Thursday 5 September 2013

Back to School

I am quite an organised person.



 Or I think I am. 



The truth is I am like most parents when it comes to a new term and all the ideas I have whirling about my head about being ready with well rested, prepared children who will walk off to school in freshly laundered, labelled and ironed uniform often remains just that..... ideas . 

The reality is I have so enjoyed being off with my kids this year that it has sort of crept up on me this "back to school day" and the fact is, last terms trousers actually were a little tight on my oldest boy. Probably because he had free rein with the village shop and access to his allowance all summer . Note to self - must check his bank balance and see that it hasn't all been spent on Family Choice Jaffa Cakes.

The depth of my preparation for the return to school for my eldest son involved shaking his rucksack upside down over the bath and peering suspiciously at the contents that disposited themselves within. I had quite an interesting discussion about what we concluded was a skittle that finally dissolved and disappeared in a slimy mess down the plug hole. We have now discovered that his PE kit is still at school - from last term. SO, unless it has walked home on its own I am fearing that they will need to fumicate the tutor room on the first day back as it has been festering for 6 weeks in this heat. Oh my.


I did , at the last minute , top up the lunch fund, and I have managed to buy new shoes .


However, I did find that my eldest son's feet seems to have grown 3 sizes since I last did this. 


He is now gracing a size 9. The last time I looked 3 months ago they were a 6. Well maybe it was 6 months. Ok ..9.


He is 12 years old. 


Oh My.


Oh MY. OH My . Oh MY. He needed astro boots, tennis trainers and football boots too. Yes I know. I KNOW. He needs to stop now. I may as well give him full access to my bank account.

We have also begun the journey into spots.

AHhhhhhh

Do you remember those days?

Apparently at the moment they are a bit of a status symbol. The bigger they are, the more manly you are considered. My boy seems to just have a few pimples around his forehead. However, we did have a man spot over the summer which was discussed at great length, usually while food was present. I can't quite look at iced carrot cake the same way any more.

The younger two are pretty easy really. One new pair of shoes between them and an early night and they are set. The school is two minutes down the road and we are going to try really hard not to be late this year, especially on the days I am teaching there:) 

So the alarm is set, the uniform has been dug back out and scowled at and the back packs propped up by the front door. I think that is as ready as we will be for now. I am going to start as I mean to go on:

No shouting.

Don't repeat yourself

Don't repeat yourself

Let them make mistakes and learn from them.

Give them a list of jobs to do

Get THEM to lay everything out the night before not YOU! 

After all , like it or not they are growing up.

They are not my babies anymore

SIGH.

All the best to those of you who have children to get back into a routine this next few weeks. For those who have children starting school for the first time - AHHHH, I always found that hard....

Have tissues to hand, eat plenty of chocolate and always have a cold bottle of wine in the fridge.



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9 comments:

  1. You do sound organised :-) Ah - your little boy 12 - they grow up all at once don't they, a few years (nothing in our lives) makes such a difference to them. Hope he enjoys 'big school'. It sounds as though you have a great relationship - if he can talk about spots hopefully he'll talk about other stuff too. xx

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    1. I can be organised - just not with builders living with me - ha ha!! My boy is very open with me - sometimes too much information! X

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  2. My son started his first day as a primary school teacher today and he was far more nervous than his own first day at primary school.

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    1. I hope it went well for him - I remember my first day teaching - I was so excited about all the stationary I got to get!

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  3. I do that kind of thing all the time where I assume something is somewhere and then find out at the eleventh hour that it is not. And then I have to do the mad dash to find/locate/repair. You're okay though. I spoke to a mum today yesterday who had to pick up her son's school shoes the very morning her little boy was due to start school. Now that's cutting it fine.

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    1. We found out his blazer is too small too - he had to wear it though ! So a mad dash is planned to replace the blazer and get some bigger trousers tomorrow ready for next week. She did cut it fine though - I did manage to get organised with the shoes this year!

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  4. I'm sorry Claire - can't help laughing at you shaking the rucksack over the bath! My two started back on Tues and Wed and I've actually been quite organised with the uniforms and preparation this year - however we've already had a brand new blazer practically ruined on the first day back - kids! Good luck for tomorrow - going to be raining heavily here - joy! xx

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    1. Oh no! Well I found another soggy skittle stuck to the back of one of his new school books tonight which obviously hadn't been shaken hard enough out of the bag! He put his blazer on this morning and I thought " Oops thats a bit snug too" . He has grown sooooo much! I just have struggled getting ready with the builders here too - Its enough to get up and fed every day at the moment! I think rain is due here too. I have no idea where the coats are !! XX

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  5. Such a funny post. I would say mine are both at college now so I would say savour thoese first days of school they pass so quickly.

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