To say we don't all have a garden

[drspouse]

DD is home self isolating and they had a trip out on foot to look at autumn leaves planned for today so we've been sent home some fairly well planned work I have to say, I'm quite impressed especially compared to what we had in April/May.
They've sent us this from Woodland Trust

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2020/03/kids-nature-activities-self-isolation/&ved=2ahUKEwiy1JD918LsAhVOQhUIHRuuB-EQtwIwAHoECA4QAQ&usg=AOvVaw3ZLV8mgXRocDfBMMs-yXXH" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2020/03/kids-nature-activities-self-isolation/&ved=2ahUKEwiy1JD918LsAhVOQhUIHRuuB-EQtwIwAHoECA4QAQ&usg=AOvVaw3ZLV8mgXRocDfBMMs-yXXH

AIBU to point out (probably to the Woodland Trust but maybe also to school) that we don't all have gardens?
We have a paved yard with pots (no trees, we would have mini beasts but little to collect to make pictures) and two of her best friends live in upstairs flats.
Almost of these refer to "in your garden" or need outdoor space (we can have a picnic but her friends can't!)

I think Op is being rather defeatist.
Are you a person who immediately sees an opportunity and is glass half full, or someone who instantly sees the difficulties and isn’t interested in finding a way forward?

You do have a garden....you have outside space. It might not be grassy or have lots of planting but you do have outside space. And of course you can venture further into a wider range of outside space.

Is your objection the fact that there are activities which benefit most from being done outdoors or that you are trying to work at home and so helping with home schooling if any type is tricky? Do you have suggestions of workable alternatives that the school can provide or are you just generally feeling pissed off at life and Covid and so want to suggest you are being discriminated against because if a lack of garden.

Life generally isn’t equal. It’s always been the case that some people have bigger houses or garden or more money or whatever. Those with bigger houses will always be more likely to have more room for their kids to have their own bedroom, to have more toys out all the time, to have a desk, to have separate space for homework, for parents to have their own home working space. Schools work very hard to give everyone opportunities and actually to level-up and they try hard to produce take that all can do.....but some families have more resources and access to facilities which will always make it easier. For example, some families have parents who do t work and so can help with home schooling more. This doesn’t mean the school is wrong to provide activities such as this and nor is the woodland trust.

Don’t we all have to recognise these are difficult times and to try to do the best we can in our given circumstances and have a can-do attitude?

Some people will be complaining to school all the time. Ther will be complaints about uniform lists, about lunch rules, about homework, about school trips, about discipline policies......they want to be victims in everything and see the school (or other organisations) as the enemy who are out to get them and make their lives harder. Other people in exactly the same circumstances who might find some things a struggle see opportunities and make most things work for them and their kids.

Guess which kids do better?

I just think that some people want to complain about every single thing and find reasons why it doesn’t work for them. And such attitudes are quickly passed to the kids too. Such a shame.

All the berating upthread about how it can be adapted and people just have to think around it misses the point.

It's careless of the school to set work or projects for isolation that can't be done by everyone. It's shit that the world assumes people have a lot more resources of space, time, money and energy than they have. This stuff usually impacts most on those with least in the first place.

It's careless of the school to set work or projects for isolation that can't be done by everyone

They haven't done that.

@DTIsOnlyForNow - er they have? 1-5 can only be done if you have a garden. 6 - 10 are basically write a story, make something in lego. Not much content.

Nonetheless the point about the assumptions stands.

No, it’s not careless.
Schools spend a lot of time deciding tasks that are accessible...but there could always be someone for some reason that cannot access it. The task clearly recognises the limitation some families may have and suggests alternative tasks or ways to deal with the limitations.
Given that the teacher may we’ll be in school full time teaching the class as usual (running the trip) plus providing work for those isolating on top, a personally adapted task for everyone for every lesson just isn’t viable and never has been.

There might be instances of tasks which are totally inaccessible to argue proportions of the class, and these should not be set....but this certainly isn’t one of them. This activity would benefit from some access to the outdoors. Lots of children will have this in their own garden. Others might need to go to the park or down the road to do it, which is perfectly reasonable.

Sorry OP but you will look ridiculous complaining to the woodland trust that you don’t have a garden. It would be like going on Mary Berrys website for inspo then complaining you don’t own an oven.
The school are just trying to help. You’d be better off looking into your own activities

You could print off different shaped leaves and stick them to the walls in different rooms for your DC to "find" on an inside scavenger hunt. You could do the same with pictures of mini beasts. Many people have inside plants - and there's no reason why you can't.
You could do so many things if you used your imagination and stopped spending all your time feeling hard done by and expecting the rest of the world to provide entertainment for your child.
I can't think of a single activity that EVERY child can do without adaptation. You're being very narrow minded.

Others might need to go to the park or down the road to do it, which is perfectly reasonable.

No they can't - they are in isolation.

I'm a big fan of schools, and teachers. Really grateful and appreciative. I'm not talking about personally adapted anything. But the assumptions about what people have or have access to, are founded on a middle class & affluent understanding and experience of the world. It's time for schools to grasp this.

I swear some people just like to complain.

The link already acknowledges that not everyone has a garden!

@Ihatemyseleffordoingthis

Others might need to go to the park or down the road to do it, which is perfectly reasonable.

No they can't - they are in isolation.

