I don't think she's very good at it yet.

Acinonyx · 01/08/2009 07:14

I'm also worried about dd making friends - she's very shy and sometimes sabatages play opportunities with reticent sulkiness or stubborn refusal to do what other dc want to do (yes, she's an only child like her mother). I've tried to concentrate on 2 pieces of advice: sometimes you have to play what other children are playing; sometimes you need to try a new game/activity.

Original poster
treedelivery · 01/08/2009 16:08

We have 2 summer dreses. Mum found them in the nearest city. Hurrah! DD is flat refusing to try them on. Boo!

Friends thing a source of great worry. If I go there I worry, so it's fingers in ears and thinking about name labels for me

Dog, in the earlier part of the thread there are loads of tips and links on labels. I'm a cash sew in girl, with label-it shoes and washable stickers

OP posts:
Original poster
treedelivery · 01/08/2009 16:11

22 is a great class size. We are 30 at least, wouldn't be surprised if a few more were in. The class room is too small imo, but thats the way it is. I think schools built int he 80-90's were built with smaller classes in mind tbh.

We have a class list thank God! DD1 will have her birthdau party 3 weeks or so after starting, so we will just have a community hall and invite the lot! Should be fun..............

OP posts:
golgi · 01/08/2009 16:37

Tree that party idea sounds brave....or foolish....

I'm pleased about the class size thing - there are 16 in reception. They are usually a combined class with half of year one, but this year it's just the 16 of them, until February when they will join up with nursery (although nursery are only there for two and a half hours in the morning, and have their own teacher).

Original poster
treedelivery · 01/08/2009 16:39

Am hoping lots will be busy

Will pile into a church hall and hire a kids disco man we had last year. Lots of hokey kokey and the conga. There was 22 in our house last year!!!! There may still be some in various cupboards.

OP posts:
Aranea · 01/08/2009 17:58

Good grief tree, I can't believe you hosted a party of that size in your house! You are obviously a complete nutter very hospitable.

But I think a party for the whole class is a great idea - instant popularity for your dd! I bet they'll all come though... everyone will be desperate for their kids to make friends at that stage, won't they? Or is that just me [sad desperate mum emoticon]?

Original poster
treedelivery · 01/08/2009 19:07

In retrospect I have no idea what I was thinking! All those parents too!

Will enjoy doing it in a big room though, the place has a little kitchen and a play area too. Will do adult food too. Be a nice ice breaker for all us newbies!

OP posts:
teafortwo · 03/08/2009 17:59

Everytime I read this thread I feel the hand of labels to sew in tapping me on the shoulder and I think "- YES I will do it!!!" With Russian Communist propaganda poster enthusiasm and then I go and make another cup of tea, read a book, watch a film then go to bed!

Talking about sewing - The sewing night with God Mother was a flop because (a) She can't sew and (b) God Mother has a new boyfriend which means she has no time to sew as she is too busy looking fab and swishing around the place on hot date after hot date!!!!! Fab for her but Grrr for the labels plan!!!!!!

Original poster
treedelivery · 03/08/2009 18:37

I could be doing them now. But I'm here. Talking about it instead.

OP posts:
teafortwo · 03/08/2009 18:41

TBH - I haven't even made it to the kettle yet - bloody MN!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!

MARGOsBeenDrinkingTea · 03/08/2009 20:07

Ooo I must join this thread. My PFB starts in September. I've not sewn nme tags in yet either.

simpson · 04/08/2009 14:30

don't want to think about name tags

I have at least bought them.

I still have not got DS's school socks have been meaning to do it for at least a month now!!

Since he doesn't start till 24th Sept I am going to leave his school shoes till most other kids are back (ie early sept) then shoe shop won't be Hell so bad

PinkTulips · 04/08/2009 15:01

i sewed all mine in last week [polishes halo]

sadly my area of procrastination seems to be the darn schoolbooks... need to cover them but just can't work up the motivation to do so!

socks! i needs socks alright. and dd is insanely excited about buying her new school shoes so must go do that soonish.

Aranea · 04/08/2009 16:24

no books to cover

no nametapes

no uniform

what am I supposed to do???

golgi · 04/08/2009 16:32

Socks? Do they need to be of a particular "school" variety? I just bought plain black ones.

We don't have books to cover.

I remember that more from secondary school - covering books in wrapping paper. Why?

tinkisback · 04/08/2009 16:39

hi can i join

my dd1 starts school on sept the 17th she is 4 years old on thew 29th of august will be the youngest

still need to get white socks and grey tights should have everything else