Thank you Bridget, I’m going to cling your example, it is possible. Princess Child is my cuddly child. Hippie Child has never been that way, you have to barter to get so much as a hug with her! So the thought of losing the affection of the youngest is tough!

And I’m freaking out that in three years the eldest will be leaving school, dear Lord I’m not old enough to have a child at uni!

Yes she is ready to move on – as usual it’s mum that is dragging the chain. I still find it weird your kids “start” school in the middle of the year! I hope all goes well for you!

Good to know it can be survived! I think what you said about making time to talk after school was really important, I think that is going to be my biggest challenge, we do so much rushing around etc, I have to make sure to find time to just sit and talk with each of them individually.

Seriously, the homework is a killer! And they get angry when I don’t know! I feel like I’m redoing high school myself, they keep saying but you must have done this when I went to school, I did, I retained the information from swatting 24 hrs before the exam and promptly forgot it when I walked out of the exam room – it obviously never made it into longterm memory!

I think it’s a normal part of development to pull away from your parents, I just hope we can stay connected enough that she will return as she gets older!