The diary of Dad

Today is a little surreal. Somehow it is the day that we we are taking Robbie for a walk around his new primary school to check out the next phase of his childhood. It just doesn’t feel right.

I had always thought that when Robbie went off to school he will no longer be a little toddler but a young boy, ready to sit and learn everything that the world has to offer but this simply is not the case.

There is good reason for this. Being an August baby, Robbie has just sneaked his way into this school year and could be practically a year younger than many of his class mates. I’m still struggling a little to decide whether this is an advantage or just a little overwhelming but either way, my little three year old is soon off to school.

The best news is that Robbie is excited to get started. On the day that his place was confirmed, we took a walk to the school and had a little peak through the gates and he watched all the other kids playing. Robbie was desperate to join in and he has kept that excitement going ever since.

His nursery have been fantastic as ever and have ensured he moves on full of anticipation rather than fear. They talk to him about joining a big school and have even let him try on the new uniform he’ll be wearing which was kindly donated by parents.

For me though, the experience of seeing his new school felt a little different. Whilst being a proud Dad and loving seeing the joy on Robbie’s face when looking at all the potential new friends to be made, it also filled me with a little fear.

Without wanting to sound like I’m talking about the good ’ole days too much, things were different in my day. Well actually they probably were not but the area that I grew up is miles apart from where we are now.

I was raised in a small village and as I remember, though my own parents may correct me, there were only around 15-20 of us in each school year. We had all come from the same pre-school and all lived along the same few roads. We knew each others parents, friends and siblings already and it was almost just a case of being with the same old gang but in a brand new setting.

This is not how it is going to be for Robbie and that means new challenges for both him and his Dad. Though many of his nursery friends are joining him at his new school, the year group is likely to be split into several classes and there is no guarantee he will stay with the friends he has already made. Robbie already finds it a little difficult to comprehend that some of the friends from chestnut grove nursery will not be joining him on his new adventure and we just hope that at least a couple of his pals find their way to the same class.

Perhaps I am over thinking things. Robbie has absolutely no issues with making new friends wherever he goes. He is a very talkative and friendly little guy and there’s no doubt he will be introducing himself and looking to make pals with everyone he meets from day one. Where I see a potential problem with leaving behind some of his friends, Robbie sees an opportunity to make new ones. I’m sure he’ll be fine.

We also have a few little worries about Robbie’s maturity and development heading into school. We know that he is doing very well for his age in almost every aspect, yet there are a few ’basics’ that schools want from their kids that we need to help Robbie deliver.

As I’ve mentioned in many other posts, Robbie is a very active boy. He simply doesn’t stop running and playing all day, every day and as with most three year olds is not too great at following instructions when they don’t suit him. We hope that his time at nursery will ensure that he listens to his teachers at school and that he can control his endless energy just a little.

School years will bring about a whole new chapter for Sarah and I too. Not having a nutter bouncing off the walls here for five days a week will certainly be a huge change and one that perhaps we are not prepared for.

I always enjoy the peace when my day off work happens to fall on one of Robbie’s nursery days but that doesn’t mean I would want that too often. Truth be told, I hate the days where my work means I get home after his bed time so I do not really get to see him. I have to accept that this will become a little more regular now and make his Dad time count even more.

That is all in the future. Today is all about taking a look around and ensuring Robbie feels as good as he can about joining his new class. I’ll be depending on Sarah as always to ask the right questions and get all the information we need whilst myself and Robbie wander around try to process it all. I know he’ll love it and I just have to learn to be a s big and as brave as he is!