Wondered if hand holding for Sept newbies would be nice?

[treedelivery]

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!

I can join in Ds starts in September. We are going to buy his school uniform this weekend as we are going to be away in July & bits of August & I worry that we won't get our act together.
Not sure how my Mum is going to cope with school information as she is very foreign & old! So ds might not turn up at school with the right stuff on particular days or miss out on parties & school trips because I didn't get the note! Maybe I'll be class room Mum so they have to make sure I know! But I can't assume they'll ask me!
I need to increase my hours at work due to money. What happens to homework if you don't get back from work until 7pm? All these questions and more.

pigswithflu - one ds age 4.2 on the first day. Improving with own dressing but often ends up on the wrong way round. Can read whole sentences (proud mummy alert) and good at maths stuff but only just starting to draw and can barely write something akin to his name. Me worried about how school will cope with both ends of the skills scale. Need to teach ds to do buttons and bum wiping.

Ugh that's too long isn't it....sorry.

More concise version:

pigswithflu - one ds (4.2) on first day. Improving with own dressing but often all wrong way round. Can read whole sentences (proud mummy alert), good at maths but barely writes something akin to name. Buttons and bum wiping on to do list for summer hols.

hello all, just found this thread thanks to treedelivery

dd is starting 'big school' in september [eek] and ds1 will be going to playscholl... my house will be empty except for the baby!

ds1 is trying out playschool this week so we're getting a taster of the peace and quiet to come in sept

bought all dd's uniform stuff yeaterday, came over all blubbery and bought far too much oh well, she's a devil for wrecking clothes so probably better to have too much than too little!

Hello PinkTulips!

treedelivery has dd1 age 4.10 on 1st day. Does own dressing and academic stuff. Does not do bowel control, eating or relaxing. Todays 'Mamma worries' score 6/10

teafortwo has one dd will be 3.4 on first day. This is the age all children start school in Paris (where milk and tea live). Butterflies are us - but in a good way !

norksinmywaistband has dd 4.9 on first day, very keen to start. Knows her numbers and letters, and write her own name - in a fashion. She has poo issues and I am worried about tantrums toward end of day as she gets very stroppy when tired

golgi has son 4.8 on first day. Can do numbers, letters, read some words. Will not pick up pen or pencil or dress himself. Still has a nap after lunch if given half a chance.

pigswithflu - one ds (4.2) on first day. Improving with own dressing but often all wrong way round. Can read whole sentences (proud mummy alert), good at maths but barely writes something akin to name. Buttons and bum wiping on to do list for summer hols.

Norfolklass-Has ds who will be 4.6 on first day. Very eager to start but mummy is not!! Knows letters,numbers & can read simple words but cannot draw anything other than scribbles!!

PinkTulips - I'll be buying waaay to much uniform too I expect. T'is the way of things around here. Am also a bit as to what happens to the piles of regular clothes dd1 has. Granny was a bit shocked when it dawned on us both dd1 won't need that many clothes now. That's no fun!

Toilet issues seem an ongoing theme. I'm guessing they must either larn very fast or we are going to need pack and pack of undies. Must admit, we do tend to just throw soiled pants out. Which is a shocking waste of cotton and an eco disaster.

If they have to wear grown up shirts and blouses I think they should have fake buttons and press studs or velcro.

dd will be 4.7 starting.

is chronically shy with strange adults (took her 6 months to speak to her playschool teachers and she stopped again when a new one started)

wets herself alot (possibly medical, it's being looked into but not much chance it'll be resolved by september.

hates letters and has no interest in learning them and refuses to count past 12(ds1 is mad about them and he's only 2.10 but she couldn't care less)

she did fine on the trial day but it was only 2.5 hours and the teacher did mention she went to the loo an awful lot

fairly paniced tbh, the playschool is a great environment for her as they let the kids pretty much do their own thing and are very relaxed, school will be a shock for her.

Aw PinkTulips I can imagine how you'd feel. Sounds like you have been able to get her into the right type of school though. Ours is a bit on the traditional side, which wouldn't suit your dd at all probably.

Maybe the Dr's could give you some idea of if they think there is a medical thing going on or not - to help you start maybe getting her to space her wee?

Is she going on half days etc?

Adding to register:

treedelivery has dd1 age 4.10 on 1st day. Does own dressing and academic stuff. Does not do bowel control, eating or relaxing. Todays 'Mamma worries' score 6/10

teafortwo has one dd will be 3.4 on first day. This is the age all children start school in Paris (where milk and tea live). Butterflies are us - but in a good way !

norksinmywaistband has dd 4.9 on first day, very keen to start. Knows her numbers and letters, and write her own name - in a fashion. She has poo issues and I am worried about tantrums toward end of day as she gets very stroppy when tired

golgi has son 4.8 on first day. Can do numbers, letters, read some words. Will not pick up pen or pencil or dress himself. Still has a nap after lunch if given half a chance.

pigswithflu - one ds (4.2) on first day. Improving with own dressing but often all wrong way round. Can read whole sentences (proud mummy alert), good at maths but barely writes something akin to name. Buttons and bum wiping on to do list for summer hols.

