Humour me. My eldest child has just started Reception and I want to ask about all the stuff they have to carry....

[ekra]

Bookbags seem like a good idea until you also have in your hand a PE bag, a cardigan, a lunch bag, a school water bottle and a piece of fruit for breaktime snack.

Once inside the classroom, the children have to visit 5 different places to deposit this stuff.

The morning drop-off is chaotic with parents in the doorway helping the children deposit all this stuff.

As the year progresses and the children get more used to the system, do parents continue to go into the classroom to assist with this or will I one day be waving her off at the door?

It's not an issue, just general thoughts and musings on a Thursday morning after the second morning of the multiple item juggle. And there's really not anything else of interest to write in the Primary Education section but I want to feel grown-up and start a thread since I now have a school-aged child!!!

[nailpolish]

parents are not allowed inside with their children in our school after the first week
i got dd a large bag (school backpack) and she can fit all her things in this inc lunch, pe kit, pencil case
she has a seperate book bag though

does your child have her own tray? things like plimsolls for pe can be left in the tray, as is pencil case, cardigan etc

[throckenholt]

we leave the pe kit at school.

[bozza]

We have school dinners so no lunch. DS puts his fruit in his book bag. PE kit stays there until half term. When he is coming out of school if he doesn't have his sweatshirt on he stuffs it in his book bag. He is NOT ALLOWED to put his water bottle in his book bag.

So he has to carry:
book bag
water bottle

[OrmIrian]

Parents aren't allowed into the classroom. And PE kit stays in school as throckenholt says. Get a bag to hold everything - it's the only way really.

[superalienstitch]

in my dc cschool, parents only drop off in class room on fist day. after that its the school gates. tbh, the school gates are a bit busier at the begininig of the year, but it passes
pe bag brought in at beginnning of each half terma nd left in school
cardigan/jumper worn by child
water bottle and fruit go into book bag, otherwise whats the point of an empty bag?
no lunch bag as school dinners

[superalienstitch]

o, and book bag carried by child. not me

[WigWamBam]

PE kit stays at school.

Water bottle goes in backpack.

Cardigan goes on child. If child does not want cardigan, cardigan goes in backpack (or gets left in school drawer for next three weeks).

At our school food is not allowed (they are given fruit as a snack) so that's not an issue. That would also go in the backpack if she had one.

[coppertop]

Ours have no water bottles and the school provides fruit at breaktime (free in KS1 and on sale for KS2).

PE kit and jumper go in the backpack, which both boys carry themselves. That just leaves the book bag and lunchbag.

At our school parents are encouraged to go into the classrooms each morning in KS1. Not everyone does though, either because they don't want to or because they have more than one child at the school.

[bozza]

Water not allowed in book bag is my rule not a school rule. I find that DS cannot be relied on to put the top on properly.

[ChippyMinton]

Last yrear DS1 mostly just had his bookbag & lunch bag (with breaktime fruit in it)
Jumper is worn or in bookbag
PE bag stays at school until halfterm
Water bottle is provided by school.
I only went into class on first day. Until half-term reception parents could stay in the playground until bell went. After that drop off at gate.

How is your LO getting on ekra? DS2 starts next week

[Legacy]

Lots of kids at our last school had water bottle holders - like a narrow bag with a shoulder strap (wear like a handbag across chest)

[RedBundle]

am v hardline on No Packed Lunches, which rules out one of those to worry about

[foxinsocks]

can't you leave the PE bag on the peg?

make her wear the cardigan
shove water bottle in lunch bag or get a lunch bag with a pocket for it
put fruit in bookbag (do they not get free fruit?)

and make a break and don't go into the classroom - it's up to the school really but you don't go in at ours

[RedBundle]

pe stuff stays on peg till half term wash

[ekra]

The school doesn't have a kitchen and so packed lunch is the only option. For some reason we have to take the water bottle home each day and refill it with our tap water. Water bottle not allowed in book bag. I'm giving DD1 breaktime fruit because she won't always eat the school fruit. Perhaps when she has some friends and sees them eating it she'll concede on that matter.

It seems I need to streamline the operation Since I have DD2 in a buggy, I tend to chuck everything in there and then need 5 hands to get it all out and into the classroom.

So, I need to ensure DD1 is wearing her cardigan on the way to school. Take PE kit in once a week. I could put breaktime fruit and water bottle into her lunchbag. Wehn she's less new and there's less chaos she'll be able to get those out herself and put them in the correct places - won't she?

[foxinsocks]

yes - she'll get there. And there tend to be lots of helpers in reception anyway if it all gets a bit muddled.

[OrmIrian]

Yes she will be able to Ekra. Or at least she'll manage everything to her own satisfaction which is all that matters

[SoupDragon]

PE kit comes home half-termly,otherwiselives at school
School provide the fruit in KS1/Infants
DS has the "subsidised" milk for a drink and there are water coolers all over the place
School dinners
Parents can go in all the way up KS1 and are encouraged to settle/help their child with one of the "challenges" set out on the tables

[SoupDragon]

What fruit does she take? There are inflatable fruit carriers with silly faces on which have a clip to attach to your bag. There are round ones and a bananananana one.

[mishymoo]

Ok.. I've got all this to come (DS only 2.2) but with regard to leaving the PE kit at school, does that mean they wear the same kit all term... doesn't it smell? I am not criticising 'cos I may have to do the same in a couple of years time so was just wondering really!

[throckenholt]

pe kit comes home at half term. At 5 they don't sweat much when they are running about - not like hormonal teenagers ! You can check it once a week to see if anything needs washing.

[motherinferior]

Eh?

We hang the PE kit up. For the week. Or more than a week. And, er, that's it. School dinner. Should DD1 feel the urge for a cardigan, that is between her and her urges.

I'm buggered if I'm hanging things up for her.

[Pinkchampagne]

We leave the PE kit at school, and DS has school dinner, so he just carries his book bag and water bottle.
fruit is provided at breaktime by the school.

[portonovo]

P.E. kit stays in school all week, or often all half-term.

Infant children are given free fruit for break.

Most children have a drinks bottle inside either their lunchbag or their backpack (older children tend not to have lunchboxes or lunchbags). It's more in summer that they have water bottles. Even then, they live in school most of the time.

So generally, most have the book bag and whatever bag their lunch and bottle are in. If they choose not to wear their jumper, they either carry it or shove it in their bookbag or backpack.

Parents of reception children are allowed to go into their classrooms in the morning for the first few weeks, then they have to line up in their classes in the playground and their teacher escorts them in.

[ekra]

I left her PE kit there yesterday and today I made her wear her cardigan today so we were down to four items. She was less like a bunny caught in the headlights today and listened to me use my efficient voice so she deposited each item without my assistance.