Sentimental

MY MUM has still got all of our schoolbooks, reports and various other memorabilia from our schooldays stashed away in her loft.

Given that she's got four children, there's quite a bit of the stuff. I've always thought this is a ridiculous waste of space. I mean, why on earth would you want to keep a school report? Sentimental nonsense.

Now, however, I have changed my view. On Tuesday, there was a ceremony at Chirk Playgroup where every child was presented with a book about their time at the group. Each book was individual, containing pictures and words detailing how they had progressed since joining.

A huge amount of effort has obviously gone into this document and, at the risk of sounding like a pushy parent, reading about Harry's development since starting in September last year makes me incredibly proud.

When Harry first started at the playgroup, he was quite shy and for the first month or two, Melissa stayed with him because he became upset if she left. Since then, he has undergone a complete transformation – he loves going to playgroup and has turned into a very confident little boy.

As if to illustrate the point, he performed a solo ('I can sing a rainbow') at the presentation ceremony, which I was lucky enough to attend. It took quite a bit of restraint not to stand up and cheer him on.

For the first time, I can understand why mum has kept all of our books from school. Being sentimental comes with the territory.