It’s been 25 years since I was 5 (are you doing the maths?) and I honestly can’t remember how it feels. Is it normal for a 5 year old to get angry and upset over nothing? Is it normal for a 5 year old to be rude and cheeky sometimes? Is it normal for a 5 year old to not want to go to school or after school clubs? Was I like that at 5?
Mum guilt is so real and intense and nothing has been giving me mum guilt more than school. To begin with Pops absolutely loved school, she went in without looking back and really thrived on making new friends and pleasing her teachers but towards the end of last year and now this new school year (year 1) she’s been finding every excuse she can to try and get out of going.
Is it normal for a 5 year old to be so upset about going to school? Is it something I should be concerned about and should I be doing more?
Maybe I ask her too many questions? Maybe I’m pushing her too hard? I always tell her to make sure she’s making friends and to not just stay with the same people, maybe that’s the problem? I wish I knew what to do to make her enjoy school and be confident making friends.
I’m that parent that is forever asking the teachers how she is getting on and I can see in their faces it’s getting a bit old. They see this happy girl getting on with her work and playing but at home it’s completely different. I see her sad about not being invited to a party that everyone else was, or telling me the other kids don’t want to play with her or that her best friend was mean to her again. I hear the excuses of why she shouldn’t go to school tomorrow and have to wipe away the tears because she’s worked herself up about it all.
I then spend my nights researching homeschooling and wondering if maybe that’s the better option. I know me and I know her and although I wish it could work for us I just know it wouldn’t. I admire those parents who do make it work though.
Maybe it is normal, I hope it is normal. I hope I’m doing the right thing for her and maybe I need to step back and not being so anxious about it all?
So, Is it normal for a 5 year old to hate school? Does your little one hate school?
Until the next post.