Hi guys, it’s Weekend Reset.
This weekend, I’m feeling a mixture of emotions. I’m exhausted, running on very little energy, but at the same time, my heart is so full.
Yesterday was Oliver’s Celebration Day at school, and I still can’t quite believe that my little boy has officially finished Year 3 and is moving into Year 4.
Year 4.
How did we get here?
How am I mothering a child who’s already in Year 4?
It honestly feels like yesterday that I was walking him into Reception, holding his tiny hand and wondering how he would cope.
Celebration Day has become one of my favourite days of the year. Not because of certificates or prizes, but because it gives me an opportunity to pause and reflect on how far we’ve come.
Reading through his school report absolutely melted my heart.
Some of the comments from his teachers genuinely took my breath away.
I know the little boy they’re talking about.
I know where he started.
Oliver used to be incredibly shy. He hated giving answers because he was terrified of being wrong. He would keep his ideas to himself. After school, he will quietly walk up to me. Sometimes he wouldn’t even smile because he was still figuring out the world around him.
Watching him now is honestly beautiful.
He’s confident.
He’s willing to contribute.
He has found his voice.
And as a parent, there really are no words to describe how incredible it feels to witness that transformation.
Year 3 wasn’t always easy.
There were challenges.
Looking back now, I realise this has been the year where everything we’ve been working on started coming together.
Even sitting on my bed reading some of his essays yesterday left me amazed.
I honestly don’t think I could write like that when I was his age.
I’m incredibly proud of him.
What makes me even prouder is seeing the effort behind the achievements.
There have been evenings when we’ve come home late after activities, and despite being tired, he’s still sat down to finish his work.
There have been mornings when he’s willingly woken up early to revise.
I see those moments.
Children don’t always realise we’re watching, but we are.
And I want him to know that I notice his hard work.
My baby and I
So I’ve decided we’re having a mummy-and-son celebration date.
Simply because I am proud of the young boy he’s becoming.
I’ve already told him we’re going on a date, but he has absolutely no idea what we’ve got planned.
I love surprises.
One of the activities I’m planning is quad biking.
Oliver has wanted a quad bike for what feels like forever.
The answer to buying one has always been no!
But I thought… why not let him experience one instead?
The second activity is rock climbing.
Now here’s the funny part…
I’m scared of climbing.
He isn’t.
So I’m deliberately choosing something that scares me because I want him to see something important.
I want him to see that courage isn’t about not being scared.
It’s about being scared and doing it anyway.
I also secretly want him to laugh at me while I’m halfway up the wall questioning every life decision I’ve ever made.
After that, we’ll head out for lunch.
Lunch isn’t just about food.
It’s about conversation.
I have a few questions I want to ask him.
* What was your favourite memory from Year 3?
* Which subject did you enjoy the most?
* What’s one thing you want to keep doing every single day moving forward?
But beyond that, I want to hear about his friendships.
His dreams.
His worries.
I want to know what I’m doing well as his mum.
I want to know what I could do better.
How can I support him more?
How can Dad support him better?
Is there anything we’d do differently that would help him?
One piece of feedback he’s already given me is that he really doesn’t like being shouted at.
If I’m honest…
The African parent in me sometimes wants to raise my voice immediately!
But I’ve been learning.
I usually give him several reminders before I even change my tone, and even then he still doesn’t like it.
So I’m learning too.
Parenting is growth for parents just as much as it is for children.
After lunch, we’re heading somewhere he’ll absolutely love.
A LEGO session.
If you know Oliver, you’ll know he absolutely loves LEGO.
And before we head home, he’s finally getting the Ferrari LEGO set he’s had his eye on for ages.
We’ll finish the day with a sweet treat before heading home.
The best part?
It’s just me and Oliver.
I’ll definitely come back and share photos with you all afterwards.
Finally,
Before I go, I just want to encourage every parent reading this.
For many schools, Celebration Day feels a bit like Prize Giving Day.
Sometimes children come home with awards.
Sometimes they don’t.
And when they don’t, it can feel disappointing.
But I’ve learnt something over the years.
The greatest celebration isn’t always the certificate.
It’s the progress.
Celebrate the child who found their confidence.
Celebrate the child who kept trying.
Celebrate the child who improved.
Celebrate the child who didn’t give up.
Celebrate the child who is simply becoming a better version of themselves than they were this time last year.
Those victories matter too.
And that’s exactly what we’re celebrating this weekend.
With Love,
Ayo
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