Ballynahinch triplets enjoy first schooldays

16 September 2020

IMAGINE getting not one but three P1 pupils from the same family ready for their first days at school.

That was the happy task undertaken by Ballynahinch couple Zoe and Mark McTeer as their triplet daughters Hanna, Jessica and Charlotte started at ‘big school’ recently.

The trio — who have been little stars locally since they were born in 2015 — are now the charge of Drumlins Integrated Primary School in Ballynahinch and their teacher, Mrs Nadine Doherty.

Their mother says that the four year-olds have been very happy to follow in the footsteps of their big sister, Kaylea (7), who also attends the school.

And remarkably, they can’t wait to do their first homework — just like Kaylea.

“The girls have been so excited to go to big school and make new friends. Just this weekend, they had their first homework and kept asking me if they could do it as they have seen Kaylea do it,” said mum Zoe.

“It’s taken a lot to get them organised. With the girls already been at pre-school and a private nursery, they are not at all strange. They just take it all in their stride so I wasn’t worrying about that.

“It was the expense of it all, though. I reckon I have spent between £250—£300 between their uniforms, coats, shoes and schoolbags but so far they are loving school. And that’s just their primary school,” she laughed.

Mrs Doherty proudly told their mum that she believes that she can already tell the girls apart. But there are other differences with the sisters, according to Zoe.

“While the girls are in the same class, they are all at different tables with other pupils. Charlotte is definitely the more outgoing of the three. She’s like the organiser.”

While the triplets had been attending the pre-school at Ballynahinch Primary School, the lockdown of schools meant disruption for the McTeer family, like many other local families.

Both parents deemed key workers due to their work in a courier business, Zoe said that they would have been unable to work through during the lockdown without the support of Happy Children Day Nursery in Ballynahinch.

Zoe admits that looking after the triplets who turn five on October, along with their older

sister, can be challenging at times.

“There are times when I think wouldn’t it be good to go back to night feeds when the girls are fighting and pulling things out of cupboards, but then I remember, and I think ‘No’, ” joked Zoe.

“It was tough during the lockdown as we found home schooling was hard to keep up with as we were both working. It was like having a six-month summer break. There were times when the girls were outside playing while Kaylea was sitting doing work and she didn’t understand why she had sit and dow her work.”

Zoe says that she and her husband are confident and happy that their triplets have found the best school and were not overly worried about sending them to school.

“I’ve had no complaints whatsoever as the teacher and school are so good at reassuring us and keeping us informed about everything and safety measures,” she added.

“We know that the school have the children’s health and safety interests first and foremost in their minds. We also knew it was time for them to go to school as they were getting fed up at home.”

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