Acinonyx has one dd will be 4.1 starting school. Major toilet issues and very shy. Draws well, writes, counts and does some very simple sums but no reading.

I'm driving myself bonkers worrying about dd's poo problems. I've wrung the gp (again) and asked to have her referred to a specialist through our private insurance (I forget we have that - must be useful for something, otherwise we wouldn't be seen until next year).

I'm also going to call a couple of chiropractors but I can't imagine dd letting them treat her.

I'm also worried about dd making friends. She loves to be with other children but isn't good at joining in and playing what someone else is playing. Must chill out and let her get on with it. Repeat. Do not interfere. Do not hover....

Hello! I don't have a child starting in reception but am a reception teacher. It's really interesting to see all your worries. Am happy to do a bit of hand holding if you like but thought I would pop in to say they will all be fine I promise! (And you will be too!) Of course we help them, we know they're only ickle and we're used to anything on the scale of reading, writing, maths, bum wiping, dressing etc. It's most useful if they can do the practical skills because the ratios aren't the same as nursery so it's tough if lots can't do things but we cope! Also just wanted to say about the staggered starts. I know it seems like they're going backwards if they're used to nursery - but I think you'll be surprised at how tired they will be. Think about when you start a new job and how overwhelmingly knackering that is! Same for children. Also, there aren't as many adults to help them, there are new systems and routines, new adults, sometimes new children etc etc etc. We do the staggered starts because in our experience it helps most children. Of course, there will be the exception to the rule and some would have been fine with full time straight away but a lot wouldn't. Always best to leave them gagging for more rather than wishing the time away so they can go home.
HTH a little and enjoy it - I'm sure they'll have a ball.

treedelivery, the gp has ruled out infection and we've tried reward charts etc but she just can't feel when she needs to go. she's been referred to paeds, bit worrying as i have spins bifida in my family so there's a chance it could be a mild form of that.

will add a concise version to the register;

treedelivery has dd1 age 4.10 on 1st day. Does own dressing and academic stuff. Does not do bowel control, eating or relaxing. Todays 'Mamma worries' score 6/10

teafortwo has one dd will be 3.4 on first day. This is the age all children start school in Paris (where milk and tea live). Butterflies are us - but in a good way !

norksinmywaistband has dd 4.9 on first day, very keen to start. Knows her numbers and letters, and write her own name - in a fashion. She has poo issues and I am worried about tantrums toward end of day as she gets very stroppy when tired

golgi has son 4.8 on first day. Can do numbers, letters, read some words. Will not pick up pen or pencil or dress himself. Still has a nap after lunch if given half a chance.

pigswithflu - one ds (4.2) on first day. Improving with own dressing but often all wrong way round. Can read whole sentences (proud mummy alert), good at maths but barely writes something akin to name. Buttons and bum wiping on to do list for summer hols.

Acinonyx has one dd will be 4.1 starting school. Major toilet issues and very shy. Draws well, writes, counts and does some very simple sums but no reading.

Pinktulips has one dd (4.7) starting in sept. toilet issues, chronic shyness and hates letters and counting. has master bum wiping but buttons still a tricky one. she's great at drawing and things involving fine motor skills though (puzzles and crafty things)

over here the baby's finsih earlier than the rest of the school so they already sort of get half days. junior and senior infants finish at 2, the rest of the school at 3 (9.20 start time and the school is literally across the road from us )

Acinonyx- we have the same child. Now dd REALLY enjoyed the chiro. She spent alot of it trying to put her tow up the chiros nose as she bent over her. So give it a go - really. The worst that can happen is your £25 is wasted totally. I think if you get one who 'does' kids they will be able sto put her at ease, probably more than the medics! The treatments are so quick. Ours had a little feel of dd's neck, said 'I'm just going to put my hand here' then click! Done!

But I heart our chiro. Are you even remotely Yorkshire way?

How ace to have a teacher on the thread. Please stay
Good advice about staggered start. Don't know if ours offers that, it hasn't been mentioned. DD would profit, she's bushed after a her playschool week!

So despite our very different kids, so far the worries are quite constant - poo, poo and er...poo!

Pinktulips - I understand your worry about spina bifida in the family as we have bowel disease in the family and that worries me a lot. I try a mantra of 'things are as they are and we can only do our best to help her'.

