Starting School and Making New Friends
Nov 11
Fred has his first Prep play morning today. I have been looking forward to this day for months! And now I suddenly feel really anxious and nervous. But not for him – for me!!!
Due to a couple of reasons, we have decided to send Fred to a different school to where Maddy goes. I LOVE Maddy’s school – it is one of the reasons we decided to settle in this area, and I had hand-picked it from many many schools. However it is MASSIVE, with a very strong focus on academic excellence. It’s also very expensive! And so while it suits Maddy down to the ground, I just wasn’t sure that it would be so well suited to Fred, so for the money we were outlaying, it was just too much. And I absolutely believe that different children need different things for a successful and happy education.
So here we are, about to meet his new teachers and play in the new classrooms, and all I can think is “Take me home!!”. I want to be at the other school, I want to walk into the classrooms that I know like the back of my hand. I want to greet the teachers who taught Maddy and I want to chat to the Mums who have seen my children grow before their very eyes.
It’s taken me years to find some wonderful school friends, and we have shared so many laughs, and tears, and vents of frustration. These are the friends who see my children asleep in the car, and offer to collect Maddy so I don’t have to wake the baby. The friends who will at random decide it’s time for a coffee date, and we head off for a good gossip session.
And the teachers are second to none. Absolutely brilliant. They nurture, respect and guide the children to be the very best that they can be. I am the parent that I would have dreaded as a teacher! I have very high expectations, and have always been more than impressed. The children are valued and respected, which means more to me than anything.
In my heart, I know that everything will be fine. The school is literally across the road, and also has an excellent reputation. There are just 3 Prep classes so it feels like a little family, where everyone knows each other. Except I don’t.
And as I wave Fred off to play with his new friends, I will be chatting to other Mums, hoping to start the first threads of friendship that I have been so lucky to find at our other school.
I’m a little nervous – so wish me luck!
Tell me I’m not the only one who feels like this??
I know exactly how you feel Nat, and a very small part of me wants to cancel our enrolment at the new school and stick with what we know and then my little (ok, maybe not so little now at 5, lol) girl can have the same teacher her big brother had, play in the same playground and with the other younger siblings (of my son’s friends) she has seen every day for the last almost 3 years and I can still chat to the same mums I’ve become friends with over the last 3 years and one of them has a baby the same age as mine, so they could grow up together.
BUT, we aren’t completely happy with the school this year, and a part of me thinks my little girl will be lost amongst the 5 Prep classes, so yesterday I braved a new school, new classroom and new mums & teachers and we both did fine, lol.
The mums joined the children at the activity tables and some of us briefly chatted while our children tried out the various activities. My little girl made a new friend and met quite a few of her new classmates. It’s also a smaller school with only 3 Prep classes.
Hopefully, my son will settle in just as well to his new school.
Best of luck Nat, hope you both have a fun morning
Kylie it sounds like you had a really lovely morning. It’s not easy to make the decision, and we all do what we can to make school as pleasant as possible. I’m certain you will love it
No not the only one
my eldest son starts school next year and he has three weekly visits in 1.5 weeks. He’s really excited about starting but I am feeling nervous! The school we chose is in the next suburb as it has a very good reputation and it opened its zoning last year. The thing was we didnt know anyone starting with him, so mid year we starting him at Kindy (was doing private Montessori preschool) so could make friends with kids starting with him. We also joined the playgroup and met a few mums who’s kids are starting at the same time. One of the mums organised a play date at the school playground so we could get to know the other families. My husband said our son would have been fine starting not knowing anyone, but glad for my sake we’ve met some friends 
good luck think its going to effect the mums more than the kids! 
Wow – you have made so many positive steps to ensure a smooth transition. That is fantastic! I think it really helps when they know a familiar face, and the Mums sound really lovely. Lucky you!!
Good luck Nat (and Fred!) I am sure that he will be fine. There are 4 in our family and we all went to different schools. People always question it but each school was right for each person. I hope you both have a wonderful morning xxx
Thanks Maree. I also went to a different school to my brother and sister. I never really gave it much thought, but I wonder if they did….
GOod luck Nat. How did it go?
Hmmm – see my latest post lol…
So so so true!! I’m so happy to hear that I’m not the only one that thinks like this.
We have been bullied by my MIL into enrolling our 3 babies into some VERY expensive high schools in the city. I objected so much that in the end she paid the $400 x 3 application fees herself so that it would be done. Who knows the kind of people they will be, the life they will want to live, what they will want to do. Maybe Ballerinas/Mechanics/Doctors/Checkout Chicks – who knows but I absolutely refuse to decide the RIGHT education for them at age 5, 3 & 1. We shall see what the future holds. Good luck to Fred in his & your new school.
Boy those application fees are rough!!! It’s crazy isn’t it! But it’s nice to know the options are now open – no matter what you decide. Maddy once told me she wanted to be a pilot, sell towels, and be an usher at a theatre. I wonder if they have schools for that?? lol