Starting big school

It’s time. He starting big school. I feel that I would be a shit mother (and certainly a shit parent blogger!)  if I didn’t write about this momentous occasion. This huge milestone in my little boys’ life. And mine for that matter!

Barney is our only child. My little boy, my little trooper, my little solider, the pain in my arse and the joy in my life. Honestly, aside of all the worry that he won’t make friends, he’ll be bullied, he’ll miss me etc I am so, so excited for him. I know he is ready and I believe that in his own way he will excel. Both my husband and I are ensuring that anything school related is exciting, and that this is to be nothing but an adventure.

Yup, he is excited!

In light of this, I wanted to make a couple of public promises so that in the future when I find myself rolling my eyes at yet another school event or struggling with the school/work life balance, I remember how I felt now, right now, the morning he starts school.

1) I promise that even on those cold damp winter mornings when we are walking to school in the rain, my hair getting bigger with every humid step, that I will have my game face on. I want him to enjoy school. To enjoy learning and discover the areas that interest him most.

2) I promise not to cry over the next couple of weeks (Well not to his face). Not to ask him to ‘always be my baby’ or to ‘stop growing any bigger’.

He assures me that he has to grow but not to worry he will always be my baby. Phew.

I might regret that when he is still living with us at 40.

Nailing the tie

3) I promise to support him in all of the extra curricular activities he will no doubt want to sign up to over the next term. That said, if he asks me to buy him an instrument any bigger than a recorder or triangle, he better bloody see it through. (Remember Mum & sister, that £500 cello was money well spent!)

4) I promise that I will turn up to all your school events and extra curricular activities with bells on. Come rain or shine. I further promise to actively take part in any parent activities and races on sports day. Trying at all times to contain my very unsportsmanlike competitive streak👊

5) I promise to make an effort to chat to other parents at the school gates and not run away avoiding eye contact as I can have a tendency to do (Not because I am rude, just a tad shy). In addition, I promise to remember your friends names and which child belongs to which parent so that when the old party invitations start to arrive we have half an idea which one is the birthday boy/girl when we get to the party.

6) And finally, I promise to be cool in front of your friends. I am down with the kids so fear not, no embarrassing mum stuff here. I will refrain from spitting on tissues and rubbing your face, shouting your name followed by ‘cooooeeeee’ across the playground or saying things like ‘I am down with the kids’ out loud, in front of your mates.

So good luck to all you fellow parents with little ones starting school. Here’s to the next chapter.

*I would like to end this post with a small caveat that I promise not to give myself a hard time for not keeping any of the above promises. Let’s face it, you always set out with the best intentions in this parenting game. Most are easier said then done!

Me and the not so little man

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