Chickens Against Dementors!

[psychomath]

New thread!

Chicken ads for anyone who missed them.

Anyway have fun everyone, I'm off to sit in the park now that it's allowed.

If they want kids to repeat a year then I suggest that people start volunteering to pay for another year of sodding nursery fees for children like mine. I can't imagine there'd be many takers somehow.

My DDs biggest worry is being made to repeat the year. I was explaining to her that it was very unlikely to happen because of the logistics of doing it.

My year 1 DD (in a mixed year 1/2 class) has already completed the year 2 syllabus (I know that sounds like a classic Mumsnet brag, i don’t mean it to, just being honest!) so repeating the year would be crap for her.

As a teen I started uni at 17 (Scotland) after Highers and struggled with MH (family issues at home) anyway I ended up taking an extra year. It felt awful at the time but ended up with a good degree and no-one even noticed it in years to come..

It's not the end of the world and in some cases can be helpful.

@AlexisCarringtonColbyDexter

Thank you so much for posting that, I had never thought about fear as a control mechanism before. As someone who has had anxiety issues all my life that really does help rationalise things. I guess when humans were in danger of being a lion’s lunch on the Serengeti a constant fear of the threat was a good thing because it could actually protect you. Less so in the 21st century when you’re worried about job security.

As I said on one of the earlier threads (1? 2? 17?) we are used to feeling in control - every illness has a treatment, every risk has an insurance, every problem has a solution. Even disasters must be someone’s ‘fault’ in order to be acceptable. Of course, it’s a fallacy - we have very little control over our risks but we need to tell ourselves that we do. It’s like an oyster with a bit of grit in its shell; it coats the grit in something to smooth it over and make it easier to live with. Oysters construct pearls, we construct narratives.

Of course, those narratives have been blown apart now, and it’s clear that some have coped less well than others. I guess it depends how reliant we are on our narratives?

(imagines the MNetters hothousing their DC at home for a year, have already seen some doing yr 7 work with their yr 6s to be ahead when they go to secondary)

Well that'll backfire. Secondary teachers are terrible for underestimating year 7s, they will be doing them no favours giving them year 7 work, it'll be too easy!

(Disclaimer - not all teachers, I was a secondary English teacher for 12 years so not a baseless comment!)

I was furious with MIL last night. She's badly written a kids story about fucking CORONA VIRUS and emailed it to me for DD. It's a fucking misery fest. All the things we can't do and how we have to stay indoors because of GERMS. Fucks sake. There is no way in hell I'm letting DD read it. She's five! MIL has taken lockdown very seriously and it feels like this is just a way of wallowing in the whole thing. DD knows about the virus, knows to keep 2m apart from people not in our house. And that's it. We don't talk about it, we don't watch live TV so she doesn't see the adverts or anyone talking about it on TV. Why on earth would I read her a story all about how children can't see their friends and family, ffs.

that sounds like Kevin off motherland’s book about brexit

Has she drawn pictures?

Oh no (story!) apparently there is one by the writer Julia Donaldson which sounds might be better for that age.

What rhymes with virus?

Please tell me there are pictures! Evil viruses lurking around every corner just waiting to jump on anyone who sits on a bench.

I do think that MN should maybe not allow such scaremongering thread titles though

Hmm... make me think a bit of the Daily Mail and clickbait, such titles can attract viewers!

What rhymes with virus

Miley Cyrus? 😂

Like the germs on the domestos advert? With voices like Danny Dyer?

I have banned any more coronavirus-related Fun Things For Kids from the house unless mine express any kind of interest. There’s a whole mass market in them at the moment. Books and songs and craft activities... ffs it’s dominating their lives enough as it is!

Miley Cyrus, writing songs on papyrus.... along came a virus (a virus, a virus) along came a virus and cancelled her tour

I guess when humans were in danger of being a lion’s lunch on the Serengeti a constant fear of the threat was a good thing because it could actually protect you. Less so in the 21st century when you’re worried about job security

Exactly! anxiety is a totally normal and protective mechanism that harks back to primitive days when it would enable you to run from a predator.
It releases adrenalin into your system to enable you to either fight or run.

The problem occurs when your primitive alarm system overreacts to situations that dont warrant such a rush of adrenalin. Then it becomes a habit and your thoughts increase it happening and its a vicious cycle that keeps repeating itself. I think thats why CBT can be so effective - it helps you to change your thoughts which in turn, change your actual brain chemistry.

I’m so glad my child is too old for fun virus related activities. Our fun activities are playing video games and watching slightly age inappropriate TV programs (currently working our way through Umbrella Academy and Black Adder).

On a WhatsApp group at the moment where everyone is chatting about schools going back. Most of my friends saying they're not sending their kids back in. According to one of them "I'm convinced that schools will not reopen before the summer. The R rate will go straight back up in the next couple of weeks and it will all get delayed"

Amazing how everyone has turned into professional epidemiologists over the last two months isn't it?

On a more positive note, the one teacher in the group said "I've just heard I'll be back teaching year 6s after half term and I can't wait!". What a hero

Anti dementor stance by biggest schools trust...

"Meanwhile, one of England's biggest academy trusts says it will go ahead with opening its schools on 1 June.
Steve Chalke, founder of the Oasis trust which has 35 primary schools, says opposition to reopening is "rather middle class".

An alliance of teachers' unions is warning it is not yet to safe to open schools.
But Mr Chalke says their advice is "lopsided" and fails to recognise the harm to disadvantaged children from missing school."

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-52669441

Mr Chalke, whose schools on average have 45% of children eligible for free school meals, said: "The greatest risks for many of our children are being stuck in a council block, with no fresh air, no exercise, little or no nutritious food."
Many of their pupils "live in cramped conditions with little digital access" and so will struggle with schools only operating online, he said.
Mr Chalke said the schools would not be "forcing anyone to attend", either pupils or staff, and that he "respects the union's opinion".
He said safety measures would be in place, but the "long-term social cost" of not opening will "outweigh any short-term medical risks".

@Drivingdownthe101 DD1 went in for a day at her juniors (I have kids cross key stage so they're both at different schools this year) the other week to give us a bit of respite as her behaviour (which is always challenging and needs management - we suspect ASD but she masks socially) has escalated into physical violence toward me (thank fuck I'm fat and well padded). Considering she was going in in full physical distancing, temperature check at the door mode - we weren't sure how she'd cope. She bounced out the door at the end of the day like a rocket propelled bouncy ball - with the weight of the world lifted off her shoulders. If a child who struggles like buggery with change can manage that and it will be MORE normal when they're in a bubble of 15 from their own year group - then people are talking out of their arse.

I love Steve Chalke.

We bought a motorhome at the end of last year (yeah, I know - timing...) It lives on our driveway, so we're staying in it this weekend - playing houses, if you like

It's not a very fancy site, but it's cheap and dog friendly...