The Heinz Kruger Palace of (57) Varieties

[SupermassiveLBD]

Strangers are friends you just haven't met, yet. Even when they are baddies and drive science-fiction-y submarines, wearing a smart grey lounge suit.

::Nips back to share this from the Feminism thread about anti-feminism in Winnie the Pooh::

'What is the matter with Mary Jane?
I've promised her treats and a ride on the train
And it's lovely rice pudding for dinner again.
What is the matter with Mary Jane?'

I think the answer to that is fairly clear. She's just realised how her choices are going to be constrained by her womanhood under the patriarchy and is understandably pissed off.

::Returns to Mr Thornton, having negotiated a time-share arrangement on the nightie::

ROFL at your last two posts, Maud :o Though am actually quite at the idea of Mr Thornton in a long white nightie, as an extension of the FWS...

Sigh, Monday morning anti-school pleadings again so soon? Wasn't it only just Friday a few minutes ago?

Morning all, just a quick check in as I am off to a meeting, back in a bit.

'Tis true, Twiggy, that a gentleman with a long and well-shaped leg (or even two) in a night-shirt is a fine thing to behold. Or so they tell me. Cough.

You need me to come and sort out MissTwiggy. I can't get Girl to school fast enough on a Monday morning.

Right. Off to the costermongers again. And then a dvd watching opportunity mountain of ironing to tackle. Ho hum.

Oh yes please Maud, come and sort her out! It's just exhausting. She was begging me to home educate her this morning. I was seriously considering it last year and got quite close to doing it but then a few things changed and I didn't feel able to do it (she also becamse happier at school). But she's pleading for it again now Do you think our studies here could count as home education?

a gentleman with a long and well-shaped leg (or even two)

"I have nothing against your right leg..."

::Pauses on the way to Marks' Penny Bazaar::

If you're serious about home educating, Twiggy, you need to get yourself over to the HE board for advice. Can MissTwiggy explain what it is about school she dislikes? I think you mentioned before that she doesn't want to be away from you during the day. How do you feel about that? I will love Girl to my last breath but I'm not sure I could cope with her attached to me, limpet-like, from Monday to Friday, hence my sprint to school on a Monday morning.

I think some of our studies here - especially those late at night - may only be suitable for mature students (ie those over the age of 18, not necessarily possessed of adult wisdom and refinement).

::Whispers to Mr Thornton: If I said you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me?::

I spent a lot of time on the HE boards last year, Maud. I was serious about it then but don't think I am now. It's a passing fancy now, sort of like "wouldn't it be lovely if I could do that?", whereas before it was "I think I should do that". I would definitelystruggle having her with me all the time - this is the main thing that put me off it and I do feel dreadfully guilty about it :( I think I might try it for a year if she were an only child but I can't see any way of it working with TwigBoy around.

As for what she doesn't like about school, yes she says she misses me. But I do think maybe she misses doing whatever she wants, as she can at home, and she's extrapolating that as missing me. They do a loooot of writing, which she struggles with, so I think she finds that boring and I don't really think her teacher is that great, tbh. I'm hoping that things will magically change when she has a new teacher next year but then I've been saying that for the last 4 years!

Also, this reminds me of something Nigella Lawson said which made me smile - she said she ought to market "Thank God It's Monday" badges, as she thought they would be very popular, judging by the faces of the parents in the playgropund on Monday mornings :)

Twigs, I take it you've investigated the possibilities of bullying / lonliness? Has she got many friends at school? SB major loves school except the times when he was being bullied oh and Fridays when he has to do p.e. which involves 'stupid stuff' like dancing instead of football.

He also hates writing but I'm not sure they do as much as your school. They do absolutely no homework anymore, they used to do spellings and writing sentences up til last half term. I am quite concerned about the shock to his system when he goes to juniors next year and is given piles of the stuff. I suspect we will have more days of not wanting to go.

I know that TGIM feeling oh so well, Twigs and Maud. And to think how we used to look forward to the weekend, in an earlier life! Though this week I'm feeling not so cheeful as I forgot to factor in some chores on Sat and Sun and now my conscience won't let me forget there are things that need doing. Cleaning is a sinful waste of ''having the house -- and telly- to myself time'' , but there you go. The Warring Sides of Massive.... or can I hear you say dichotomy?

The thought of home schooling makes me shudder. Such a delightful parent I am. I can see it has its advantages, no doubt about that but what does it do towards equipping a child fgainst the slings and arrows of adult life? Kids tend to think the world revolves round them anyway... Well, that's my excuse.

Small, she's got friends though usually only 1 or 2, not a huge gang like the others have. You say SB major is going to juniors next year - do you mean seniors or is he younger than I thought? LOL at "stupid stuff like dancing" :)

Massive, it makes me shudder too. It makes me panic, actually. But the thought of not having to do some things is bliss! I think HEing can actually prepare kids very well for adult life as they experience such a lot of it!

What I was meaning more, Twigs, is they miss interaction with their peer group if they are on their own at home. Which they will need to be able to do when they are adults.

Fighting here to find acceptable reasons against it, I feel kind of bad the idea seems so awful to me--- a huge commitment and responsibility, you would never have a minute to yourself, surely..

Academic for me as it wouldn't be allowed here.

Massive - My views on HE are not dissimilar to yours. One of the virtues of school, I think, is that it demonstrates that Not Everything Is About You. There are good reasons to home-educate, but capitulating to the child's idea that they should never have to do anything they don't want to isn't one. [Disclaimer: I'm talking about me and my child, not anyone else's].

