It is nearly a year since I wrote a post called ‘Moving On‘. At the time, I was an emotional wreck, trying and failing to keep the impact of everyone moving on under control. The teen left school, R was moving to secondary and A was starting in Reception. Me? I was staying in the same place but I felt like everything else was moving too quickly. How did I have a child who was now an adult? How could that little blue-eyed blonde baby be packing his secondary school rucksack? How is it possible that my baby was going to school?
There were a lot of tears (all mine) but as life goes on, so everyone moved on and we all settled into new routine. Quickly, the new changes became old as life whizzed past at breakneck speed and here we are rapidly approaching the end of the next school year and I have been trying to take stock and reflect on yet another year before we all move on again.
A has had the most amazing year in Reception. She has happily skipped into school most mornings and comes home with tales of the things she has learnt and the games she has played with her friends. Unlike, her less enthusiastic brothers, she can often be heard exclaiming “I love learning!” and I do catch them looking at each other, rolling their eyes in response.
But she does love learning. A lot of that is down to her teachers who are so amazingly creative, I am in complete awe of the ideas that they have and the experiences that they give the children; Red Nose sleepovers in school, chicks hatching in the classroom, pretend visits to the North Pole, to name but a few. I think I would love to be in Reception too.
A and I walked to the park this afternoon and sat chatting on the bench. I commented on how much she had grown up and how she was very nearly at the end of her first year in school. She thought for a while and then looked a little sad.
“I don’t want to leave Reception.” She said and promptly stuck her bottom lip out.
I gave her a cuddle and reassured her that she would love being a big Year 1 and that she would enjoy looking after the little Reception children next year. She shook her head and said that she wasn’t going into Year 1, she was staying in Reception.
When I dug a little deeper, she admitted that the reason was that in Reception you don’t have to do as much work.
“I like learning and I like writing but in Year 1 I will have to do more learning and more writing. I like playing.”
This took me back five years to a very similar conversation with Mr L who had the same Reception teacher and also wanted to stay and play.
I gave her another hug and told her that she had learned so much this year and she had grown and her brain had grown so much that in September she would be perfectly ready for whatever work she had to do. She seemed satisfied with this and went off to have a play.
Watching her grow so much this year has been amazing. She has changed completely from the quiet little girl who arrived at school in slightly too big uniform back in September. She has grown into that uniform and in confidence. She has found a lovely group of friends and in the mornings she goes off to play instead of clinging to me. She has grown physically and mentally and I love listening to her talking about things she has learnt and that things that have filled her days.
Her knowledge surprises me; she will suddenly tell me the five times table or all of the number bonds to ten (her mathematical ability comes from her father) and she uses big words that sound impressive from someone so young. Her reading is just starting to really get going and I love listening to her putting words together and how pleased she is when she has finished yet another reading book.
She is learning to play the piano and listening to her telling me all about it and practising is just brilliant.
These are amazing times and I love them.
We are moving on again this year although not so dramatically. This time it is L moving to secondary school, the teen will be heading off to uni on his return from New Zealand and A and R move onto their next school year. I am not feeling sad this year. This year I am happy and proud.
What a lovely post. It’s incredible how much children grow and change in Reception and it sounds like A has really thrived.
I think I’ll be a wreck this year with my boy moving to secondary and leaving everyone from his primary school behind. And how am I old enough to have a son who is starting his GCSE courses?!
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Oh tell me about it! How have I got a son who is nearly 20!! I don’t know where the time goes!
I am glad she has had a great year and that you have survived it all – will be me crying this September with Syd off to school and Betsy off to uni – nice to know it is all ok in the end! Lovely post xx
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Thank you and you have my sympathy as it is a tough old time but yes you do get through it, thank goodness and it definitely gets easier as the year goes on.
This is a lovely post, and I was nodding along to so much of it. I was so upset this time last year by the thought of my first baby starting school. Yet here we are, almost at the end of her reception year, and it has flown by. She loves it and she’s amazed me by how much she has learned, her reading is fantastic now, which is lovely to hear. She’s sad to be leaving her teacher soon, but OK by the thought of being in Y1. My boy will be starting nursery for 2 days a week, and it’s him that is scared and that I’m worrying about this summer. There’s always something! x
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There is always something, you are right there. I think the reading is my favourite things about Reception year, it is so lovely to see how they suddenly grasp the concept and I love listening to her read. It was upsetting for me last year too, I know exactly what you mean but I have found it easier as the year goes on.
Aww! How lovely to read…..
My girls both loved reception class and never wanted to leave but did and have went on the thrive….
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Yes it is a bit of a culture shock when they move out of Reception but I think they all move on easily enough.
I have a little boy starting reception from private nursery this year. i am slightly nervous of how he is going to get on. He’s quite smart, extremely intuitive, but he also doesnt want to do what he doesnt want to do, and right now, he doesnt want to go to school. I remind him all the time of how much fun it will be, new friends and all the rest of it, but he’s not keen. Fingers crossed!!
My son was very much like that and he is about to leave primary this summer and the difference is amazing. I think once they get into Reception, they learn behaviour from others around them, it takes a bit longer for some and my son still has his moments even now and will never completely conform but I don’t think that is such a bad thing.
Lovely post, mine is 2 and I cant imagine her going off to school, let alone secondary school! The time just disappears doesnt it x
I can’t believe how quickly this year has gone. Make the most of those early years, I loved them and they do go quickly
Aw, I really relate to this one as my daughter is also coming to the end of her reception year. She’s my eldest and I found it so emotional when she started. I’m feeling emotional about her coming to the end of this year too and heading off to Year 1 as it seems so much more grown up. My daughter also loves learning and is doing fantastically with a great teacher – but I wonder if next year might be a bit of a shock to her! #mbpw
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I think Year One can be a bit of a shock to them after such a lovely gentle introduction to the world of education. A has already mentioned how much she will miss all of the playing she has done this year. It does also seem like a big step for me too, I just wish I could slow everything down.
it happens all too quickly don’t it, can’t believe that my niece starts school this year and my youngest sone starts A levels, I could cry some days at the way they grow up
Oh I know exactly what you mean. Last year when everyone moved on, I was a wreck. This year I am a lot calmer as you get used to the idea of them all growing up but I do wish I could slow things down sometimes
Oh this is so lovely. So very pleased to see you’re happy and proud. I remember September being very difficult for you 🙂 X
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Thank you, yes I did really struggle last year with the changes, but you soon all learn to adapt and everyone is happy, which is the main thing.
My 5yo is also coming to the end of her first year in reception. She’s changed so very much this year. Her confidence has saured and she’s learnt so much. It’s absolutely flown by atlhough I can’t believe my little man is going into year 6 in September either.
#MBPW
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I hate those “mummy milestones” that really hit you when they aren’t supposed to. I have tried to combat the Reception one with consistently having babies every 3 years. My current smallest will go to the school nursery in Sept, and I have a new one coming in Oct! The infant school will NEVER be able to get rid of me, mwahahaha! x