Im not really crying its just something in my eye. Looking back at school days

My son is coming to the end of his time at primary school. He is now in year 6 and will soon be leaving the school he has spent the last 7 years attending. I was looking through some old photos and its so hard to believe how little he was now that he is a gangly, tall tween. Hard to remember the little guy he was who flat out refused to put his school uniform on at all before he actually started school and then hated it so much for at least the first term at school.

Fast forward from then till today and i have had another three first days of school and i still have one more to go. I have always felt really excited for my kids starting their new adventures and challenges in life. There was a little bit of me, i will admit, to having a sudden heart in mouth moment the first time each of my babies has set off to school but we have always told them that it is good to try new things, roll with change and learn to grow in it. So they have all been super eager to get on and have a go in school and we have had no hanging onto the railings and howling. They have all just strode off confidently and left me with a cheery wave.

I found these pictures of my kids on their first days at school. For some reason i must have deviated from getting a shot against our white kitchen wall with our one who started reception this academic year! But they all look so similar. The girls were all smiling and ready for it. My son was ready to go but i think would have preferred to wear his own clothes!!

With four kids in school we get through A LOT of school uniform. The kids school has a standardised wool school jumper that you have to buy from a school supplier but every other item is general school wear. The kids all have their own opinions as they get older which dress, skirt, jumper, shirt etc they prefer but we still go for good quality, economical and (at least in the beginning) easy to get on and off!! I can’t imagine what PE lessons are like for reception teachers!! Getting thirty 4/5 year olds into PE kit and back again into school uniform must take most of the lesson!!

We found that for the girls the tunic dresses worked really well, they didnt need to worry about keeping a shirt tucked in and they could zip them up with ease. The button ones, whilst pretty, can be a bit fiddly for little fingers. We eventually worked out that short sleeve shirts were best for all year round and the kids didnt have to try and button up cuffs.

My son used to love shorts and so we had lots of them when he was little. Now he is in year 6 i think its a bit uncool to be in shorts and only if we have a really hot day will he wear them!  The year 6’s who are leaving this year are now having the fun, wind down term since the SATS are finished and they are off for a week to an adventure camp, there are parties planned, leavers hoodies and a limo all booked. It is going to be a fun term for them! Its the start of a whole new chapter for them and this one i know I will be watching more from a distance than being part of it like you are at primary school. Despite the thought of that stinging a bit…Im ready for it! 😉

How things have changed. When i say 7 years to myself it seems like such a long time but it feels like it has gone by in a blink of an eye. Sometimes it feels like only 24 hours has past from that moment when i first kissed him goodbye on his very first day of reception to this morning when he flings an arm round me and says ‘see you mum’ to catch up with his friends and walk to school with them.

*sigh*  🙂

 

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