So how are your little ones getting on at Reception?

[Otta]

And perhaps more to the point, how are YOU getting on with your little one being in reception?!?!?

And do you get ANY info from them about their school day?

I think my daughter is happy enough, and the staff say she's fine, but she tells me NOTHING!!! It's like shes been at the Mason's Lodge all day, and I am not party to the knowledge of what goes on behind those closed doors.

Worst of all, she knows that I'm desperate to know, and she loves not telling me! Little COW!

[????]

Just to reassure you, Year 1 and Year 4, first days back...... still nothing

[Pickle]

My son tells me nothing (year 2), other than that cucumber featured at lunchtime. Daughter (year 1) gives me too much information, useful at times, but generally equally as irritating as being told nothing.

[Mrs TP]

Otta too funny!

I've heard 'a boy pulled his trousers down and did a wee in the playground', 'we sang some lovely God songs', 'they made me do letters' and that she thinks one of the TAs is cute!!!!

She is my 3rd and last, I miss her desperately but am enjoying her moving on and growing up (blub blub).

Try talking about your day - what you had for lunch, who you saw etc and see if you get more info that way. Good luck.

[snowboarder]

I also have no idea what goes on in reception! The one bit of information I have been treated to is that eldest son 'learnt to wipe my bottom after doing a POO'!!! Good - life skills then!

I'm a tiny bit disappointed my little boy doesn't seem to be suffering from any form of school related tiredness and is still bouncing into my room at 6am...

[Otta]

Oh dear. My daughter is knackered (hurrah!). Her little sister on the other hand...

I guess they tell you what is important to them. I've been told that her friend fell over and cried (very sad indeed) which must be a big deal for her. But if I ask "did you do painting or read books"? Nadda!

She either just says "yes" to everything, or more annoyingly she'll look at me, smile then just start repeating the same word, and laughing as I look more and more like I want to throttle her (she knows that repeating things over and over does my head in, and she likes this power!

For a 4 year old, my daughter is a proper p!ss taker.

[Otta]

Mrs TP Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Otta too funny!

>

> I've heard 'a boy pulled his trousers down and did

> a wee in the playground', 'we sang some lovely God

> songs', 'they made me do letters' and that she

> thinks one of the TAs is cute!!!!

The "God songs" bit is something we're very keen to hear about (my wife is quite concerned that she's going to have it shoved down her neck because the head seems like a bit of a nutter to be honest), but she's not mentioned that at all.

The other day she came out with a gold star on her jumper, and all I could get was that the teacher gave it to her. I so desperately wanted to know what for!

I think I'll be a happier person if I just try not to think about her at school and we just see each other at the dinner table.

[number 2]

I get a detailed account of lunch and reports of general tussles with other boys. I also know he doesn't listen at carpet time. Bu as to what they actually DO all day, all I can glean is that he plays with trucks a hell of a lot!

[Hillstop]

We mostly get a lot of 'don't know' when asking what she did that day. The best way for getting specific information is to catch her unawares, such as first thing in the morning.

Overall she's loving school and is eager to go in every day.

[verds]

Mine is the most outgoing, trappiest little girl, but even she's struggling with the newness. "I hate school", "I hate the lunches", "I don't want to go all day!". I'm really surprised.

I get "can't remember" as an answer to what they did and what they ate, but then she'll come out with a random fact about bears and teachery words like "topic".

I was looking forward to the freedom and the chance to work in peace, but I feel a bit drained once I've dropped her off and her little sister at creche and can't get motivated. Yes, I'm pathetic! And her little sister has started trying it on with the tantrums and a will of iron this week...

[Otta]

Yep, if everyone that wishes they could be a fly on the wall actually could be, they'd have to call pest control in!

[susyp]

my daughter is in year 1 now and probably for the first half term at least in reception i got nothing - then i got more ...by the summer term was getting a full run down. I think they are quite overwhelmed when they start. It did make me chuckle the other day as i passed at least 3 reception parents saying variants of "so you can't remember ANYTHING' to their children- but i have to say i am not getting a lot yet about year 1 either for same reason - it's much stricter and they all seem a little shell shocked ! also what you get is not always that reliable - helps to compare notes with other parents!

just edited t osay the lunch thing was a problem for us and others - she has packed lunch too - she eats very slowly and hated being left in the hall so often would return wit ha full lunch box- again i think it's the overwhelmed thing. now she is quite proud she is the last infant in the hall and greets the juniors coming in cheerily!

susypx

[Otta]

Okay, so my wife took daughter to school tgis morning after several days off sick (I know, we're bad parents). And a friend at the gate tokd her they've been sending homework AND reading home already.

