Little Italy 23

[BananaGio]

Siamo qua!

Hope you ae all well. I'm feeling much better. Reality has hit and we are back to arguing about compiti. I'm so fed up with ds's teacher i might change schools.
Anyway, We went to register dd for the last year of Asilo and they had a note on her file saying she can be considered for elementare. she wants to go because most of her friends in the class are five and all going. She is ready but i'm so anti starting children into formal education early. But if she is ready who am I to deny the experience. she can do most of ds's compiti now but i think it's because she doesn't have to. I'm ususally brilliant at things i don't have to do but when i have to do then i struggle. And i wonder if she would have the same trait.

Would you send you dc to school at 5 and 4 months. I know we do that in the UK but i'm not a big fun of the system.

I would chat with her teachers ansd also if poss the teachers of the school she might be going to and then take it from there. With dd1 She will be 6 passato but minirosa will be at the other end of the scale and I am already fretting about the asilo so I am not yoru best bet here! We have a meeting with minrosas teacher to help us decide where to put here in for September ..am unsure!
Glad that you are better when do you start work again ?

thanks Rosa. I will speak to the teachers on Monday. By the way i meant register for last year of Scuola Materna not asilo.

I start work on Tuesday. Not looking forward to it.

Glad you Meal went well. It sounded Delicious.

For me the fact her friends are going would be important. And I think that the fact she is keen means it shouldn't be a problem for her and she may thrive on it, DD was a bit like that, she basically taught herself to read between 4 and 5.
All said and done though I really believe in trusting your instincts in these matters, you know your child best.

Buona Anno Little Italy! I hope you're all well and not in too much post-Christmas gloom.
i doubt you'll remember me posting here a couple of months ago pre-moving to Italy, but I'm here now! I hope you don't mind me peppering you with perhaps obvious questions, but i really appreciate any advice so i hope you'll hang in there with me!
after a couple of weeks in the perpetual-day-trip-but-highly-impractical-for-a-two-year-old that is Asolo, we are now living in Bassano del Grappa which has been very lovely over the festive period. I was quite mystified by Befana...have only just got back online but will be doing some research as to the why and wherefore but what do you all know about it?! We did our best to eat as many sweets as possible as this seemed only right.
I noticed that the weather follows the British rule of being grey on a public holiday, it's stuck around here too and is pretty miserable at the moment. Is this the case where you are too? I'm not complaining though - the Uk seems to be stuck in a Narnia-esque Ice Age at the moment, we were glad to escape the chaos!
I am speaking (albeit badly)as much Italian as possible and start a course in a couple of weeks but one thing I am really struggling to find out (and am not v optimistic about finding) is whether any mother and toddler/baby groups might exist in the area and how i might find them. I don't know if this is more of a UK "thing" but as I used to work full time in the UK my son is used to having little friends around him at nursery and i worry i might be boring him!

As far as i know Asilo starts at three - he isn't 3 till August - any ideas about where i might start on this front? there are good parks nearby but it's so cold not many children(and/or parents!) seem to go at the moment...
OK, i'll try and drip-feed any other things for fear of exhausting even Mumsnetters' legendery generosity of information-sharing!
I hope you're all enjoying 2011 so far and I promise not to over-load your thread too much!

Hello Cellini - NIce to see you again. Yes its grey and dull here as well and damp damp damp!
Re the materne - if you go on your commune site you should get a full list of teh materne available. Some will be private and some state. Then you need if state to do an application and present it. For private ones you need to goa and register with them directly. The time to do it is now. In some case the state ones are very full and they are in no obligation to actually give you a place so its best to have a follow up plan. IN all places I would go and have a good look round before you decide which is best for you .
As regards mother and toddler groups then highly unlikely I am afraid to say ..Unless there might be an exception in your area however there might be ludoteche or other places in the area that might be a good place to start. Parks are great but not until spring. The consultorio is more a baby and mother group but they migt be able to indicate if there are other activities in the area . In fact that is probably where I would start!
Franca is the expert on all kinds of registrations and what to do I am hoping that she will be back soon .....
Any questions come and ask !

Hello, sorry I disappeared again, but we the last days of holidays have been really busy (mostly compiti ) and culminated in a hell of a night yesterday night with ds vomiting 6 times... I've had 3 hrs sleep... I'm tired.

Rosa, sorry I disappeared on you to help with the recipe, how did it go at the end? (anyways, yes, those are the right quantities )

Cellini, welcome back! Glad to hear you are settling in.
Scuola materna: children here start in September, the year they turn 3. So your ds should start sept 2011.
Now (January/February) should be the right time to register your ds if you decide to go for a state materna, rather than a private one.
Bear in mind that - at least here in Milan - there are scuole materne statali and scuole materne comunali (run by the council), they are both free (you only pay for school dinners) but you register in a different way. As Rosa said, check with your council (comune) how to register, which certificates you may need etc.
I can only speak about Milan, here materne comunali are more popular than statali, like rosa I also recommend to go and have a look.

Euro, like you, I am not fan of early formal education, especially here, when prima elementare is quite full on.
When is your dd birthday? I think only children who are born between Jan and March can go a year early.

