My eldest daughter is ten years old, she is in year 5 so in a little more than twelve months she will be leaving junior school to go to big school. After ALOT of talking & umming & arring I decided it would be ok for her to walk home from school on her own. Now the school is literally only about two minutes away, if I'm in the garden, I can hear the school bell go, but this was still a HUGE thing for me.
The rules were come straight home, cross at with the lollipop man, come straight home, don't talk to anyone, come straight home!!!
On Monday evening I was planning on doing a Magic Moments piece on how it only had seemed five minutes since I had taken her to school on her first day & now she was coming home on her own. But I couldn't find the photo of her first day at school so was going to do it Tuesday evening instead. I am glad I didn't do the piece as on Tuesday, she decided to walk her friend home first instead. Her friend lives in the next road & she was only ten minutes later than usual but I was so mad, so scared that something had happened to her. She was very sorry for what she did & as punishment I took her phone from her & have picked her up from school for the remainder of the week.
I think this is the hard bit, letting go of the reins & trying not worry as much as I do? Letting her make her own decisions. Letting her out of my sight. I know is only going to get worse but I've got to let go a bit haven't I?
I dread this and I have a long while to go yet. It must be hard to know what is best and how to best give them their freedom while still keeping them safe.
ReplyDeleteGood luck! x