The Reception Class Meeting Débâcle

If you follow me on social media, you may have seen my post last night. I attended a meeting for parents of children starting primary school in September.

I had planned the night down to a tee.

I preened for much longer than I usually do. Straightened my hair, did a full face of ‘looking like I wasn’t trying’ make up. Bought a new top (I know) and wore heels. HEELS on a Thursday night.

You see, Boo already goes to the nursery next to the school and I’ve seen the other mums. I’ve seen them.

They wear (nude patent) heels that are so high, I’d look like a man in drag trying to walk in them.

They look completely perfect at 8.50am with manicured coral nails and tans that come from four holidays a year rather than a Fake Bake Avon bottle.

So i looked ok for the meeting. Considering Boo had been off sick from nursery and I have a baby. I got away with it.

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Swanned into the hall, sat with my glass of champers (yes, really) and nodded along with the head teacher and the ethos of the school.

Win.

I felt like it was my first day at school and I had to impress the parents who would be hanging around until Boo is 11.

Then the reception teacher got up. Absolutely lovely, lovely lady. She started talking about how she knew how we feel and that she focuses on child-centred learning. She continued saying it didn’t matter what stage our children were at, they would all be treated as individuals
Well, I couldn’t hold it in any longer. Tears were streaming down my face. My baby is going to school.

Yes I know I’ve got Baby G and, that for most people, that would ease the blow but for me it just doesn’t. I can’t believe where the last four years have gone.

The upshot of the meeting that I tried so hard to use to impress the other parents, resulted in them thinking I was a nutter.

However something good did come out of it.

The woman who hasn’t taken Baby G to any baby classes for fear of being sucked into a mummy cliques again has realised that it doesn’t matter whether I’ve got nude patent shoes (I did buy some by the way to fit in) or not. This is Boo’s journey and her first steps into her long journey of education, not mine.

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Who cares if the perfect women notice my chipped nail varnish?

I am however planning my outfit already for the first day of term. The kids have it so easy in uniform…

19 Comments

  1. Check you out! God I will hate this, I already hate waiting outside playgroup with all the mums as it is! You’re right though, its worth remembering that it isn’t about us, it’s their journey. Eek! Xx

  2. we were in that boat last year. I’ve gone along with just being me, and it’s been ok. After a few weeks we just chat to the parents of the kids our kids want to be friends with. Enjoy the summer before the first year of school attitudes kick in. 🙂

  3. Champagne?! Haha, we got cake and a brew at ours! Thank goodness they are more casual at my school as I regularly show up with no make up, jeans with handprints on them and wondering if I actually brushed my hair that morning. They will love you no matter what Emma, I nearly cried at our school meeting too but managed to hold it in! xx #sharewithme

  4. Champers?! Posh school… We got offered Lambrusco. *shudders* It’s scary them starting school, there does feel a pressure to fit in. Thankfully at our school you are considered to have made an effort if you actually get dressed, out of PJs in the morning. Or turn up on time. Hopefully once you are all in the swing of it you will find it easier. x

  5. Thank goodness none of the mums in my daughter’s school look perfect and definitely don’t wear high heeled nude paten shoes! Well, at least they don’t wear it to the school run or school meetings for that matter. Otherwise, I’m going to stick out like a sore thumb 😉 I bet though, those “perfect women” have the same fears as you do 😉 #sharewithme.

  6. I am well impressed by the champagne and the outfits! Do not stress about shedding a tear, honestly my son is in year one and I still cry every time I go into school!! pretty much anyway, i always seem to get emotional at the school i don’t know why it happens there! They must all think I’m a nutter! x #sharewithme

  7. Champagne! Thats cool! This is such a funny and yet emotional post. Made me remember my son’s too. My son will be 5 tomorrow and its such a bittersweet moment when he started school last September! #sharewithme

  8. Can so relate to this Emma we just had our parents night too at B”s new school and I think I am going to be more nervous and a nightmare each morning then he will be. I wanted to make a good impression and get to know some ladies as I have never met or seen any of them as his school is a bit far from us. So I am even more worried about clicques and cliches then before as I didn’t feel a warm welcome on that first night trying to make friends like we were in school not them. lol Thanks for linking up to Share With Me #sharewithme

  9. This whole notion of dressing up for the school run completely baffles me. If they do dress up at our school, I haven’t noticed it. Why would I? It’s dropping your child off at school, not a catwalk.
    Normal, sane people won’t give a flying fig what you’re wearing or even notice. If they do, and judge, well that says a lot more about them than it does about you. 🙂

  10. O goes to Rugbytots with one of the boys who will be in Boo’s class in September. He’s such a cutie and his mum is so lovely (and normal!) so they’re not all in skyscraper heels.
    I’ll be a wreck next year too! xxx

  11. Champagne? You’re at the posh end if twom aren’t you?!
    When my nieces got a new head teacher my mum (who did the school run for them a lot) said the slummy mummies stopped wearing PJs and actually got dresses for the school run.

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