I agree with Sputnik that the fact that most of her friends will have left is paramount here, and if she is keen and mature I would consider it.
It also depends on how happy you are of her materna. It is my experience that good teachers at materna are able to entertain and work with children who are already quite advanced.

Franca that sounds like the bug that was here before xmas. It is short and violent.... Then they feel like sh*t for 24 hrs after and then slowly bounce back. If andults get it its worse !!! ( sorry) but I just had nausea for days !!!!! Auguri...

Rosa, yes! Another mum from the dc's school told me the same this morning!
In fact I have a mild headache and I feel a bit nauseous, I hope it doesn't get worse, I'm still traumatized by the stomach virus I had yrs ago
Ds is a bit better but no appetite.

We used dicaflor in adults and the dds as it is stronger than entrogermina. DH had a few days of nausea and then one bad day but was never sick just a runny bum !!!. Other mums were ill both ends but again short 24hrs with 1-2 days of feeling terrible. It is not a nice bug 48 hrs exact between dd1 then dh then minirosa....

Thank you Rosa and Franca - no fear, i shall be back to pick your brains on the topic of materne etc. It seems that most people at my partner's work don't have kids so are a bit clueless with advice on this front.

I enrolled on a Corso Italiano per Stranniere (apologies for any spelling mistakes!)today - the secretary spoke to me so quickly though with no hint of irony regarding the course i was enrolling on I'm not actually sure if I'm on it or not or indeed when or where it is! I continue to self-teach daily though in the meantime - Mio Dio the results must be shocking though!

I suppose the good side of not knowing anyone or mixing with other children is lack of sickness bugs! i don't miss those! It's awful when they're like that and doubly bad when you (or worse -DH/P - Oh! the drama!) gets it...much sympathy to you! I think it's all the central heating, muggy weather etc.

ok - off to take the boy puddle -jumping...good job we're used to rain from living in Cornwall!

I taught myself Italian mostly by watching films and reading newspapers, I have never had lessons, though I still feel on shaky ground with my grammar sometimes so it might have been useful at some point.
Cellini, where are you again, I have lost track! (I loved your Narnia comment btw, it was just like that when we were in the UK over xmas, the morning we left it was -14 and incredibly beautiful and sparkling).
Hope you're feeling ok Franca.
Happy to be back in the school routine here, I even got a chance to hit the sales yesterday.

Nasty virus! I was sick in the late afternoon and dd vomited spectacularly in the living room 30 minutes after bedtime.
So, she came to bed with me and we basically spent a hell of a night together ... I now feel like I've been run over by a tractor.

So, I suppose no sales for me

Cellini, try and see if your comune has a website, there should be instructions there on how to register ds to materna.

Oh no you poor things ... Just keep taking the fermenti ..Hope you get better soon. I
I have never had lessons and feel that I should to help my written Italian which is crappio and I feel nervous about writing anything!!!
Just bought a new wardrobe well a 4 and a 2 as a 6 ante won't fit . Been light looking at and curtain looking as well... Booohhhh

Hello everyone . Hope everyone is keeping healthy.
I'm back in grey ol' London this week. Feeling much better but missing my babies and bitch a b**c to dh.

Cellini, Hope you are settling in alright. When i left It ws raining and grey so not bright days for us either.Re materna, our commune accepts children into materna before they are 3 if there is space. Though priority is given to working parents.
I struggled with mother and toddler/baby groups. I tried to start one but was put off after the fussiness on children not touching thing/putting thing in mouth house cleaning etc. But that was 6 years ago. I never even tried when dd was born. I made a couple of friends at the park who were very keen to have their children near an english speaking child and we clicked so he had a couple of little frends before he went to Sculoa Materna.

Re DD and elementare she was born in April, that is why I was suprised. Her teacher thinks she should stay. She's a lively child and will make new friends. Our Materne has mixed classes so each class has an almost equal amount of 3, 4 and 5 year old. her frieds are all five years old aready will definitley be going to elemntare.
She cried when i told her that. but my gut feeling is it's the best decision.

Another question, Ds's teachers have suggested we get a tutor for him . The issue is he won't do any work in class. Yest he does the work fine ( well with some drama at teh begining) but once he start he is fine. Yet he refuses to do any work at school. So anyway we have been inundated with calls from people who want to do this job. I have spoken to 2. One who was honest and said it won't help the situation at school because she will only help him with his home work and the other who insists it will help. What do you expect tuturs for a child in Prima should be? I don't want to pay someone t help hime with his homework because dh is more than capable to do that. I need someone who can help with his behaviour at school.

