We found out yesterday that Tom has been allocated a place at our first choice school, which was something of a relief as I hadn't put down a second choice! We are really pleased as it is one of the best primary schools in the area (based on league tables, which is all you have to go on) and nobody I've spoken to has anything bad to say about the school, which I take to be a good sign. It also happens to be about a ten minute walk up the lane behind our house (twenty minutes at Podling pace!), which is wonderfully convenient given that I'll be having to get three children up, dressed, fed and out the door come September. We were reasonably confident that he would get a place there as it is our catchment school and he already attends the playgroup one morning a week, but it is nice to know for certain. My only disappointment is that it is not a Church of England school, which I would have preferred. Obviously my children's religious education is very important to me, but they will continue to get this at home anyway.So there you have it. When September rolls around this year, it will herald a whole new period in my mothering career. During the school week, my first born will be spending more of his waking hours away from me than with me. I will, for the first time since I became a full-time mum four and a half years ago, have to get everyone up and out of the house by a set time every morning. I will be trusting the care and education of my child to people I don't know for 6 1/2 hours a day. I have to accept that there will be parts of Tom's life that, unless he chooses to tell me about them, I will not know about. It is the first stage in the whole 'teaching them to be independent' thing, but it seems like such a young age to have them out of your care and influence. I can't say I'm looking forward to it and I'm going to have a hard time letting go!
Image from "Going to school" by M.E. Gagg (Illustrated by J.H. Wingfield). Image available from http://www.ladybirdprints.com/
2 comments:
You'll be fine when it happens and he'll have a great time, I am sure. I know when Simon first went to nursery it felt like a wrench, but he thrives there and he loves going now. I don't envy you having to get everyone out of the house in the morning though. Good luck!
Tom will be fine, you on the other hand will probably accomplish nothing on his first day (I never did with either of mine). But when they come out of school with whatever they have made and their little faces light when they show you, it is all worth it. Come the school age they need to be a bit more independant of you (even it you don't think so). I don't envy you getting 3 children plus yourself out of the door in the mornings, I struggle with just me.
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