It’s the final countdown from nursery, with sports day

As I’ve mentioned (a few times) before, N is starting school in September.  I’ve been seeing on social media everyone else’s last days at preschool, and reading all about other parents’ emotional ‘end of nursery’ posts.

We’re probably not the only ones, but it seems like it sometimes.  N goes to 2 nurseries – one a day nursery which he’ll still be at over the summer holidays until a week before starting school, and a nursery school (preschool) which now stays open over the summer.  He’s only in there for a few days because we’ve got various holiday days off, but it does feel like he hasn’t had a real ‘last day’ at preschool.

He has had his last day of term though, which was most people’s last day at nursery school.  They did their sports day, has a leavers party lunch and then water play in the afternoon session.

I’m hoping N is going to be like me with sports.  When I was at nursery school and where I used to live as a young child, on sports day and races, I’d always be the child at the start taking part following all the rules (no holding of the egg on the spoon etc) while all others were happily finishing the race.  It wasn’t until we moved house and therefore school at the age of 7, that all of a sudden I ‘got’ the sporty thing and turned into a bit of a fan.  I was always in the proper running  (point scoring) running races for the fastest children,  rather than the fun ones and did well in both field and track events at primary school, along with picking up  various team sports that I continued to secondary school.

So far, going on his attitude and performance it’s looking likely that sports will be a slow burner for N.  On the way to nursery before his sports day, he announced that

‘I won’t win at races because I’m not fast’.

I had to explain that he had to try at the race, and also enjoy taking part because those were also important.  And if he didn’t win, he might come 2nd or 3rd.  For a really competitive mum, it’s going to be hard if N doesn’t turn out to be sporty.

On the day though, he showed me just what he could do. Ok he didn’t win any races (mostly because he was a slow starter when the whistle went), but he took part in all of them, did what he was meant to during the races and then went back to the start and sat nicely waiting for the next race.

His lack of interest in having a sticker at the end of the race, and a medal at the end doesn’t really surprise me.  He’s never really been one for reward charts unfortunately.  Let’s hope he’s motivated by doing work the right way rather than me needing to bribe him.

As leavers they were given a certificate and a book from the nursery which was lovely.  Although N wandered off for a pee when the presentation was taking place so missed it. The story of his life…he’s never fussed about being part of the big events like that.

N missed his ‘graduation’ from his day nursery because it was on a day he’s not there.  I asked if he wanted to swap nursery days so he could go to it, but he told me he didn’t want to go to the graduation.  As I said, a non-event to him.  But he was pleased when I was given their leavers photo.  It was missing one of his friends who’s going on up to the same school as him, but the boys were totally swamped by the number of girls.  It surprised me given that his new school year will only have 2-3 girls in out of 16/17 children.

So for us, the whole leaving nursery has been a bit of an understatement because we don’t have a proper end of nursery date.  Even once he starts school, he’ll still be at one for after school club, and potentially between the two for holiday club.  Makes for difficulty in knowing when to say thanks for the preschool years!

What did your children have for their leaving pre-school or primary?  Do they have special events?