Oh poor you Franca, hope you're feeling better by now.
Euro I really don't know what to advise re your DS, I guess if he isn't working at school it's more than a question of homework but also of covering what was missed in class.
I am guessing you have already talked to him about why he he won't work in class and the stickers etc haven't worked. It must be really difficult. There was a boy in DD's class who was like this last year, he would often do nothing at all. He is a lot better this year and I ofen wonder if it was partly incompatibility with the teacher. Their teacher this year is a lot less strict (the last one had a "bad board" which this particular kid was on permanently), and uses humur to get them on side. Obviously there's not much you can do about the teacher and her methods but just wanted to give you some hope that he will get over it.

poor you guys Franca! sickness bugs are the worst! hope you are feeling better now. welcome back Cellini, glad you made it here and good luck with the language classes. I am same as you Rosa and Sput-havent done lessons and as a result cant write it properly and grammar can be very . It is on my list of Things to Do when that mythical day where I dont have to work all the time arrives and I can do Things For Me!
Euro am sure you have made right decision re DD, am big believer in listening to gut! Re DS am not sure what would do. Not sure how someone outside school hours would be able to help his behaviour in school? Unless you can get him to make the link that he wont have all this extra studying to do in his own time if he did it at school. Is he generally happy at the school?

EC maybe I am being stupid but what are the teachers for and why can't they help your ds to work at school?- what is tha factor that is making him refuse to work - is it teh scocial side , the fact that he dosesn't understand ? I would investigate further with ethe school and also ask what they are going to do. You can help out of class but they need to tell you what they are doing no?( or maybe you have been through that). Yes if he needs help with homework then I woud get somebody to help but it seems that is not the problem .
It is soo grey and damp here it is driving me mad .....

Hello girls, I am still feeling very weak, but I think that we are recovering (fingers crossed emoticon)

Euro: as for dd is concerned I checked and I think you can start primary 1 yr early if you are born before the 31 of April.
I would follow your instinct. As I said, I think the choice is purely based on how much you like/trust the scuola materna (I'd have left dd with her materna teachers until University , they are truly amazing teachers) and how emotionally mature you feel your daughter is/would be.
Also, would she be in tempo pieno or only mornings? That makes a huge difference too, in terms of how tired (and stressed) they can get.

As for your ds, I really wonder how a tutor could help with his behaviour at school. I think the school should come up with a strategy on how to deal with his reluctance to work along his peers. What does he say? Is he happy at school? Is he tired? Is he disruptive during the school day or is he just reluctant to start working? Is he in tempo pieno or only mornings?
The only way a good tutor could help is to assess (with you and dh) where ds is at, and "how" he works.

I am boxed out here and still have soo much more to do. Franca hope you are still on the mend and nobody else has gone down with it.
I wish the sun would come out just a bit - I preferred it cold and sunny than this damp and dreary.DD1 has a playdate today ...Very exciting !

Hello again! thank you for all the inspiration re>self-teaching language etc. typed a lengthy replay but it vanished the other day before i could post -I hate it when that happens! Also, got distracted by a Trailing Spouse thread (brilliant name, sounds like a plant).

Franca, hope you're all on the mend..truly horrid. Takes ages to recover too. I remember my DS getting something similar and losing all his puppy fat, he looked so wan and sad! awful to have it yourself and be looking after (sick)children too!

Thanks for the advice - Euro, i am optimistic that the park "scene" will pick up - everything looks well-used so hopefully once it's warmer a few people will show up. So far only met a dad and kids, who was French, on holiday with his Italian-American wife, who were living in London (keep up!)and that was only for about half an hour! Not great but we're still having fun.

Rosa, hope the playdate goes well.

Also, grey and misty here - and cold, too! Nevermind, it's the weekend!!! Pizza tonight (just to help us integrate more, right?).

Thanks yes, we are on the mend, hopefully! I am starting to get seriously allergic to the children . I need freedom!

Cellini, yes, the park is a good place to meet other parents. And I'm sure you'll make some friends with the other mums at scuola materna.
Is there a library? Have you visited?

Awwww a playdate rosa, how lovely! I hope she has a lovely time.

glad to hear you're in recovery Franca - serious cabin fever can set in alongside other symptons!

Spooky - timely suggestion! i just got back from a public childrens' library run by the local Montessori school. It was v nice and friendly, and helpful, too. I registered our DS for the Sept intake at their materne, but sadly they are full so I don't hold out much hope. I will start looking at others next week.

the local library seems to be having a re-furbishment at the moment so I'll keep an eye on that. I appreciate the suggestions a lot, btw, it's good to know "Others" are out there!

Yes, serious cabin fever now, indeed! Tomorrow I am def going to the market

Glad you had a lovely time at the montessori today

Franca hope you managed to get out and are feeling much better.

Rosa playdate, how exciting. Did dd have a good time?
Cellini libray trip sounds exciting. We don't have one in my town. I would kill for anything montessori near us. Ds started out in a montessori nursery.

I have asked ds many times why he refuses to work and his excuses are he's tired (he goes to bed at 730 until 715) or he didn't want to. I feel helpless no matter how much I explain why he should do what the teacher says. I am not in the class to understand what makes him behave this way. He doesn't at home. Donkt get me wrong he's not anm angel but he does his homework. He never blatantly refuses to work. He was evem threatened that he would not receive any presents from fc and he said to me 'that's ok mummy, I'll live without the present. So hopeless is what I feel.

We have decided to keep dd in scuola materna. I feel she should enjoy her childhood more. Scuola elementare is so full on she could end up hating learning. That's my instinct. I have to convince her this is the right decision. Her teachers think she could do with another year.