A PARENT’S VIEW

THE transition to high school begins in earnest this month as the first round of school places are announced. My youngest will leave primary school this year, so this is the end of an era for me.

When I spend time with my youngest child, I can’t help reflecting that I am doing many things for the last time.

She was my last baby. When she first headed into the school playground, it was my last time waving goodbye to a little girl on her first day at school. I have completed my last-ever primary school parents’ evening and will see my last class assembly next week.

She is the last one to play with toys that have been strewn across my floor for nearly two decades. When she no longer wants them, they will be given away. The ones that I cannot bear to be parted from will be packed away in my loft. When she leaves, my nest will be empty.

When I go through experiences with my older girls, I do so safe in the knowledge that I will be doing it all again. With her it is different and I treasure many of the little things that I am doing with my littlest girl. There are no younger siblings to keep an eye on and so perhaps I have more time to reflect.

There are only four years between my youngest and middle daughters, yet the gap between 11 and 15 years is vast. They enter high school still a child and leave an adult. That is scary.

Right now she is still my little girl, still several months away from high school. There are many things that I treasure doing with her because, too soon, I’ll be doing these for the last time.

We can still hold hands when we walk down the street. I can go on the swings with her, although I can’t go too high because it makes me feel dizzy. I still walk her to school or at least to a friend’s house. We enjoy swimming together, even though she is now much faster than me. We can still share a book and she will (rarely) read to me.

I can cheer her up with a cuddle and a chocolate biscuit – teenage problems are so much more complicated. I can still get away with buying her kids’ meals in restaurants and share the colouring-in. I climb into her bed and sleep next to her when she is poorly (and get kicked in the stomach).

I can even help with her with her homework without using Google. Now that is something to treasure!

Dr Sharon Parry is a mother of three and a former public health research fellow. She shares useful tips and her experiences of having three daughters in primary school, high school and university in Wales on her website www. aftertheplayground.com