ADs and their pampered poodles

[BogRollBOGOF]

Here we are again, gaining sequels even more rapidly than the Fast and the Furious...

Hugs and flowers to everyone who's in need today.
On an entirely separate note, it's my birthday today-60 so I get free prescriptions!! Just off to collect one now- that's today's excitement.

@Iheartmysmart

I’ve just been out with the dog and there was a little girl stood outside the local school absolutely sobbing her heart out because she couldn’t go in. Stopped and spoke to her mum for a while who said she feels completely hopeless as she can’t even comfort her by saying when the school will be back open. She is 7 FFS - this is appalling.

If I were not careful never to walk by our school, that could have been me and DD2. How can people not see the cruelty? I do not understand.

The trouble is the school is right by the closest shop, the post office and the GP surgery. There isn’t a way to get to any of them without passing it. And it’s by the only walk in the area that isn’t currently under 6” water. It’s got a very small catchment area and is a good school so nearly all the local children go there. Must be awful for the parents.

Ooh happy birthday @Curlygirl06!

Happy birthday @Curlygirl06

Happy birthday to you Curlygirl06! Enjoy the free prescriptions but more importantly I hope you have a lovely day with all the cake, tea/coffee/wine/gin/beer/whatever it is you desire!
Ah, Iheartmysmart that poor little girl and her mum, it's so sad.

Happy birthday, @Curlygirl06

Happy birthday Curlygirl - mine was recently too, though a bit of a non-event!

Happy birthday @Curlygirl06.

That LSE interview was really good @TabbyStar . And he's written a book 'Happiness by Design' that looks really interesting.

Does anybody know how likely it would be to get my 5 year old in school? He's really not engaging in anything and his behaviour is just getting worse. My husband and I are going through difficulties and we are discussing separating so home life is a bit of a struggle at the moment. I'm finding it really hard to get motivated with the school work, trying to get the house in shape as well as dealing with my emotions because I'm finding it all incredibly tough at the minute.

Meant to say, I've read lots of interesting articles etc thanks to links on these threads that I otherwise would not have seen. Its good to have an intelligent group of friends to discuss these issues with. I have very few people in real life who I can have these conversations with.

Can you contact the head teacher directly @mightbealittlebitmad and explain the situation? Hopefully they will be a bit flexible.

@Taswama

Can you contact the head teacher directly *@mightbealittlebitmad* and explain the situation? Hopefully they will be a bit flexible.

I don't know how to get in touch with the head teacher. I have an email address for the school office or I see the teacher on zoom or post stuff on Tapestry. I was hoping to send a proper email explaining everything but not sure how.

Not one but two- two I tell you, prescriptions picked up. One wasn't ready but they made it up whilst I was there; oh the joy of saying no I don't have to pay cos it's my birthday! Got happy birthday sung to me when I popped into work and had a nice chat about funeral plans with someone on the way home. Living the dream here. Just done my physio exercises to help my sciatica, god I sound old!
However I'm off out for cake by the lake with my friend plus a long walk, chat with my girls later when they're revealing my birthday "surprise" so not too bad a day planned.
Thanks for all the birthday wishes.

@mightbealittlebitmad I am glad to see you posted today. I saw that yesterday you had had a bad day with regards to homeschooling your child and you have had an awful lockdown, I really feel for you. I hope that your husband is behaving better as you say you are now discussing separation. With regards to getting your child into school, I am afraid that I don't know how that happens and I wouldn't want you to get your hopes up too much . The best option that I can think of for you is to ask to speak to your child's teacher or someone in the school and explain your problems- they may be able to help a bit more than I can. Please do speak to a friend or family member in real life too if you feel it is safe, you shouldn't be going through all of this on your own. I wish so much that things can improve for you

[quote smallandimperfectlyformed]@mightbealittlebitmad I am glad to see you posted today. I saw that yesterday you had had a bad day with regards to homeschooling your child and you have had an awful lockdown, I really feel for you. I hope that your husband is behaving better as you say you are now discussing separation. With regards to getting your child into school, I am afraid that I don't know how that happens and I wouldn't want you to get your hopes up too much . The best option that I can think of for you is to ask to speak to your child's teacher or someone in the school and explain your problems- they may be able to help a bit more than I can. Please do speak to a friend or family member in real life too if you feel it is safe, you shouldn't be going through all of this on your own. I wish so much that things can improve for you [/quote]
Well he's calling me names, saying he hates me, hates what I'm doing, I'm selfish but he can't stop loving me.

I'm finding it really hard because I hate having to upset him. He tells me every day how miserable he is and I get it but I don't know what the solution is.

Homeschooling is impossible, he won't engage with any of it. I try and help but he shouts at me. I've threatened no TV, treats and followed through but got nowhere. He won't even look at the screen when we do zoom. It's frustrating when I know he knows the answers.

No useful advice but for you. Although having said that, if he is only 5, is it worth putting the homeschooling down for a bit? Give you both a break. Our school has had no problems with us doing that.

Remember in some countries children don't actually begin school until the age of seven so really, you're doing fine.

@ISaySteadyOn

No useful advice but for you. Although having said that, if he is only 5, is it worth putting the homeschooling down for a bit? Give you both a break. Our school has had no problems with us doing that.

Remember in some countries children don't actually begin school until the age of seven so really, you're doing fine.

He's a summer baby too so it's so much harder for him. He's not the most mature so the discipline of school and having his friends to copy really helped him grow up a bit. Since Christmas he's kind of regressed a bit and having a 3 year old brother doesn't help either!

Can you ring the school office and ask for a call back from the teacher / head / safeguarding lead? Or, if it is easier, put your situation in an email and send to the teacher / head / office if really necessary.

If school are unhelpful, I agree with PP on not worrying too much about formal learning. Watch some cbeebies, read books.

I'm going to give it a few days and see how we get on. I need to pull myself together, forget about what's going on at home and concentrate on my child.

If have look on the school website there are normally contact details listed. That's a good place to start.

Most schools use a basic template email format. [email protected] or similar. If you have one teacher's email you can have a crack at guessing the head's that way.

If neither of those works I would suggest calling the office and asking for a way to contact the head or safeguarding lead (they may be one and the same depending on the size of the school) confidentially.

Well mine should be in school today and tomorrow but the boiler's broken and the engineers can't come till tomorrow - so they've called a full closure based on the predicted temperatures overnight.

Coming next week... the inevitable burst pipe

Happy birthday Curlygirl!

mightbealittlebitmad If you don't have a direct email address for the head (and don't want a bunch of people reading about your personal stuff), write him or hear a letter and send it guaranteed next day delivery. They'll be getting loads of emails but probably few letters.

Anything y1 and below can largely keep up with reading together, basic maths and just doing a bit of life stuff together.

Y2+ gets more formal and less incidental.

We can't avoid our school, it's 200m awat on the same road! In summer, I can hear the playground in my conservatory.

Had quite a good day. I'd spotted a scrubby rec about a 5-10 min walk from a free carpark. It's not ideal, a few broken glass zones, but it's tarmac, not padlocked off like a proper sports court, not ankle deep oozy mud or under several feet of recently expanded river. Had a look at some of the flooding on the sports grounds/ parks from the safety of the flood defences. Got lunch from the burger van, and the guy there tipped me off about the abandoned police car around the corner that conked out when the water got into the electrics. I'm guessing that the car was on the road when it was time to bail out, but it's now drifted into the trees at the side from the flow of water.

DS1 was a bit late getting back for his lesson, but I'm claiming that as a geography field trip and PE and it was good to get some sunshine.