FIRST impressions matter. And good first impressions make a difference.
As transfer test results day looms for my son, this week we completed our rounds of school open days and that simple saying stuck with me.
For numerous Saturdays and week-day evenings, we have rolled up at various schools in Belfast and beyond to see what's on offer for our 10-year-old son.
There have been the grand libraries, the state-of-the-art sports complexes, the drama studios and the science labs.
Then there were the beautiful orchestral performances that filled the assembly hall, the packed crowds watching the animal dissections in the biology rooms and the home-baked scones in the home economics department.
All of the schools were bidding to make that first impression count.
While there's not an experiment on the curriculum we haven't seen now or a sport we haven't witnessed in action, it has been an eye-opening few weeks of what could lie ahead for our son.
It has given us a true glimpse of what our boy could enjoy in the future.
It's a decision that seriously stresses some of the most sanguine parents, weighing up all the pros and cons of each school and contemplating the years ahead.
It could be so easy to become wrapped up in each school we visited, listening to the principal boasting of the academic success rates and the teachers showing off the work of their best students.
And how easy it is to become persuaded by the opinion of other parents.
The school gates can become a hive of people trying to share their wealth of opinion of the grammar/secondary school sector - from how good school A is, to the horrors of how bad school B is or why we shouldn't even be looking at school C.
So how do you go about deciding which school is the best for your child?
Of course, every school is going to produce a specially manicured type of event that demonstrates the delights it can offer a child - from academic success to sporting excellence and musical accomplishments.
But for me, there's nothing that beats the feeling you get when you first walk into a school.
No matter how much you look up online or study the school brochure received in the post, to experience the atmosphere of a school is the best way of getting a real feeling for it.
That initial look around is absolutely vital to assess whether it is the right sort of environment and whether it fits your child.
Then there is the honest opinion of the pupils that can provide a true perspective of the school. By chatting to the students of the schools we visited, we found more out about what it is really like than the neatly handwritten exhibitions on show or the glossy school prospectus.
But what is best for one child isn't necessarily best for another.
Every child has different strengths and weaknesses and it's important that the school they choose provides the right environment for them to thrive in.
While that's partly down to academic ability, there are other parts of the package too, such as sport, music and the support that teachers and the school community can provide too.
An open day can be an emotional experience.
It's an old cliché, but it feels like just yesterday that my son was beginning his primary school education and here we are contemplating his base for the next seven years of his life.
The last year of primary school brings a fresh set of challenges and it's only when you visit the next level of education for your child that you really think about what lies ahead.
So as a major decision hangs over his young shoulders, and many thousands just like him, let's wish them all good luck for the challenges and the exciting steps they are about to take.
----------------------------
Competition
During the winter weather, how about some stylish warming accessories to help combat the chill? Keep your feet warm like no other sock has before with Heat Holders lounge socks.
A variation on the Heat Holders slipper socks, the lounge socks are an essential for lounging around the home throughout the winter months.
With a cosy turn over top and a non-slip grip, these lounge socks will keep you safe and your feet wrapped up warm.
Thick, chunky and available in a variety of colours, there is a lounge sock for every lady. For further information, please visit www.heatholders.co.uk
I have three pairs of Heat Holders lounge socks to give away. To be in with a chance to win, simply email your name, address and telephone number - along with the answer to the question below - to competitions@irishnews.com
Closing date for entries is Tuesday January 23 at noon.
(Q) How many pairs of Heat Holders lounge socks are up for grabs?
Normal Irish News Rules Apply
-------------------------------------------
What's Hot!
Sing - Get your tickets to see the latest animated musical comedy from Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures. Sing is a wonderful film about finding the shining star that lives inside all of us. It opens in Irish cinemas on January 27 with previews available tomorrow and Sunday.
Showstopper cake - Victoria Square has joined forces with the Women's Institute to find the best 'Victoria Square' sandwich baker in Northern Ireland. One representative from each of the 21 groups of the WI are invited to submit their very best four-egg sponge to be judged by Jenny Bristow. Six finalists will be selected to compete in the grand final in Victoria Square on March 4 when they will be tasked to bake their own unique Victoria sandwich against the clock and in front of a live audience.
What's Not!
Exit - Game Of Thrones star Maisie Williams has revealed the show's cast are in the dark about what is coming up in the next series, including whether they will be killed off. The actress, who plays Arya Stark in the fantasy series, said: 'I don't know anything. I make educated guesses and we try and get information from the writers but they keep it close to their chest'.
Trainspotting - Ewan McGregor has said he feared he might not be 'Scottish enough' to return to the role of Mark Renton for the Trainspotting sequel. The actor, who has lived in Los Angeles since 2008 after a long stint in London, said he was worried his time away from his native Scotland might stop him from making a convincing return to one of his most famous roles.
------------------------------------------
Competition winners
The winners of last week's Wedding Journal Show competition are Sean McCarron from Belfast, Tina McTeggart from Enniskillen, Maureen Fegan from Rostrevor, Ciara Fegan from Newry, Anne Scullion from Ahoghill, Kirsty McColgan from Strabane, Meghan McMullan from Ballycastle, Paul O'Boyle from Portstewart, Emma Quinn from Pomeroy and Gerald Teeney from Belfast.
------------------------------------------
Easy Peasy Recipe
This week's Easy Peasy Recipe is spiced pea and avocado soup, courtesy of Lidl ambassador chef Paul Flynn.
You will need:
1 packet Petit Pois peas (700g)
1 packet / 2 ready to eat avocados (320g) peeled and diced
1 chicken stock cube
1 ½ litres water
½ green chilli, deseeded and diced
4 tbsp low fat natural yoghurt
½ tsp mild curry powder
Salt and pepper (Seasoning)
To make:
Bring the peas, chicken stock cube and water up to the boil and cook for 5 minutes.
Mix the yoghurt with the curry powder.
Add to the Lidl Nutrition mixer and blend the soup with the chilli and avocado.
Season and serve with the yoghurt dotted on top.
Do you have an Easy Peasy recipe you would like to share?
Are you the queen of quiches, magnificent at muffins or can you turn out some nice scones?
If so, then we want to hear from you.
You can send your name, address, contact number and recipe (plus photo if possible) to:Easy Peasy Recipes,
Suzanne McGonagle,
Irish News
113-117 Donegall Street,
Belfast,
BT1 2GE
or
s.mcgonagle@irishnews.com
