STARTINGSCHOOL

From the moment I stepped into the unknown world of parenthood. Claiming the badge of pride, nobody can prepare you for the journey of motherhood, for your entire pregnancy, is like waiting in the line of a 9 month queue. Once your beautiful baby is placed in your arms, here is your seat on the most anticipated rollercoaster of sheer excitement, panic, happiness, sad, exhilarated, worried and overwhelming ride of parenthood. Enjoy.

From breast or bottle, baby LED or jar food, first words to first steps, first cot to first bed, to nurseries. We all have the most incredible power to guide and nurture our babies the way we wish to. After all there is no manual to parenting. No right or wrong way. Each difference to how a group of friends parent their children is the most beautiful comparison and strength to parenthood, it’s diversity something that should be cherish and celebrated.

But one thing we have no control over is schools, when selecting our choices for our little baby’s, whether you’re a first time mother sending your first child, or it’s your second, third. We’ve always been the sole provider to make choices around what’s best for our children. But the feeling or uncertainty when relying on someone you don’t know making the decision for our children’s future is daunting…

School choices are ranked by 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice. But how can you be remotely happy if it wasn’t your first choice that you had your heart set on 100%? Individually you’re all embarking on a journey that’s most likely more anticipated by worry from yourself, rather than your child. While it feels most will get their first choices, please be remindful of the minority that won’t. Whilst everyone is posting gushing tributes to their babies big adventure to the school they loved and picked… So many won’t be so lucky to get into the school they so desperately wanted for their grown up babies.

I have chosen not to post about what school Luka-James’ has been placed on social media. Whilst he got his first choice. I also comprehended towards the anxious, nervous feeling off despair some parents may feel. Social media can be cruel in the ways some people can view things, a reminder or bearer of adverse feelings. Preparing their child to embark a journey to a new school and to face a whole new process of making new friends can extremely dampen the excitement of this milestone. But remember this feeling is only temporary. Because I want to show that while 40% off a child’s learning is from school the other 60% is nurtured by YOU.

YOU can still influence your child’s learning and development at home.

From looking on social media, so many people felt sad and worried around the prospect of their child going to their 2nd choice. The stress from appeal meetings, anxious phone calls and agonising waits.

These parents have now even stated they have wasted so much time on negative energy as the 2nd choice of school was a place where their child has flourished. The child is happy and love the school. The parents have built fantastic connections with the teachers and their experience has been nothing but outstanding. And really couldn’t see their child anywhere else.

Please see the positive in this process, if you decide to appeal or not. The teachers all have the same desire to bring the best out in our children. Allow them to explore and develop new sets of skills. They will enjoy meeting new friends, who said you can have too many friends! The journey might not have been one you anticipated but you can make it so exciting, a new place to explore, new faces to meet, new colours of uniform.

Sometimes life leads us on a different path for the most beautiful ride of new happenings.

This is the beginning to your child’s future of anything they wish to be.