What I’ve Learned from 14 Years of First Days of School
Reception to Year 13, 14 first days. A whole childhood of standing on the edge of new beginnings. You’d think by now I’d have mastered it. But the truth? Every September still brings its own mix of nerves, pride, and questions that swirl around in your head.
Here’s the twist: I haven’t often been the parent at the school gates. On my daughter’s very first day of Reception, I wasn’t there. I was standing at my own classroom door as a deputy head, welcoming other people’s children in while another teacher welcomed mine. It was bittersweet, being part of so many “firsts” while knowing I’d missed my own. That theme has followed me somewhat, through the years: balancing teacher life with parent life, realising that the two don’t always neatly align. Then 9 years ago, I started my own business as it was time to put my family and myself first.
And yet, across 14 years, here’s what I’ve learned:
💭 The questions never stop.
As parents, we all ask them, sometimes out loud, often just in our heads:
Have I made the right school choice for my child?
Will the teacher “get” my child?
What will they be like when I collect them at the end of their day?
Have they eaten lunch, or are they running purely on custard creams?
When is my MOT due? (Because somehow the most random thoughts creep in while you’re worrying about the big stuff!)
The tears change. Sometimes it’s your child, sometimes it’s you, and sometimes they don’t even come until halfway through the day when you finally pause long enough to feel the milestone.
Uniforms never stay crisp. That perfect photo you take in the morning? By the end of the day, socks are grey, shirts are untucked, and you’re reminded that life is about living in the moment, not ironing it flat.
Every child is different. One year it’s confidence and excitement, the next it’s wobbles and tears. Children don’t follow a neat, predictable script, and the best gift we can give is to meet them where they are, not where we think they should be.
Parents need settling too. Whether it’s playground politics, comparing packed lunches, or juggling work commitments, it’s easy to feel like you’re not quite doing it right. Truth is? None of us really know what we’re doing and that’s okay.
The first day isn’t the whole story. However it plays out: smooth, messy, magical, or teary, it’s just one moment in a much bigger journey. First impressions don’t define the whole year.
And my biggest realisation?
✨ You never stop feeling it. ✨
Whether it’s Reception or Sixth Form, the first-day emotions never disappear. Pride, nerves, hope, and that tug of letting go, they’re part of the package every single year. Because these “firsts” aren’t just theirs. They’re ours too.
So here I am, 14 years of first days later: still learning, still feeling, still taking too many photos. And still asking myself, did she eat lunch?
👉 What about you? What questions or feelings bubble up for you at the start of a new school year?