Sarah - I've met dd's teacher and feel very confident about her, so that's good. They have a 10 day settling inperiod then it's full days for everyone, although you can probably negotiate that I imagine. It will be hard enough covering the childcare gap for those first 2 weeks, tbh.

I come from north of yorkshire but alas I have moved to the dark side - the SE.

Acinonyx - dream chiro is on the North York coast so maybe time to visit parents......
Well, I'm sure you'll find someone equally as lovely. I'll be if it does no good. Mind you, it's just a good idea, I think, to get all our bodies looked at by an expert. To see if we are resticted in movement or using our limbs in an odd way etc.

Me, dd1 and dd2 [2 weeks old at the time] ALL had problems looking over our left shoulder. How odd id that! Had never noticed dd1 had a stiff neck, and it didn't hurt her. But I bet she will grow to have the same neck and back issues I do.

Very at those who can walk to school.

PinkTulips - you must be anxious about that. At least when you know you'll have the facts of it either way, rather than the worry. There are mners with spina bifida and who have kids with it - maybe you could ask for some advice if you are needing any. Good luck with it - I have found interactions with the paeds frustrating and interesting and usefull and useless.

treedelivery has dd1 age 4.10 on 1st day. Does own dressing and academic stuff. Does not do bowel control, eating or relaxing. Todays 'Mamma worries' score 6/10

teafortwo has one dd will be 3.4 on first day. This is the age all children start school in Paris (where milk and tea live). Butterflies are us - but in a good way !

norksinmywaistband has dd 4.9 on first day, very keen to start. Knows her numbers and letters, and write her own name - in a fashion. She has poo issues and I am worried about tantrums toward end of day as she gets very stroppy when tired

golgi has son 4.8 on first day. Can do numbers, letters, read some words. Will not pick up pen or pencil or dress himself. Still has a nap after lunch if given half a chance.

pigswithflu - one ds (4.2) on first day. Improving with own dressing but often all wrong way round. Can read whole sentences (proud mummy alert), good at maths but barely writes something akin to name. Buttons and bum wiping on to do list for summer hols.

Acinonyx has one dd will be 4.1 starting school. Major toilet issues and very shy. Draws well, writes, counts and does some very simple sums but no reading.

Pinktulips has one dd (4.7) starting in sept. toilet issues, chronic shyness and hates letters and counting. has master bum wiping but buttons still a tricky one. she's great at drawing and things involving fine motor skills though (puzzles and crafty things)

Wheelybug has dd who will be 4.7. Beginning to read and does other academic stuff hanks to a good pre-school but talks far too much so will probably spent most of her time being told to talk less and listen more.

Well I just called the practice that dh has been too and they will get back to me. If they can find me - we will be out and about hopefully. Although I'm always nervous about being out and about in the afternoons with dd and not being near a toilet.

It all has a horrible familiarity - like being with dh before he had his colon removed..

Oh Acinonyx! It's so emotionally loaded for you. You have my sympathy. And understanding of some of it.

I used to carry a pull up and just stick it on if it looked like she was going to do it in the middle of the street!

treedelivery- she's been under paeds before for food intolerances so i've had the joy of that experiance already and have resigned myself to a long wait and few answers.

i'm purposefully trying not to allow myself to focus too much on the SB issue, if she has it it's mild and we'll cope but i don't want to blinker myself to the possibility that it could be something completely differant... if i go to paeds with only SB in mind they may only look for that and miss the true problem

acinonyx- true, there's no point panicing about these things is there, all we can do is deal with them as they come up. you have my utmost sympathy on the poo issues, ds1 looks like he's going to be similar... good luck to the playschool with that! [evil ]

just saw your post about the gp acinonyx.... tis a horrible feeling in the pit of your stomache isn't it?

I've just picked DS up from his big school session and have discovered the truth about why there were others from the villages upset about him getting the last spot. Aparently the LEA cocked-up their distances. I don't know how the parents of the other kids on the waiting list found this out but when they put their appeals in the girl, who should have been in top of the wait list, as she lives closer, was given a place without going to appeal. The other two mum's then kicked up a total stink saying that by accepting a 16th child the LEA had compromised their chances of appeal and all threatened to complain, so last week these other 2 girls were given places too.

You know when you are talking to people you don't know and they don't know who you are either and you suddenly get this sinking/sick feeling when you realise that they're talking about you! Well I got that. Thankfully the mum's were both really nice and said that we'd done nothing wrong but they had to fight their corner.

Well thanks for reading that rant! Feel better now for getting it off my chest, I was starting to get anxious about it all.

Oh swissmiss! Awful for you. Thankfully they see that this is not your issue.

How was ds?