Moving again

Can't remember if I have mentioned it yet but we are moving house again. We are moving to a new house with a new estate and a new school. Yesterday we visited the school and I have to say I was really disappointed with the way the appointment went. I had deliberately made the appointment for a day when the kids were on half-term so they could come with us and see the school, teachers, classrooms and other pupils. Well - they saw nothing.

We were ushered via a back corridor into a meeting room by the Deputy Headmistress as the Headmistress wasn't there. We met an Administrative Assistant and a Principal Teacher who is also responsible for Special Needs in the School. We told them all about the issues the children have. They gave us information on the school and a whole load of forms to fill in for (very expensive) school uniform, data protection, permission forms and so on.

We were told at least three times that our children are not guaranteed a place as we can not actually officially apply until nearer the moving time (think we're about five weeks away now) and someone else may move in in the meantime and take our children's places. Because of this it would not be advisable to show the children around in case they don't get a place at the school. Well this made my blood boil - the children were with us specifically to see the school.

So - we now have another appointment to go back (with all the forms, proof of address, birth certificates...) in early November but we are to go without the children. So mad! The kids really need to see their classrooms and teachers. Also - because of the time of the second appointment I will need to get childcare for the kids as I won't be back for school pick-up - can anyone else see the irony here? We weren't allowed to look around the nursery at all - but at least I do now have the correct form for Orla as I had been given the wrong one.

Now - as far as Ruaridh goes I am a little concerned about all of this. I do not want to have to go over what I have already been through twice with him as he settles into a new school with new class mates. I know it is going to be problematic for him. I know it won't be easy.

I have done a lot of thinking about this and one option is for me to Home-Educate him for a while so we can settle in a little before I send him to school. I think Morgan will be fine - and eager to go - as will Orla if she gets a place at nursery. The problem is if I enrol Ruaridh into the school system and then decide to withdraw him I run into the problems we have already had where I have to get permission to take him out whereas if he never starts I won't have that problem.

One of the biggest issues we have at the moment is Ruaridh's sleep routine. He is up very late busy with stuff and is incredibly hard to convince to get into bed. Once asleep he sleeps really well (usually) although we have had a spate of nightmares in the last few weeks - which have stopped again - hopefully that won't come back. His body clock is different to everyone else - so school is a problem for him.

What do you all think? Why is this parenting thing so hard?