Oh dRAt to the enforced cleaning regime. I always find

It's fascinating to learn from MN that there are countries where HE isn't legal.

::Don't want to do it but will defend to the last other people's right to do it emoticon::

Massive, the lack of social interaction was one of my biggest worries when I started looking into it but it's actually a huge misconception, as most HE children tend to have looooaaaads of social experiences - way more than the hour's lunchtime and 20 mins playtime a day that schoolchildren get. Obviously a lot depends on where you live but there are usually lots of HE children around and having spoken to a lot of HE-ers, their kids are hardly ever at home by themselves. One HE friend is out doing something with other families virtually every day! I've been on one or two HE outings and there are loads of kids there, of all different ages. This is one thing that is a disadvantage of school, I think, that children only mix with their peers, whereas HEers mix with babies, adults, toddlers, peers and children of all ages. The thing I would be concerned about was the child not having to deal with any authority figure other than myself. Some people I've spoken to think it is a healthy thing to not have much regard for authority so they don't worry about that but I would.

Oh goodness though, Massive, I certainly wouldn't feel about thinking it sounds awful - I definitely think it sounds awful! When I said I felt "wouldn't it be nice if I could do that", what I really meant was "wouldn't it be nice if I felt able to do that". I would be a basket-case though, I really would. I just wish I could do it for DDs sake.

Gosh, this is all a bit deep!! :)

I love the idea of home ed but I'd be barking within a week. I need my space far too much to be 24/7 mummy & teacher. Am struggling with weekends at the mo tbh!

::Strokes chin pensively and adjusts pince-nez glasses::

Another of my concerns, Twiggy, is that HEd children seem (as your example suggests) to mix predominantly with other HEd children and - as it takes a certain sort of person to step away from something that 98% [invented statistic] of the population take more or less for granted - that means that it's a fairly homogeneous kind of group, even if it covers a span of ages. There was a very interesting article linked to on one of the HE threads a few days ago, arguing that the 'oddness' of HE children because they hadn't been socialised into conformity like children who'd been to school was something to value and cherish. I almost believe that, but haven't quite been persuaded yet!

Anyway, one of Girl's friends has just left school to be HEd and when I asked if she'd like to do the same she gave me an "are you kidding" look.

Arrrggh what happened to my post??!

Right what I said was, DS is in Yr2 but it's just a first school (reception - yr2) he has applied for a junior school which will take him up to yr6 (I think? I don't get all this modern stuff with years) and then off to grammar school if he's bright enough the local secondary. I know lots of schools now so primary school (recpt - yr6) in one hit but lots round here don't.

I couldn't home educate, I am a woman of Very Little Patience. As Maud said earlier, I love the pair of the pieces but there is a reason I am not a SAHM!!

oh ffs, just did another correction post for the above (which is a pile of gibberish) and that disappeared too!

*Lots of schools now do Primary i.e. straight through from reception - year 6.

Ah I see, Small - I didn't realise that there were schools that did just infants! DD is in Y3 of a school that takes her right up to Y6. How will that work, drop-off and picl-up wise, having Major and Minor at different schools?!

Sigh, had a complaint friendly word with her teacher after school today and had yet more criticism heaped on DD. It's all very trying. She's not quick enough and she daydreams and she's this and she's that - all very negative - and I just want to yell "she's only 8, FFS!"

Of course I am now immediately identifiable, if her teacher is on MN :o

::Puts on school governor hat at a jaunty angle::

Oh, Twiggy, that sounds horrible. What do they mean she's slow? That she's not top of the class (well, durr, not everyone can be and maybe it's not her turn yet) or that she doesn't finish the work? Have you tried turning it around, eg 'daydreams' translates as 'teacher is failing to engage her attention'? Instead of all the negativity, what positive plans does this teacher have to help the delightful MissTwiggy instead of just dissing her?

::Plots the likely location of Small Towers on the educational map of the UK::

The first and junior schools are approx. 5 minutes walk apart Twigs and they start and finish at different times - to allow for the journey I suspect!

I hate it when teachers are so negative about small children, if she's not naughty and disruptive then why be so negative? Perhaps she is bored and her teacher needs to be doing more to engage her? Perhaps ask the teacher exactly what she is doing to engage her.

Small Towers is not hard to locate from all the info I have posted on here, in fact Twigs has my exact address!

I have watched a couple of episodes of Series 9 Spooks today, including the 'close you eyes' scene.

Some teachers really don't seem to have a clue. When we saw dd's teacher at the beginning of this year she told us the DD was being but on the special needs register for 'social & emotional development issues' (i.e. there were a few disruptive kids who she got really wound up as she loves learning & was a bit reluctant to ask teacher for help if she was struggling with something). Needless to say we came home thinking 'Wooft?!'

Fast forward to just before Easter hols & another parents eve. Teacher tells us she had to put DD on reg due to info her utterly useless Reception teacher had supplied, and was now taking her off as she didn't have a clue what the woman was talking about - DD absolutely fine !

Also have a friend whose little boy started school Sept 09. She is a childcare professional herself so was a bit when teacher called her in and told her she suspected DS may have autistic tendencies.

Why?

Because he was 'obsessed' with dinosaurs and liked running round the playground wearing just the hood of his jacket and pretending to be a superhero.

Erm, he's a four & a half year old boy...?

What I'm getting at Twigs is that you know your DD better than her teacher does. As Maud said, you should ask her what she plans to do to help engage with her more.