First day at school

Yesterday was my daughter's first day at big school. When I say big school, I mean nursery, the year before reception, which may not seem very big to you, but to my 3 year old it's enormous.

We did all of the usual stuff: taking loads of pictures of her in her uniform and sending them to all and sundry to ooh and aah over, tears (mine) as we left her, trying to peep through the window to see how she was getting on, sitting clock watching as the morning slowly crept by (yes, it was only a 2.5 hour session but it felt like a week!).

We had been doing lots of preparation for the big day on account of the fact that she'd been going to playgroup for 18 months and almost every day she still cried and said that she didn't want to go (even on the very last day when there was a lovely leaving party for them all!). We waited with baited breath to see how she would take to this. Things looked promising when I picked her up and she came out smiling clutching the drawing of a red hoover that she had done for Mummy & Daddy. "I enjoyed school" she said. Phew!

So we thought day two would be a breeze. Not quite so simple. Her first words this morning were "I don't want to go to school". Drat! But we glossed over that and by the time she got to school with her Daddy she was already saying "I can't wait to go to school". However, never underestimate the power of a zip.....

Daddy dropped her off in the school yard where they lined up to go in and then off they trotted with the lovely Miss Crumpton. But Daddy couldn't resist a little peep through the window - to his horror he saw her tiny little face start to crumple as she realised she couldn't undo the zip on her coat. As she started to panic she looked up and saw her Daddy looking through the window at which point she started to cry. Poor baby. Poor Daddy. Thankfully, the teachers, who must be very well practised in this sort of thing, stepped in and helped her out. Daddy left and Rhian continued with her day.

I'm not actually sure who was most upset, Rhian or Daddy for whom the memories of his first day at school had apparently come flooding back.

Now I'm sitting here, supposedly doing work, and it's the afternoon. No, I haven't forgotten her and left at school. She's doing a full day today courtesy of Incy Wincy's (nursery plus). And I'm hoping that she's having a lovely time, that she managed to put on her indoor shoes (yes, they have indoor and outdoor shoes), that she ate her lunch and managed to open her banana ok, that she asked to go to the toilet.... oh so many things are whizzing through my mind (and not so much work getting done).

So I decided to get a cup of tea and a biscuit and Google "first day at school" and I came across this poem by Roger McGough which I found amusing:

First Day at School by Roger McGough

A millionbillionwillion miles from home
Waiting for the bell to go. (To go where?)
Why are they all so big, other children?
So noisy? So much at home they
Must have been born in uniform
Lived all their lives in playgrounds
Spent the years inventing games
That don't let me in. Games
That are rough, that swallow you up.

And the railings.
All around, the railings.
Are they to keep out the wolves and monsters?
Things that carry off and eat children?
Things you don't take sweets from?
Perhaps they are to stop us getting out
Runnning away from the lessins. Lessin.
What does a lessin look like?
Sounds small and slimy.
They keep them in the glassrooms.
Whole rooms made out of glass. Imagine.

I wish I could remember my name
Mummy said it would come in useful.
Like wellies. When there's puddles.
Yellowwellies. I wish she was here.
I think my name is sewn on somewhere
Perhaps the teacher will read it for me.
Tea-cher. The one who makes the tea.

Tracy x