Starting secondary support thread 2

Hope DD is fully better soon. Well done to DS on his excellent drama.

DS2 was tripped over on purpose today. Didn't see who it was, but thinks it was Yr10/Yr11. FFS. I've got the paediatrican letter through, I will send a copy on to the school which they will no doubt ignore.

It is a tricky balance to find re coming home or staying witchend. Still very much playing it by ear with DS2.

I was too grumpy with DS2, he's got a permanent sore throat so he may have been genuinely struggling. it was just the accompanying theatrics. He only has them when his eyes are streaming. I had thought with the cat gone this would have stopped but there's obviously something else triggering it.

I had a swap. Ds is off having had a migraine this morning. Dd2 has gone to school, and is bombarding me with texts telling me how ill she is and how mean the medical room is not to send her home.
I have two minds about this. She probably is well enough to be in school, and she has been in the past too inclined to be sent home when she's not bad. Otoh it's clearly increasing her anxiety about being ill at school, so she'll be a nightmare to get in next time she's a bit under the weather.

Hope your ones are better too. Ds is meant to take anti-allergy (not piriton, these are non drowsy plus have the bonus he doesn't get hyperactive of them!) tablets daily. He's not keen on taking them so they tend to be when he's feeling bad.

Sorry DD is still unwell Penguins. Hope DS has a better day at school today.

DS2 has gone off to school with streaming eyes and the grumps. Had major drama over swallowing a teeny-tiny piriton tablet this morning. I got a tad irritated!

Hope your dd is better quickly.

My dd is fine. I suspect that having an important history test today may have increased the illness. She did report tummy ache which is one of the ways her anxiety shows.

I had a DD doing that this morning too.
Ds was unimpressed until he remembered that he had food tech which he loves.

Glad DS wasn't upset by the fire alarm penguins. at DD

I hope the activity stuff can be sorted out witchend. Sounds very unfair and saying they had the option when they didn't is just rubbing salt in the wound.

I got the PE dept to concede to DS2 not taking his PE stuff in. They were not happy about it, but I said I could always keep him off on PE days instead. But sitting outside in the cold and rain and lugging about equipment was not really helping matters, so he stays in regardless of what his group is doing.

Having problems with DS1 atm. He typed "how to die" on the school computer today. Head teacher was behind him! He initially laughed it off at school, but he's been in tears tonight over life and the cat (had to be pts).

I dislike the "off PE but got to take the PE bag in anyway". I understand why they do it, but it's a right faff for a child who's already not feeling brilliant.

It was actually quite a good week He's been in 4.5 days with only the minimum of sulks. Mind you, he hasn't done any homework either so this might be about to go downhill when I ask about that.

DD2's always been enthusiastic and wanting to be involved. It's like having a changeling here at times. One of her biggest assets is her enthusiasm. So without that she's being left out, and the more she misses out the more stroppy teenager she gets. Agh!

I may have put the cat among the pigeon tonight though. All the dc to an activity that they get extra opportunities when they reach the secondary school one. This year they've given the opportunities to the primary school group. I'd heard from several people that the leader had said they "deserved it more".
Dh commented this morning that the leader had said that the older group had been offered it, and refused. I thought this was a bit surprising as both mine (and I've heard others) moaning that it wasn't fair. So I made the mistake of asking dd2 if there was any possibility of this having been offered. Roofs have been hit! She's retreated to her room, I suspect WhatsApp-ing her friends, so tomorrow could be interesting.
Am going to have to go back to dh and ask if there's any possibility he misunderstood, and he's not good at backtracking.

Actually I am angry about it too, although I haven't let dd know. It's something that's upset the older group (and some of the volunteer helpers) and it wasn't fair to do it. The older group has been solidly pushed aside all season. But then to claim that they didn't want to, is blaming them.

Glad the DC have had a really good week Penguins long may it continue.

Yikes, that's really not such a great week Witchend. Hope DS isn't coming down with anything.

There's no treatment as such but the peadiatrician gave some advice. Most already doing but interestingly he said to avoid cold drinks as they make the throat stuff worse. Watch carb intake. Also to start doing something like Yoga in the morning, as stretching should help. Most of all he stressed to DS2 he should stay positive. This made me LOL as DS2 is a proper glass half empty person, so we had an interesting discussion on the drive home about mindset.

I think the problem with PE is it is a statutory requirement lesson, so he has to do it in some form. He mostly sits and keeps scores, but he's also asked to assess who the best player was etc. The paediatrician said he'd write in the letter for the school to accommodate adjustments but wouldn't specify what they were to be. I've said to DS2 he can't be signed off PE forever, but whether the school will accommodate him just doing warm-ups to begin with I'm not convinced about. Plus they have no lockers so he has to carry PE kit around, and he struggles with the normal weight of his bag.

CFS did sound the most likely. Glad you have a diagnosis anyway. Can you request that he goes elsewhere (Library) at the start of PE and doesn't have to interact with the PE teachers? After all it would be a good lesson for him to relax and help his survive the rest of the day.

Ds has managed an interesting week. Monday am we spent in A&E with a swollen ankle (sprained) so off PE for 2 weeks.
Tuesday through to Wednesday he woke up with no voice. He thought this was a good reason not to go to school. I told him his teachers would be very happy to see him in that case and packed him off. This morning I had to wake him, which usually means he's ill and he skipped off in (reasonably) happily.

DD2 is being a very stroppy teenager. Boarding school looks attractive at present.

at sharing the DLA with you But not dadPenguins. I let DS1's lapse when he was 6 and didn't bother again as it's a nightmare to claim.
Hope you can keep DD focused.

Back from paediatrician. DS2 diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Maybe the PE Dept will calm themselves. Probably not though

I did wonder if DS2 had been replaced by a high-end Android!l

Good luck with the paediatrician.

witchend I did wonder if DS2 had been replaced by a high-end Android! But it was a rare thing he actually engaged in. they had to write a myth on human transforming to an animal, or possibly the other way around. He usually struggles hugely to get started on something, but he'd already planned the idea out in his head. I'm sure normal service will be resumed for the next homework!

He's very achy and grumpy tonight. Must write a list for the paediatrician on Thursday.

Well done Penguin. Bit of tact never goes amiss.

Ds in juniors was meant to read 3-5 times a week. We usually read a chapter together at night, and I used to fill out the reading record on Sunday night with what I thought we'd read between us. You know, sitting there with 3 different colour pens to add verisimilitude. In year 6 he got a prize for doing the most reading in the year. I said I thought I deserved the prize for the most creative reading diary.

DS2 did his English homework as soon as he got in yesterday. This is his least favourite subject. No prompting, no whining. Wonders will never cease!
If you can give me any suggestions to encourage that then please do. I think every English homework has been subject to complaints of "the worst homework ever", leaving it to the last minute and 2 hours of complaints before the book is even opened.

That's great DS has accepted being assessed, very clever way to get him to agree Penguins

DS2 did his English homework as soon as he got in yesterday. This is his least favourite subject. No prompting, no whining. Wonders will never cease!