This post is dedicated to all the first time parents whose kids are starting school this September. I know lots of you are starting tomorrow (monday) which is both wildly exciting and nerve wracking at the same time - so I’m wishing everyone (parents and children) the best of luck. Leo had a few short days last week… And tbh (he’ll hate me for sharing this) but Ryan did more crying than he did. He breezed in confidently (which was such a shock but also a bit of a relief to witness given his usual hand holding tendencies). I think maybe the routine of the tennis camp paid off, plus the boatload of mental preparation I did with him, I ran him through how the morning would go 10000x times and we did multiple uniform try on’s 😅😂😂😂. I also lay with him for several hours in bed letting him ask me ANY question he had about his future. He was actually gagging to go by the time it came to the big day and now he’s quite happy to go back. If he’s anything like me he’ll love the discipline and routine. On reflection -motherhood a bit mental… you are constantly back and forth in your head, split down the middle personality wise / often wanting more time to yourself but then desperately missing your kids the moment they’re gone. It’s hard to grapple with the idea of wishing time away when you want to enter a fresh next chapter or exciting project, but knowing that you will NEVER get time back again is heartbreaking. Part of my mind still feels stuck in 2021 when I was holding you as a newborn, but in reality it’s 2026 and you’re starting school. Time really does become the biggest indicator of life’s achievements and the biggest chance for reflection. When I was writing this whilst trying to prepare myself mentally for this next chapter I kept coming back to the story of Goldilocks - when I was growing up I just wanted to be normal and fit in, and I guess I want the same for my son. I want him to be happy but also to slot in seamlessly, no fuss. Anyone else relate? Anyway, I’m actually quite happy about this transition because he has some short days and a half day and I plan on stopping work earlier than usual + spending much more time together. You've come along in leaps and bounds since hanging out with us more post graduation from nursery... so bring on more fun adventures together. If you have any tips for entertaining things we can do on Friday afternoons please pop below…x #backtoschool #startingschool #4yearold #boymum #parentsoftiktok