Start of School PTSD

[Anonymous]

Anyone else with me? I've been up for nights worrying, and after a tough last year, I still have a lot of negative feelings towards the school. Every other year I've been able to clear my mind of these and try to start with a fresh slate, but this year I feel so done - I'm not even sure if I want to meet the new teacher next week.

[Anonymous]

Yep! Had my first "long dark night of the soul" (or as it school?) last night. Good times!

[Anonymous]

Yes- we're not in DC anymore. DS9 started school today. No one is very happy about it.
I'm putting on some optimism and hoping some of these therapies might result in friendships and fewer homework battles.
It was painful at a back-to-school social event last week to realize that his male classmates had been hanging together in the summer and didn't include DS.
There is no point worrying- what will happen, will happen. Better to put energy toward advocating for effective accommodations. I say that, but of course, we can't help worrying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes- we're not in DC anymore. DS9 started school today. No one is very happy about it.
I'm putting on some optimism and hoping some of these therapies might result in friendships and fewer homework battles.
It was painful at a back-to-school social event last week to realize that his male classmates had been hanging together in the summer and didn't include DS.
There is no point worrying- what will happen, will happen. Better to put energy toward advocating for effective accommodations. I say that, but of course, we can't help worrying.

Social exclusion of your kid is one of those painful things that you never can get used to . Hope school goes well for him.

[Anonymous]

I can't wait to start getting my daily phone calls from the school. Oh joy. I should program their number as a Beethoven's fifth ring tone.

[Anonymous]

We're changing to public and I'm really worried. My child is very excited.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't wait to start getting my daily phone calls from the school. Oh joy. I should program their number as a Beethoven's fifth ring tone.

Carmina Burana to amp up the dread factor ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes- we're not in DC anymore. DS9 started school today. No one is very happy about it.
I'm putting on some optimism and hoping some of these therapies might result in friendships and fewer homework battles.
It was painful at a back-to-school social event last week to realize that his male classmates had been hanging together in the summer and didn't include DS.
There is no point worrying- what will happen, will happen. Better to put energy toward advocating for effective accommodations. I say that, but of course, we can't help worrying.

Social exclusion of your kid is one of those painful things that you never can get used to . Hope school goes well for him.

I agree that this is painful, but I'm wondering if 1) all the boys hung out together at the same time all summer, which would be exclusionary or 2) kids frequently hung out with their friends in small groups --in which case there was no conscious effort to exclude your son. My DD really just played with two or three school friends this summer. When she asked for a play date, I didn't sit down with a class list and check off who we'd hung with already or how many times to make sure no one would feel left out in September. If I'd organized a big event, I would have made sure everyone got an invite.

My child has anxiety (not primarily social) and dreads large groups and new people. We spent a lot of summer evenings playing at local parks so she could practice introducing herself to new children. She didn't make any new best friends, but she wasn't lonely and I saw an improvement in her social skills. She hasn't struggled to make at-school friendships, but I think that she's ready now to expand beyond the 2-3 classmates that she currently will ask to see outside of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes- we're not in DC anymore. DS9 started school today. No one is very happy about it.
I'm putting on some optimism and hoping some of these therapies might result in friendships and fewer homework battles.
It was painful at a back-to-school social event last week to realize that his male classmates had been hanging together in the summer and didn't include DS.
There is no point worrying- what will happen, will happen. Better to put energy toward advocating for effective accommodations. I say that, but of course, we can't help worrying.

Social exclusion of your kid is one of those painful things that you never can get used to . Hope school goes well for him.

I agree that this is painful, but I'm wondering if 1) all the boys hung out together at the same time all summer, which would be exclusionary or 2) kids frequently hung out with their friends in small groups --in which case there was no conscious effort to exclude your son. My DD really just played with two or three school friends this summer. When she asked for a play date, I didn't sit down with a class list and check off who we'd hung with already or how many times to make sure no one would feel left out in September. If I'd organized a big event, I would have made sure everyone got an invite.

My child has anxiety (not primarily social) and dreads large groups and new people. We spent a lot of summer evenings playing at local parks so she could practice introducing herself to new children. She didn't make any new best friends, but she wasn't lonely and I saw an improvement in her social skills. She hasn't struggled to make at-school friendships, but I think that she's ready now to expand beyond the 2-3 classmates that she currently will ask to see outside of school.

pp here- it was probably the smaller group thing. I want DS to have friends too, but we understand that kids choosing friends at these older elementary ages is not necessarily exclusive. We also make other opportunities with special interest camps, but it's hard to send my DS off to school when he doesn't really feel like a member of the school community with friendships and a "group" like the other kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else with me? I've been up for nights worrying, and after a tough last year, I still have a lot of negative feelings towards the school. Every other year I've been able to clear my mind of these and try to start with a fresh slate, but this year I feel so done - I'm not even sure if I want to meet the new teacher next week.

BTDT. Hugs and more hugs. Don't forget to breathe.

[Anonymous]

Re:social exclusion. Maybe they all belong to the same pool or went to the same camp. *Hugs* Social exclusion makes me crazy.

To OP: yep, it's starting. Having more trouble falling asleep at night and waking up with strange nightmares. Usually the few nights before orientation I barely sleep. You just can't know if the teacher is a good fit until I'd say Oct/November. Hoping for the best for all of us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't wait to start getting my daily phone calls from the school. Oh joy. I should program their number as a Beethoven's fifth ring tone.

Carmina Burana to amp up the dread factor ?

This is funny. I may have to program school number as a jaws or something. Will remind me that hopefully one day I will laugh about how hard it has been.

[Anonymous]

Yep. My dd is switching from charter to public and I'm terrified. I've been waking up at 3am worrying. I think it's going to be a rough transition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't wait to start getting my daily phone calls from the school. Oh joy. I should program their number as a Beethoven's fifth ring tone.

Carmina Burana to amp up the dread factor ?

This is funny. I may have to program school number as a jaws or something. Will remind me that hopefully one day I will laugh about how hard it has been.

This all made me laugh. Thx.

[Anonymous]

We're starting a new school, too. I'm throwing up.