Oh! Oh! My firstborn starts secondary school in September. Surely that warrants a support thread?

[Cadelaide]

Am I a bit too early for this?

I mean it's months away yet, isn't it?

Last day at primary school today. Please tell me it's normal to feel this sense of loss? I feel like a sad Mother who's too wrapped up in her children and who hangs around the playground fence at playtimes.

Last day at primary here too. I do feel sad because he has been at this school since he was just 3 and has grown up with all the children there. September will be hard for him as he doesn't really know anyone at his new school. I suppose its the end of an era really.

He said to me yesterday that one thing that stands out in his mind about the secondary induction day was the posters about drugs and alcohol abuse on the walls. "Talk to Frank" etc.

From posters about smiling to posters about syringes. From posters about "5 a day" to posters about blackened lungs through smoking. I wanna cry

Citrus I feel exactly like you. Although Dd1 still has 1 week of primary to go.

For those of you who already went trough the leavers assembly, how did you cope emotionally? I am worried I am going to cry so much it might be better if I actually do not go (am a ver emotional person) as I do not want to make DD1 incomfortable.

We had the leavers assembly yesterday. I'm not one for crying so I held it together quite well but I think I will feel it more tonight when we walk out of the gates for the last time.

So I'm a newbie to MN and you all seem so knowledgable. So could one of you tell me how it's happened that my DDs are starting secondary school in September?!

My 3 little girls are all going up to a selective girls Grammar. They're identical triplets so they've always been a bit of a novelty at their primary. For the first time in their lives they've been split up into different form groups.

We've had a nice hefty uniform and sports list come through and obviously we now have this times 3 and it's only available at John Lewis. DH has said he won't be able to have lunch for 6 months.

They seem so small, how is this possible?! Not sure how I feel about them being split, whilst I want them to individually thrive they're very close and do everything together. Oh the grey hairs

I can feel your pain AlliMomma. My son's John Lewis uniform order was delivered this morning - The total at the bottom of the page brought tears to my eyes and I've only got one! It is lovely though, the quality is really good and he looks so grown up in it (bless him, he humoured me and tried it all on!) Hope your girls get on ok - I'm sure they will My son is the only boy going from his primary though so I do share some of your concerns - I keep consoling myself that he is not the only one, that 250 new boys will start that school in September, surely he'll be fine

gorionine Everyone at our leavers service (teachers, pupils, parents, vicar) had a tear at some time in the service so you really won't be the only one if you cry Ours was so lovely - I wouldn't have missed it for the world...

My pfb dd came home in tears

I unfortunately could not pick her up from school, but in a way I was glad cos I am sure I would have blubbed all over the place.

What an emotional week. I'm glad it's all over tbh.

DS is foul-tempered. He keeps disappearing into the garden "to think". He says he wanted to cry but he couldn't.

My boy.

Enough emotion now. Normal life please.

My DS has been very quiet too. Yesterday he apparantly collapsed into uncontrollable sobbing during the leavers assembly. He is very sensitive at the best of times though. I just hope secondary school isn't going to be a huge knock back for him.

It's wierd though because although the "leaving primary school" emotion is passed us we now have the worry of starting a new (and in most cases, HUGE) school. Bullying is a massive concern for me, DS seems to be a magnet for it

I'll be glad when he's all settled, probably some time next year!

My DS1 has been exactly the same LadyCad. He's been quiet and moody and snappy with the little ones. He's had a couple of days off though now, he's chilled out and I seem to have my boy back

He's very excited about going up to secondary school but nervous at the same time. There were only 14 in YR6 at his primary whilst there are going to be around 250 in his year 7 - so I agree Citrus81, the change is going to be huge ...

Oh Friday was hard. Our local primary has been wonderful for the girls. They have enjoyed their experiences and had an amazing start to their education. Very sad! Tears all round.

We too had a very small primary school with, I believe 22 children in the girls year. They now move on to not only a girls only but a selective Grammar and there's only one other girl going with them. Typically, it's one none of them get on with!

My DD starts secondary school in September and I'm not sure how I feel about it.

In a way, I am glad she is leaving certain so called friends behind (they are going different seconday school) but at the same time, I am worried about her having to make new friends all over again. She isn't great at building friendships

On top of that, there is the worry of her getting to and from school safely. Surely I should just be able to let her go back to primary school if I don't think she is ready for secondary school?

We went away on holiday straight from the end of term and I think the change of scene did ds good - even though we were all so exhausted the first week we just slept
It's a relief to read this thread and discover other people's leavers are being a bit tetchy and overwrought. Ds has been alternately really clingy and babyish, then gruff and rude.
Our end of term was like a marathon - parties at school and organised by friends, sports day, leavers' disco, trips out, leavers' play. I didn't cry actually, but now we are back from holidays it's really sunk in he's left

Off on holiday Friday so spent yesterday getting al the school uniform and equipment sorted. The time is going so fast. Fortunately my Ds is keen to get started at secondary school but I can't believe I needed to buy size 7shoes for my baby. How did he get so big?!