Monday 22 July 2013

End of an era


My son has his final day of nursery tomorrow. Then it's on to big school after the summer break. No more nursery. No more mornings with me and his sister (he had been going to nursery in the afternoons). I imagine I won't look back on this time with much significance a few years from now and perhaps the title of this post is a little melodramatic but in the present time, it does feel significant. My eldest child is suddenly old enough to be starting school and that feels like a big deal!

I look back on his time at nursery (the past two school years at two different nurseries) with pride, like any parent would and have a lot to be thankful for. From day one he was completely comfortable being there, no tears when I left, as with some of his peers. I was shocked but relieved and pleased. He has loved going each day, being very disappointed when he couldn't go due to chicken pox or whatever. He adored all his teachers, struck up friendships with his classmates, developed his own personality, toughened up a bit too. Teachers and even other parents tell me he is a friendly, confident, kind boy. What more could a mother ask for?!

Last week, the whole family went to his school one evening, first to his nursery classroom to pick up his report and see some of his work and then to meet his new teacher he will have in September. We walked there together and our son was so excited about the whole family going to his school and getting to see both his current teacher and the new one, he was running ahead, singing a song about it! My husband and I looked on at him fondly and told ourselves we should remember this moment, as he may not always be so enthusiastic about school!

This end of an era is as much for my son as it is for me. Come September, there will be a whole new routine to get settled into (our mornings will become a lot more rushed!), he will have new classmates to get to know, he'll be eating lunch at school for the first time, learning how to read and write, to name but a few of the changes to come. He will take it all his stride and I suspect will savour every minute. It seems only fair that I do the same.

In the meantime, we have a long summer holiday stretching ahead of us and I am looking forward to making the most of our time together.

If your children have reached or passed this stage, do you remember how you felt when they finished nursery and started big school? If your child is at nursery now, what changes have you seen in them and how have they liked it?
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3 comments:

  1. As you know this is something I have been contending with too, as my youngest finished nursery last week and starts school in September. It is the end of an era. A sign that time marches on regardless. But you have the right approach to making the most of the summer. And at the end of the day he will always be your son - that much is endless xx

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    1. It must be even more emotional for you with it being your youngest finishing nursery. You're right of course, that he'll always be my son, no matter what stage of life he or we are in. xx

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  2. Awwww this will be me next year!!!

    I'll bet it is quite an emotional time as well and I can totally see why you would call it the end of an era. That is how I know I am going to feel. Once they're on that treadmill. ...

    I think my daughter will be okactually and she's a september baby so will be one of the eldest. I think I'll be okay too, though I may just shed a tear once I've left those school gates. I wonder if you will too ;) xxx

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