PREPARING PATRICK FOR SCHOOL

It's coming round so fast and thanks to Covid we have a few extra days before he begins full time, but nevertheless, his first day will be here soon. I think everyone with a child starting school this year will be a little apprehensive, there has been so much going on and even still now nobody knows fully if the academic year will begin how we've all been told in our letters and emails. Everything is still very much up in the air and being played by ear, which you can understand, given the circumstances. So, I haven't placed too much of an emphasis on 'ten sleeps to go', something Patrick loves to do when any big event is coming up, just because we simply don't know if that will be the case. The town in which the boys go to school is teetering on the edge of a local lockdown, so it's very much a 'we shall see' vibe. But, that doesn't mean I haven't been doing all I can in the way of other things to prepare my little boy, for big school.

As much as it's helpful that your little one knows the basics for starting school, writing their name, simple things like that, I wouldn't worry too much if these are things they struggle with as I think it's much more important to teach them the skills that aren't going to be taught by the teachers. I don't know much about what teachers are and aren't expected to learn our little ones (though I do get a little insight as my other half is one), but I know that abc's and 123's are definitely up there, learning them to put on their shoes and coat - not so much.

For Patrick I know he will try as hard as he can at anything academic, and as much as I can try to assist and help him, we're just not always going to have the right relationship to do that. If lockdown taught me anything, it's that trying to be Mum and Teacher, is unimaginably hard. And if i'm honest, I know he can do the basics, he writes his name, he knows his numbers and letters, he's where I would expect him to be for his age which is nice, something I think most second children are naturally through copying their siblings or always wanting to do as the older is. But he does struggle with how stubborn he is at times, simple things he and I both know he can do, he wont, just because he knows that someone else will help him. He won't have that in September, because it's insane of us to expect a teacher to be zipping up thirty coats multiple times a day. So that is exactly what I've been focusing on, the more practical skills.

• Learning to get himself dressed without help.
• Using the bathroom entirely independently & washing his hands.
• Being able to hold his knife and fork correctly and cut simple foods.
• Putting on his shoes alone and getting them on the right feet.
• Recognising his name and being able to put things on pegs.
• Being able to fasten/zip his coat up.
• Knowing to eat with his mouth closed & not talk with food in his mouth

These are all aspects of his day to day life at school that I feel fall out of the role and responsibility of the teacher and if I'm wrong at least hopefully it'll mean one less child to have to assist in those things. Patrick gets frustrated fast, it really doesn't take a moment for him to go from nought to hundred as I'd say his biggest downfall is his impatience (it's a work in progress) so him knowing how to do the simplest of tasks himself, without having to wait is only going to benefit him really.