JustAnnieQPR: Top Tips for you/your child starting out in school :)

Thought I'd jot down a few tips for parents whose child will be starting formal school soon!

1) If you are going to expose them to the alphabet, teach them lower case! I bought my son a magnetic fridge game and he knew all his Capital Letters, but was of no use starting formal education!

2) Get somebody to get contact details for all the other parents of the class, it comes in handy for reminders of non-uniform days and clarification of homework etc.

3) Its a good idea if they can put on and take off their own coats and shoes etc., but don't stress if they can't! My son couldn't until after day 1 when he saw everyone else doing it themselves!!!!

4) If you want to take your child out of school for a holiday, remember that you are not legally bound to send them for formal education until they are 5, so don't worry before then. Also, schools are marked down for "unauthorised" absence! A lot of schools, like ours, do authorise leave, particularly in the first couple of years.

5) Remember, as I have to do now and again, that they all get there! I feel there is too much emphasis on homework too young. From 4yo (late born boy) we had 3 books, spellings and maths homework every week! I often remind his teachers of the things he is good at ;)

I want to be mum to my child not teacher, I want to bring them home, talk to them, give them tea, bath and put them to bed - well I want my OH to do the latter, but you get the gist! I do not want be arguing over homework and spellings!

Oh, and never forget (well in my case anyway) ;)