She's ready, even if I'm not.....

I opened the back door at six o’clock this morning to let the dog out. I stood there looking at the early morning sunlight reflecting on the dew and realised that autumn is nearly upon us. It brings home that the lovely evenings are beginning to draw in, and that it will soon be September.

This is a time of change again for us. Our eldest daughter was 4 just this week, but on the 8^th September will be off to school. All across the country there will be Mums and Dads looking on in pride, and with a lump in their throats, as their ‘little one’ heads off for the first day at ‘big school’.

We’ve had lots of fun getting her uniform together and she has proudly shown everyone who has come round her new shoes, bag, skirt, blazer......; but until this morning the realisation didn’t hit home that  ‘my little girl would be starting do her own thing. She does already go to a wonderful nursery three days a week , but going to school five days a week will be a whole new thing for us all. I know her 2 year old sister will miss her at home and nursery and is already looking forward to following in her sister’s footsteps.

I know I am so lucky that my business means I can adjust my working time around the children. Not every parent is in this situation and I imagine it will be an awkward time for Mums and Dads in less flexible occupations as their children build up their time at school during the first few weeks of term. Then, there also is the adjustment to the routine of a child who finished nursery just before 5pm to now needing to be collected at 3.30pm.

So I wish all parents and children well over the coming weeks as you get the last items of your uniform and get ready for the big day at the beginning of September. My daughter can’t wait for it and I’m pleased she is so excited, but part of me is a little sad that this phase of her growing up is almost over.