WTF?

This isn't normal is it?

They're 4 years old!

[Mellors]

Ours are encouraged to read with us/to us right from the start (not a massive big deal, as we read with them already, and its just encouraged rather than obligatory). No proper homework until Yr 1 though, and even thats only about 8 spellings a week (which I almost always forget about until the night before).

Some schools seem to get loads at that age?!

[Otta]

Like I say, our daughter hasn't been in for a week, but apparently they're getting stuff every night. As you say, sending a book home for reading is cool, she loves books, but expecting kids that age (and even year 1 / 2 IMO) to do homework is a bloody joke.

Over ambitious prat of a head is my conclusion.

[Mellors]

There's be no hope of daily homework in my house - partly because I am outnumbered by the little monsters and there aren't enough hours in the day and also because THEY ARE ONLY FOUR FFS (the latter being the most important).

The best thing about school when I was little was gettng to play out after, go to the park, make dens, under the table tents or just watch Scooby Doo. Why this massive deisre for homework now - its nuts - they have the rest of their lives to be slaves to routine/work, just let them enjoy being little kids whulst they still are?*

*mine will probably end up feral and without any exams, but an encyclopedic knowledge of Star Wars and minibeasts, and be castigated by the homework-driven rulers of the world.

[bluesuperted]

Absolutely agree Mellors! Totally within your rights not to entertain homework Otta as well. I will be refusing it until at least y2. Playing out after school and watching Superted was what it was all about in the 80s!!

[alieh]

We've been getting one reading book (i.e. for my son to work on reading) and then one regular picture book for us to read together. I think the idea is that they choose the picture book themselves from the reading corner and it's just for fun/us to read whenever. The reading book I think was supposed to be practiced over the course of a week or so (but only if the child is keen I'm sure!) and they seem to read it with teacher at some point and if they have picked it up quickly then they send another one home.

Didn't seem to be any pressure to do anything with either of the books at our school, but my son is keen to have a go at reading so we've been looking at it together just whilst eating breakfast or snack.

[Otta]

Anything a kid is asking to do, I'm totally down with that. But pushing work on 4 year olds who have little enough time at home with their parents for play, is rubbish.

I feel as though I'm starting to hate my daughter's school, and it's only October!

[GinaG3]

I would refuse homework too up to about 6 or 7 years old. We are getting 1-2 different books home a week, ability/willing dependent and 3 words to spot/spell a week. My daughter loves learning and is coming in every night and doing spelling on an ipad app, wanting to read, write so I'm all for it but if at any point she doesn't want to I'm completely with her and stand by her decision. They spend enough time in school to learn and pick up stuff, they don't need additional work forced on them at this age, in fact I don't think they ever do.

[bumpy]

Came across this which has some great tips to encourage them to speak about their day

http://www.positiveparentingconnection.net/positive_parenting_25questions_school/

[Anna M]

Hee hee. I already tried the, "What was the silliest thing that happened at school today?" only to be told, "Oh you aren't allowed to do SILLY things at school, Mummy."

"Oh...the funniest thing then?"

"You aren't allowed to do FUNNY things, only GOOD things."

"The goodest - er I mean best - thing then?"

"I got a sticker for being quiet on the toilet."

I'm not sure I want to know any more!! Parents evening tonight...

[collyflower]

I've got a little bit who isn't old enough to start school yet but as a reception teacher I was intrigued by this as I often hear children say nothing after their parents ask them what they have done and I know full well they have been busy little bees!!

I also agree it's too young for homework but unfortunately it is a legal requirement from the government for teachers to give homework. It's even set out how long they should be spending on it each night!

[lorraineliyanage]

Our school hasn't given any homework, just a different book each week.

[hpsaucey]

With mine sometimes reverse psychology works. So after getting nowhere, saying 'bet you went to the moon' or 'bet you jumped up and down like a gorilla' usually gets a don't be silly, we did....' Somtimes anyway....

When they say nothing's happened I take that as a good thing - means nothing bad's happened.