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?

It all seems to accelerate from here on, doesn't it?

It really does Cadelaide. My eldest is starting sixth form in September .

We recieved a list for the rugby kit last week, I'm still recovering. He seems too small to go to secondary school.

rugby kit?

But rugby will kill him!

I know!! (sob). They do have different groups for different abilities though so he'll be with the other little pfb softies.

Once they go to secondary school boys start to SMELL!! Honestly it's a weird smell. No matter how long DS stays in the shower with his bottle of Orginal Sauce shower gel ( i bottle per shower!!) he still has that teenage boy smell. They're in a funny place - not quite children but not quite adults!!
Then there is spots. Blimey my DS has had some corkers. Good job he takes them with food humour.

Then there are boundaries to be agreed. It's a massive deal letting him get the train to a DIFFERENT town to meet his mates. I'm worried whether I'm being over cautious or too leneint.AND how much money is the right money to give them?

And there's more...............but I' sure if I carry on those with DC who have yet to go to secondary school will be curled up sobbing by now!

With ds1 the answer to the dinner money conundrum was I give him less money than he said all his friends were getting (he gets £2.40 per day) but told him he was allowed to keep any money he saved over the week.

He hasn't starved and has managed to 'save' quite a bit too!

I did a thread about how much dinner money, the average was £3.00 Look on their web site for school uniform, they should send you a list of stuff to get, most of it they will never use going by past experiences. They invite fresh blood new children into the school so they can get use to the layout.

There's a teenage boy living next door to me if anyone wants one, likes to listen to techno crap!

DD is one of the youngest and smallest in Y6. No worries about her growing our of her current uniform - I am just praying she grows a bit before September 2nd!

At our school they get £1.70 credit for a 'free school meal', so the canteen have to get a basic full main meal in for that price. So they should be fine on £2 IMO. Generally the ££ goes on buying drinks instead of drinking water, bacon butties at breaktime and cakes/puddings.

I'm tempted to start a meet up thread so he (with me) can meet other boys starting his new school so there's a couple of friendly faces.

upahill you are too funny. My DS's latest round of forgetfulness involved forgetting his coat at home and then saying oh mum I've forgotten my coat at home so he had to wear my coat the whole day. Needless to say he hasnt forgotten his coat again. Honestly I despair; I wonder how he will cope in a big scary secondary school as he is such a baby..... Oldest in year 6 as he is an October baby but highly immature.

He has broached the subject of Lynx and I just put my foot down on it. I will buy him real cologne.... Not being a snob or anything but Lynx brings out all my allergies and I start sneezing everywhere

Upahill I teach in a college and when I walk in class and there are only boys in there, the smell is enough to make me want to gag. What is it with that smell, its like an unwashed, lynxy, dog smell all mixed up. YUCK

My DS's school do a cashless card system for lunch so will just have to top that up every week for school dinners and give him about £10 a week pocket money.

That's useful to know - £2 per day for lunch. I think they have a fob system at the school DD is going to, which they can use for a locker too. Fingers crossed she doesn't lose it!

One small thing that I have found helpful to my relationship although I appreciate it isn't easy is to try and find time just for DS1 and Ds2 seperatly.
It started by chance when Ds1 and I had to go into town for something for him and on the spur of the moment I said come on let's go for a meal. I let him order and deal with the waiter (Oh God, he seemed so grown up putting my order in and making sure I got everything and pouring my wine).
It started off like sullen teenagers do, you know a bit quite, everytime I asked something all I got was 'Dunno. I am saying boring stuff where you can imagine him wanting to roll his eyes....... How was school? lessons good?

Anyway he starts coming all animated and telling me about funny things on facebook, stuff he wants to show me on youtube, things about school.We had a right giggle Absoulte revelation that I wouldn't have found out about if we hadn't done that.

I do something similar with DS2 and listen to stories about Puffles and all the hot news from Club Penguin. But you get my drift.

Me adn Ds1 are going biking for a couple of hours this morning before he goes to meet his mates.

That sounds great upahill

I always find my DC more willing to chat personally when we are on our own doing something nice. Only problem is, then I can't shut them up

Can I join? My first born (August baby) ds starts secondary this September too. And it is a huge (1600 pupils) secondary. And I am terrified! [wibble]

Have not yet read whole thread - will do so tomorrow after work - but just wanted to mark my place.

Mucho support needed I think!

Hi hippipo, DS will be going to a huge school too.

The pupils walk past my house twice a day and they look enormous!

My DD is starting to worry that she'll be the shortest in her school - only two other girls from her primary are going to her secondary; one is very tall, the other used to be a tad smaller but has sneakily gone and shot up. DD may just be big enough to legally not use a booster seat by the time she starts.

However, to those of you wimping being naturally concerned about your lads rugby kit, DD's been doing it since she was in Y3. (ok, so only tag rugby)

Both mine were one of the tallest when they started secondary infact they were both as tall as me, so I never had a little one starting, they just looked so ready!

We don't have a rugby kit at DCs school and they have quite a bit of choice in what sport they do in PE. DD yr7 is doing golf next term.

DSyr 9 is doing rugby for the first time and it's mixed. He said it wasn't fair because he didn't feel he could tackle a girl (He is 5'11), but found running at them yelling at the top of his voice very effective as they just put the ball down and run.

My ds goes in September too- he looks so little1 Big sister is year 8, and is filling him with horror stories (even though they're different schools)
As part of my job I speak to lots of yr 6's about going to secondary school, so who knows- i may be reassuring some of yours!!