In just a few weeks, Freddy will be finishing his final term in nursery. It’s hard to believe how quickly this year has flown by. Come September, he’ll be heading into reception with his little group of friends – ready (and more than a little excited) for this next big step.
If you’ve been a reader on my blog for a while you might remember when I wrote about how I felt about my son starting primary school last year. I honestly can’t believe how quickly the past 9 months have flown by. So much has changed – we’ve welcomed a second baby, to start with, and Freddy has made amazing progress with his speech and language, thanks to all the learning and support he’s getting at school. Here are a few things I’ve noticed along the way.
Confidence with his speech
There are still moments when some people have trouble understanding him because he talks so quickly, but we’ve definitely seen a huge improvement in his speech since starting primary school. He’s using more sentences now and picking up new words every day. About a year ago, I had a lot of worries about how he’d settle in at school, especially after the paediatrician said it would be “interesting to see how he interacts with the other kids in his class.” Comments like that really made me second guess things and brought on a lot of anxiety.
Freddy is my firstborn – he’s the one who’s taught me everything I know about being a mama. From the newborn days to toddlerhood, and now, as he’s about to turn four in August (cue the tears).
We’ve seen so much progress, especially through his love learning through songs and his new interest in reading books. Today, he had his first assembly, and when it was his turn to take the microphone and share his favourite thing at school, he beamed and said, “I like Stickman!” Stickman is one of his favourite books. My heart completely melted. It was such a big moment for both me and Danny to witness. And his teachers have also noticed his love for phonics too.
Maths is still his strongest skill, and honestly, he amazes me every day. Whether it’s number sequences, sums, times tables, or square numbers – he’s always impressing me with how quickly he picks things up.
Understanding and accepting change
We used to wonder if Freddy would always stay so fixated on things – like certain cartoons, specific routes, and his routines. But after a few months in primary school, he really surprised us. It wasn’t easy, and most days were a struggle, but there’s definitely been a shift. Of course, there are still tough moments – when isn’t there with kids? But I’m so proud of how far he’s come. And it’s not just that generic “I’m proud” that you hear from every parent. It’s more about how, at one point, we really didn’t know if there would ever be an end to the struggle. I’ll admit, I even wondered if Freddy would stand out too much in his class or just not enjoy school.
Freddy has shown us such a big change – he really loves learning. I’m so grateful to his nursery teacher and teaching assistant for everything they’ve done to support him. It’s not just about the usual learning goals in class; they’ve gone above and beyond. They made a real effort to help Freddy understand the big change of having a baby brother, and they even joined in on the excitement in the lead up to his birth and once he arrived into the world. That’s something I’ll always remember and hold close.
Making friends
Making friends was never really something I worried about, but the paediatrician did mention that Freddy didn’t talk about his friends much or name them specifically. At just shy of three years old, I knew we just had to give it time. And she’s only met him the once during an approx. 50 mins appointment. Now, fast forward 10 months, Freddy has such a sweet group of friends. He lists them all with the biggest smile on his face.
Even better, Danny and I have made some great new friendships with other mums and dads at school too. It honestly feels like these people were meant to come into our lives. They really get parenting, they understand the challenges, and there’s no judgement.
What’s next?
The battle with his eating hasn’t changed much. Freddy has his favourites, but after talking to more parents at school and connecting with other mums and dads, we’re realising it’s really not that big of an issue as it feels to us. He’s still so young, and things could change. Although he won’t eat home cooked meals with us, Freddy loves his fruit, carrot, parsnip, cucumber etc. so he’s still getting goodness in him. I guess his diet just isn’t as balanced as it could be.
He’s thriving in so many ways, and honestly, we just need to focus on celebrating the good stuff more.
Here’s to the summer holidays! It’s the first time I’ll have a whole six weeks at home with Freddy off school. It’s definitely going to be a bit of a juggle, but I’m really looking forward to spending time with both my boys. No doubt I’ll be leaning on some mum friends to help me get through the chaos!
