'Me time'

I couldn't believe this woman was putting this out in the press and seemed to be so proud of it, despite claiming she knew the child was too young to start school but, obviously her own needs and feelings came first. I know all children when they start school are tired, but to send her off in the early morning until 4pm and then on to an afterschool club so that she is so tired she sleeps on her return home, is to me unforgiveable. DD2 started school at 41/2. She was tiny and probably not ready, but she was home by 12 for the first term and by 3 after that. With hindsight, I would have kept her back until she was 51/2. As it was, she left school at 17 and had graduated by 20, but I always feel she suffered because of her too early start. Some children are ready, some are not and little Dolly is probably not.
Perhaps this mother should rethink her priorities and put a little more effort into the needs of her youngest and last child.

Gally I too am shocked by this. I view this as totally selfish behaviour, that child is way too young for school. My GS was the same age when he started and he was so overwhelmed by it that they could hardly get a word out of him. A year on he's fine, but definitely a bit behind those in his year who are not far off a year older. I agree with When about the Mother, I would have kept quiet if. I felt like that, not put myself ou there in a National newspaper.

anno I was surprised to learn that the little church school my four year old grandsons started at, a week after their 4th birthday on 30th August, operates a traffic light system for minor misdemeanours and mischief. In the first week, these little 4 year olds came runnng out of school to announce they were both on red!

I struggle with the notion of children starting school so early, although they do enjoy going - they get very tired still, a year on. It took them a few months to learn the new rules, like not pretending to be Batman and Robin when you are in the queue to go in the hall, and facing forward when you are walking in a line back to the classroom - they got amber and red for these behaviours! All a bit over the top for such little children.

Reminds me of Strangeways prison, where one hungry man received an adjudication for 'concealing a sausage under a plate!'

Surely this little girl is in the foundation stage in her school which is pretty much the same as nursery education, though no nursery I know of - and not many state schools - would impose a blazer on a four-year-old. It sounds like a private establishment to me.
Two of my grandsons have been among the youngest in their classes, being July and August babies respectively and thus starting school when only just 4. The first one already had a sister in the school and knew many children with whom he'd attended nursery. He is also big for his age and held his own so well that he's now his class (Year 5) representative on School Council. The other is more reserved and I think he could have done with another year in nursery.
As for giving a red card to a small child? What kind of institution is this?

What will this child think when she's a little older and sees what her mother has said about her in a national newspaper? At least she'll be justified in having a clear conscience when her needy mother is dumped on the care home steps at the first sign of her needing a little extra support from her daughter!

Poor little mite.

Mummy wanted a dolly that she could play with when it suited her and put back in the box when it didn't.

Who benefits here? It doesn't seem to be the child. Just a few months could make all the difference and in the long term it is such a short time, and as for saying we had another child so that I could be a stay at home Mum, that didn't last long. Self interest springs to my mind.

I can understand how someone could find this upsetting. My DD has two very demanding intelligent children, and it's exhausting. I see my DGC most days so I see this first hand. Just two examples of the youngest yesterday. She came out of pre school and had a necklace hidden in her mouth. When my DD noticed, she said: where did that come from! Then they came to me. She loves going through my drawers in the bedroom. When they were going and I was putting her shoes on I noticed that she had put one of my rings on her toe and put her sock back on.LOL
So when you have this demanding behaviour day in, day out, it's understandable that some mums welcome the children going to school.