child starting school

Spendless

my son is 4 and a half and started reception in September.

He has always been confident and outgoing but recently he has been clinging to a teddy a lot - that he has had since a baby - and never been that interested in before- and wants the teddy to go to school with him so he can stop with him.

Toys are discouraged by the school so I haven't allowed it.
My question isn't over the toy going to school but whether I should be concerned over my sons out of ordinary behaviour

Js_Other_Half

Sounds relatively normal to me - lots of small kids are a bit clingy when they start school. It is a huge change for them - did he ever go to nursery?

Don't let it worry you too much - but have a quiet word with his teacher if it continues.

16011996

have a word with the teacher, he/she will keep an eye on him for you, and let you know if there are any problems. i think its just usual clingyness at the change, and being away from you all day, and maybe a bit of jealousy that your younger one gets to stay home (had that with mine!!)

when he comes home ask him what hes done each day, and if you can look up stuff on the internet that has something to do with it, try that, and maybe he could have a friend from school over for tea (this worked wonders with my daughter at the same age!!)

but most of try not to worry, it sounds perfectly normal to me.

Spendless

Thanks for your replies-
J_O_H  He was in a private independant nursery for a few hours since he was 2  cos he outgrew mums and tots - and none of the local playgroups (which were more structured) would take him till 2 and a half - .

after this he went to playgroup and then the nursery attached to his current school.

i think this is why i'm a bit puzzled by his behaviour as he has always done something from a young age and he has never been bothered before.

I hadn't thought of jealousy about his sister being at home and will try some of the tips
if not i will mention it to teacher.

thanks  

16011996

best of luck and let us know how you get on.

also just as an idea, maybe teddy could come with you to collect him from school. wouldn't let teddy come in the morning though, or you might not get it off him.

hth

Js_Other_Half

I would agree on inviting another child over for tea - he does sound a little lonely.
I started school at 4 - a day later than the other 24 kids - and can still remember how it felt for the other children to seem to know one another! At 4 I don't think I understood that they had only met the previous day. :P

If he had no problems with nursery, I really wouldn't worry too much. Perhaps he is tired too?

MATH

Perfectly normal behaviour. Even though he has had an active toddler-hood school is quite different. Without meaning to we create a big build up to school and he probably sees it as a transition from being little to big. What happens when your big? He doesn't yet know so it's quite common to regress to baby things which he does know.

He may also be unsure as to whether you are going to pick him up at the end of the school day. This is very common when a younger bro/sis is still at home. Even though you have collected him from all his other going-outs this is can still be a concern even though it has no logic.

I once looked after a little boy at playgroup who didn't settle well and was very clingy. I though it was being "left there for ever syndrome" and suggested his mom left something she needed and would have to come back to collect. She couldn't understand why this would work as she had reassured him many times she would pick him up at lunch but relunctantly left her house key (an old one) which I would ceremoniously put on a window sill. If he started to fret I would say "Mummy's coming back cos she is going to need her house key, and when she picks it up you can go home with her" - It did the trick and a few weeks later the key wasn't needed anymore.

I'm not saying this would be guarenteed to work in your case but maybe you could give him something of 'vital' importance to keep in his bag that you will 'absolutely' need to collect and this may reassure him.