Wednesday 24 August 2011

Starting school: A sinking feeling

Despite the rocky start to the Summer holidays (namely writing my car off by letting it roll down a bank into a ravine), August has been such a fabulous month.  We bought a new car (far nicer than the old one), and have been on several jaunts around the country, from the mindblowing Camp Bestival, to camping with family and the hilarious Kevin Bishop for four days on a farm in Dorset, to becoming free-spirited and smelly at the Wilderness Festival, to being tourists (and nostalgic) in London for a few days. 

I cannot believe that August is already nearly over.  The week after next Betty starts school.  This gives me a sinking feeling.  This is because:

Firstly, my sweet baby girl is about to embark on a very grown-up thing - the education system, and she will be in it for many years to come, and for five whole days a week.  She will get attitude, learn unsavoury vocab, develop awful dress sense, and probably start to hate me.

Secondly, we will lose our freedom to a certain extent; no more visiting great grandma for lunch on Thursdays, no more going on holiday whenever the heck we like, and no more just being able to hang out together at home on weekdays, and get on each others' nerves, and argue about what we are going to have for lunch.

Thirdly, going into town yesterday to get Betty's new school shoes, and fighting our way through all the other parents and their slightly depressed looking kids (that was me thirty years ago) trying on shoes, made me realise that we are now part of the school pack - the pack who have to do these grown up things every term (or at least every year) for the next twelve years or so, like get school uniform ready, buy pencil cases and rubbers and exercise books and lunch boxes and bags - we are no longer in our own exclusive pack where we get to wear whatever colour shoes we like.

Our Summer of fun and freedom is coming to an end, and soon it will be back to routine and serious things like spelling tests and getting up early, and making sure we have edible food in the house for packed lunches. 

But Betty is very excited about starting school.  In fact, she cannot wait to start, and told me the other day: 'Please Mummy, no more camping, I just want to go to school and do my letters with my new teacher'.  Of course I share her excitment and enthusiasm, and on the one hand I feel excited and happy about this new chapter, but I still can't help that sinking feeling.     

19 comments:

Emma said...

Us too - the sinking feeling is getting stronger as the big day approaches. Note to self - must hold it together on the first day (and remember to wear waterproof mascara).

Elsie Button said...

Hi Emma, i think there will be tears up and down the country on that first day :(

Polgara said...

I have another 2 years as my eldest is a Nov baby so one of the oldest , I wish I could stay home with them till then, don't cry too much xx

Jen Walshaw said...

I remember this feeling from last year, but,,, I have to say the summer is all the more sweeter due to both of them being at school. I cherish every moment

Elsie Button said...

Hi Polgara, yes Betty is a nov baby too - i am glad she is one of the oldest :) I try to cherish every moment, altho i don't always!

Elsie Button said...

Hi TheMadHouse, that's really lovely to hear - a positive!

Pig in the Kitchen said...

Ah yes. I remember the sinking feeling. Now I just get the sinking feeling as the START of the school hols approaches. Trust me, you will learn to LOVE school ;-)

Pig x

Elsie Button said...

Hi Pig, ha ha - yes I imagine! x

Iota said...

Pig is right!

You still have Dolly for the wearing of whatever colour shoes she likes, and arguing over lunch.

Elsie Button said...

You and Pig are wise ladies! :)

Irene said...

You will appreciate the time together all the more and the holidays. You will really dislike it when Dolly goes to school. Get ready for that. It will break your heart. Time for another baby?

Irene said...

Sorry, didn't mean to depress you. You will come to appreciate your time on your own to do what you want with. It's just a little rough at the beginning. A whole new world will open up to you and you will enjoy it while still enjoying your time with the girls too.

Elsie Button said...

Hi Nora, thank you for your wise words, it all helps :) xx

Tasha Goddard said...

I'm sure Betty will love it and you'll enjoy having some extra time with Dolly. At the moment we're desparate for school to start back again, even though my mum has the girls most of the time, anyway. Rosemary's getting to that end-of-holidays boredom point - missing her friends, not being able to get the intellectual stimulation (despite our efforts) and so on. She's acting like a hormonal teenager, instead of a 5-year-old!

Elsie Button said...

Hi Tasha, we are getting to the real boredom point too - it's flippin hard work!

sadie said...

I honestly think it's harder for the mums than the kids. I've loved having my girly girl home for summer hols, it feels like 'the good old days' when we stayed in if we felt like it, or walked into town 'just because'. I miss that.

But she's really excited about going back, and has missed her friends. So all is well. If she was weeping and wailing I'd be gutted, as it is I'm just thinking of myself and how I'll miss her. She won't give me a second thought, but that is fine by me. I'd rather her be happy. :O)

hope it all goes well for you. keep the tears in until you get home, you'll feel better doing it that way.

xx

Elsie Button said...

Hi Saide, thank you! i shall try to hold back :(

it must be lovely that your little girl is so excited about going back - imagine if it were the other way round, would be awful x

sew hot said...

I have been in England with my daughter this summer as she purchases "black" shoes and gets my granddaughter ready for school. My granddaughter loves to pair everything with hearts in her wardrobe into one outfit, I have to admit it does make me a little sad.

LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle said...

Now that all the sinking feeling is gone we are back to the old routine. Dressing up, going to school.My little one has adjusted so much that I feel relieved...