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?

12 pieces

Oh Belle - try not to worry (easier said than done, I know!). Ds said he spent all of breaktime yesterday "wandering about on his own". But today he sat with 3 friends (as he puts it - he doesn't even know the name of one of them!) at lunch-time.

He's not exactly giving off the "come and be my friend" vibes if you know what I mean. He loves the teachers, loves the school, loves his old friends at his old school. He keeps saying that the new children are um.. well.. all "init ya" and they all know each other from the taster day I think he needs to give them a chance.

Oh belle Are there any lunchtime clubs he could join - maybe he would meet more like-minded boys there?

There's loads of clubs, they don't start yet though.

I've told him to give it time and to join some clubs so he can meet some boys who like the same things as he does. I don't like the thought of him wondering about all by himself though.

Trefusis, if I was her, I would definitely miss the bus to get a nice smoothie

belle, sorry to hear your boy had a tricky lunchtime. I hope it gets better tomorrow.

DS1 came back fairly chilled and happy, he is fortunate that he knows lots of people at the school already. He was a bit miffed about lunchtime though - they only had 20 mins today, because they wanted to keep the Y7s aways from all the older kids. But he had to queue so long for his lunch, he only had 5 mins to eat it and all his mates had shovelled in their sarnies and left him! He gamely sat next to some people he didn't know and introduced himself (bless!).

So a big round phew from me so far...

My DD started yesterday. Went there and back on the bus without getting lost. Her tutor walked her to her bus after school, which I thought was lovely. Gone off happy this morning - thank goodness.

Quoted: "And it's her first Games lesson tomorrow, which brings back all sorts of toe-curling memories from my own school days ."

DD asked innocently - "but why does it say to bring a towel for P.E.? - we're not going swimming are we?" (I did enlighten her, I'm not that evil)

Oh and she started her first ever period last night, with P.E. today... great timing.

And in all this morning's kerfuffle, I forgot to say "Look, you can actually tell your P.E. teacher, they are used to this"

Oh miso, poor DD.

I was just worrying about that very thing happening to DD - do you think I should give her some pads for her bag just incase? Were there any warning signs? DD is developing, has started growing hairs and got her first teenager spot on her first day! Do you think it's likely to be soon?

Right, that's tonight's job then. She will be horrified

We made it to school on time today, he managed an extra 10 mins in bed aswell.
Girls are excused from showers if they are on their period Miso, they have to tell the teachers though. I remember girls being on a permanent period, the gym teacher twigged and asked them to tell their mums to take them to the doctors

I hope all of yours are having a great day.

We had a Pogo pack - which I'd read about on Mumsnet! - so that saved the day, lots of pads to choose from & a handy bag.

Lucky she started at home though, it wouldn't have occurred to me to suggest she carried pads just in case she started...

I said there would be disposal bins in the toilets & had she seen them - at which point she said she hadn't used the loos at school yet she's been there nearly a week .

(Think she never used the loos at Primary if she could help it, as they had no locks & the boys would burst in all the time - but new school is supposedly much better so hope she gets over her loo-phobia...)

re: warning signs - well, underneath the excitement she's been tired and horribly mardy all week, but I had just put that down to the stress of a new routine...

Belle, how has it been today for your Ds? Much better I hope.

I think I will have to get DD "kited" just in case she starts hers in school. Not been moody lately (well not more than usual anyway) so I am hopping we have some time left.

Further to the bus saga...the bus company seem rather pleased with them selves that it is a double decker, and this morning the bus driver got lost again and drove them towards the next city...continuing along the dual carriage way rather than turning left at the roundabout. Of course the kids found it hilarious, especially as it was rush hour and they were held in the traffic.

Also the kids have been playing football on the top deck. Which I'm very about.

It's just not good enough really.

On the plus side, DS finally has some homework, which he has actually completed!!! (Quite unusual for DS1!)

He's made a friend who likes warhammer so he's a little happier, he sat by himself at lunch time though Thank you for asking

, it is a start belle.

DD was really not impressed by the staff who serves the food in the cantine. She was shouted at because she went back at then end of the queue when she realised she had not got a drink (I would have done just like her) and got charged 80p extra for a "pinch" of grated cheese on her pasta. She decided she wanted a packed lunch from next week.

Dd now has 4 pieces of homework to do, which she has decided there is no rush to
do. Hmm, should I let her learn the hard way or shall I give her a kick up the backside?

According to dd, he pe homework us to write a biography about Sherlock holmes. Turns out it's actually Kelly holmes she needs to write about lol

as far as I know, she eats lunch on her own I wish she found making friends easier, but I guess that will come in time.

Miso, the pogo pack sounds good - where do you get them from?

DD has been especially mood-swingy and tired this week, but I am putting that down to the stress of a new school and all the homework

Dd went off this morning for just 3 hours with only year 7s, so the full horror of a school full of big people and boys will hit her on Monday! Although it's not even a big school....
She looked great in her uniform and I am pleased to report I thought I was quite cool and relaxed.
Can't wait to see what books she brings home at lunchtime and what she thought of everything....