I'm a big fan of schools, and teachers. Really grateful and appreciative. I'm not talking about personally adapted anything. But the assumptions about what people have or have access to, are founded on a middle class & affluent understanding and experience of the world. It's time for schools to grasp this.

Does OP have paper and crayons? Then she can do what I suggested. Or, she could play boardgames or sing songs or put on a play or dress up or have mini olympics or bake a cake or count cars going past the window or plants seeds inside in little pots.... You don't need to be middle class to do these things, you need 1% of the imagination of the average human being. OP just wants to complain.

Oh FFS, what do you suggest? Pretend no-one at school has a garden, access to outdoor space whatsoever and not send any suggestion whatseover?

You do realise how ridiculous you sound?

Some kids won't have access to the living room because daddy is working full time in it.
Some kids won't have access to the kitchen because mummy is working full time in it.

If you can think of a reasonable activity that can be accessed by ALL you let us know.

Yes, the world would be a better place if we ALL had access to unlimited acres of land with private beach access, but we are not all royals. Most of us adapt instead of whingeing.

Does OP have paper and crayons? Then she can do what I suggested. Or, she could play boardgames or sing songs or put on a play or dress up or have mini olympics or bake a cake or count cars going past the window or plants seeds inside in little pots....
You don't need to be middle class to do these things, you need 1% of the imagination of the average human being. OP just wants to complain.

I expect people living in flats with young children have already done all that this year tbh. It's always the people who have least who have to be the most imaginative and resourceful.You're looking at how someone can problem-solve in the moment. I'm talking about systemic inequality and schools lack of inclination or ability to address it.

We have a paved yard with pots (no trees, we would have mini beasts but little to collect to make pictures) and two of her best friends live in upstairs flats.

You have an outside space, plenty of beasts and plants can live in pots.

Same with her friends in flats, everybody can grow things in pots. An avocado stone, lemon seeds, herbs, any plant.

Has staying indoors addled your brain?

14 days inside as a entire household has pretty much fucked mine into oblivion.

I dont know if complain is the right word, but asking if the school could support families looking to adapt these ideas for isolating in flats seems sensible. Our woodland leader where i work went through the woodland trust lockdown stuff and came up with 'isolated without a garden' alternatives.

Do you think that kids who DO have a garden should NOT be given fun, healthy suggestions of things to do, because it’s not available to everyone?

Where does that stop then, some kids sadly don’t have books to read at home so perhaps reading should not be encouraged?

Children should learn about what they have and what they don’t have, and how they live compared to others, as part of general education of the community and society they’re living in. They might aspire to have a big garden one day and make choices in life to achieve that.

(Anyway as everyone has pointed out, 6 of the activities don’t need a garden.)

@CallmeMrsScavo I can indeed do ANY of those things you mention but those are not what was set for the class. I'm not running a home childminder. I'm trying to do the actual work set for my actual DD by her actual school.

[quote drspouse]@CallmeMrsScavo I can indeed do ANY of those things you mention but those are not what was set for the class. I'm not running a home childminder. I'm trying to do the actual work set for my actual DD by her actual school.[/quote]
If you think doing things with your children is "running a home childminder" then I'm too disgusted to respond anymore.

I'm talking about systemic inequality and schools lack of inclination or ability to address it

Why is it the school's job to address and fix it?

They've sent out a list of activities, some of which require a garden or access to outdoors, but the rest can be done inside. They haven't said "we don't care if you don't have a garden, you must do this entire list" - it's just suggestions.

"Children should learn about what they have and what they don’t have, and how they live compared to others, as part of general education of the community and society they’re living in. They might aspire to have a big garden one day and make choices in life to achieve that."

And there we have it.... the people who don't have gardens lack aspiration. What nonsense.

Um, I'm mc and don't have a garden or yard, I live in a third floor flat, with no balcony, and funnily enough I discourage minibeasts as much as I can!

Self isolation is the pits! At least with lockdown we we're allowed to exercise daily.

Tbh, I adopted the mindset early on that school will set work that we cannot possibly so- it's fine, we can only do what we can do. I find them an alternative in the same subject area if they want something to fill the time...or suggest vacuuming

@BelsizeNameChange

Do you think that kids who DO have a garden should NOT be given fun, healthy suggestions of things to do, because it’s not available to everyone?

Where does that stop then, some kids sadly don’t have books to read at home so perhaps reading should not be encouraged?

Children should learn about what they have and what they don’t have, and how they live compared to others, as part of general education of the community and society they’re living in. They might aspire to have a big garden one day and make choices in life to achieve that.

(Anyway as everyone has pointed out, 6 of the activities don’t need a garden.)

The majority of people in London could have big gardens if they moved up north or to Wales. I was a lawyer in London earning in excess of £100,000 and didn't have a garden at that point. I'm now a teacher in a commuter town earning 1/3 of that salary and I have a huge garden. Gardens do not mean you're more aspirational or more successful.

And there we have it.... the people who don't have gardens lack aspiration. What nonsense.

When you see the multi-million pounds FLATS in London without private garden, I'd agree with you

The OP is still ridiculous.

Well you sound like an absolute fucking delight don’t you?

I did read it thank you. The school may have set it for self isolation but it was created for lockdown when children were able to go outside even if they didn’t have gardens.

it's the Woodland Trust so makes sense their suggestions might be more outdoors based
First thing that came to mind.