Jan 2009 - molars, movers and shakers

[stripeywoollenhat]

there you go

ooh. just re-read that - not implying you two are sitting around!!

I had a really cute moment with H this morning when he came in to have a lie down in the bed and play with my hair. He started singing

'Mama's in the kitchen,
doing a bit of mixin',
along came the boogeyman to give her a scare,
"oh" said Mama, "that's not fair!"
"oh" said the Boogeyman "I don't care!"

It came out as
'mama mama nitchen
de de de de de nitchen
oh oh ne bunemun go away!
oh oh ne bunemun go away!'

sooo cute. Wish I could have recorded it. I think it was the Bunemun that was particularly special.

Its not the articles that go on about bad parenting Tea, its the feedback on various forums etc. The Daily Fail is already cooking up a great big list of people spouting this rubbish.

Its not the report that's the problem really. As you say, they come out all the time. Its the media hype that will be stirred up around the subject. Lots of people will get to hear negative views of SEN inclusion, some of whom might never have seen it as a problem - until now.

Its also a bit suspicious that it has come out at the same time as a lot of other things that could affect SEN provision and funding - such as the new academies bill.

Thing is, as a Mum of a SN child you spend half your life asking yourself what you could/should have done different or better, without small minded people coming right out and suggesting it to you. You also get a feeling for which parents at the school gates might share these views and try not to let it bother you, but its hard - you need a rhino-skin, which I haven't quite developed yet.

There are only two other Mums at the school that know about ds1. One was a reception teacher up until last Summer and even she doesn't 'get it', but is lovely anyway. The other is a SALT (Speech and Language Therapist) who despite working with kids with ASD and being a genuinely lovely person also doesn't really seem to understand what difficulties ds1 faces. As far as they are both concerned, he's done ok so far, so he should continue in the same vein.

Fwiw, I do think our school has fudged the SEN figures to improve their value added result. Why else would we have gone from 36 SEN pupils in 2007 to over 60 in 2010! We have had a lot of new intake of children who are on the SEN Register over the past two years. It looks great for the school in terms of VA, but, they can't cope with the levels of support these children need and as a result have ended up failing the very children that need the most support. Stupid shortsighted plan if ever I saw one. Daft thing is, there was no need for them to do it. Achievement at the school has always been excellent, but OFSTED have over the past few years cited concerns about the Management and Leadership of the school among other things and that's what has held their overall OFSTED Grade down.

Anyway, I'll shut up now.

Thanks for the hugs. I feel like I need them this morning.

DOG! So sorry to bring the thread down. Have given myself and shake and slapped myself around the face now.

Will nip straight over and read your update.

Hope you are getting plenty of rest and being waited on hand and foot - oo - and having lots of lovely new baby snuggles.

Dog! Hello! So excited for you and great that the yucky end of pregnancy wait is all over and you've got a good feeder on your hands.

Moosey, you have a lot on your plate so absolutely fine to rant on here. None of us truly understand how hard it must be, but we are always happy to listen and learn. I am same from all Media but Radio4 and Mumsnet.

Just noticed we need a new thread. How about.. Jan 2009, baby Dogs and bumps galore.. making room for even more .

Been to GP this morning after waking up not being able to focus properly. BP, eyes etc. all okay but going back at end of week for follow up. Thinks it is probably just a cracking migraine and now just getting after effects. Has put my mind at rest.

What hasn't put my mind at rest is no gory details on Dog's thread, and no name! Ah well, I'll have to content myself with knowing the birth story is on it's way.

Will catch up later. Don't get me started on SEN report, head hurts. I think it generally speaks the truth tbh, but only when applied in the circumstances to which it was intended. You can read the actual report here

Dog...mwahhhhh! Congratulations and well done! Can't wait to hear all about it x

Morning everyone else on this lovely thread.

Rant alert....
Moose, I think your analysis is right, it's media hype, powered by the Tories who want to create a smoke screen for pulling funding. I think education in general is about to get a big bashing (moving on from the social workers who seem to have got itin the neck for the last few years.) Even radio 4 was pretty terrible this morning, the BBC seems to be turning into a tory fueled organisation in some of its political views at teh moment.

As usual the media are blowing things out of proportion. This has come from an Ofsted Report/Study, so is not really conclusive. We spent a good part of the morning discussing what was being said in the press and the most experienced SN teachers were saying it was similar in the last tory government and at times during labour's office. The media are spouting ill informed rhetoric; confusing the distinctions between SEN, SN, LD, Statements etc , fuelled by government as a warm up to cuts.

I think in our inner city comp it is easier to support SEN pupils with more funding, however, the staff will continue to do this effectively without as much funding as this is what they are trained and driven to do. I hope the same will be true of DS1's future school.

Sorry if that's a lot of waffle, there's been a lot of ranting going on this morning and now we have decided not to mentionit as it's just plain bollocks and demoralising. And Moose....DON@T LOOK ON THE DAILY MAIL WEBSITE they are a bunch of tossers right wing wallies who belive all the crap that's spouted in that excuse for a paper.

I could rant more but had better do some work And breath

Hello Hello Hello.

I know it has been many many months since i've been on here, but i think its about time i got back here & caught up with you all!

How is everyone?

DOG - seen via FB DS has arrived! Congratulations!

Little bit of brain picking..... Does this sound familiar to anyone else? Esme has (lucky me) always been an amazing sleeper, goes to bed 7 - 7.30 ish, and wakes up between 6.45- 7.30am. No Complaints whatsoever, the last 2 weeks has been waking anything between 2- 4 times a night for seemingly no reason. All i need to do is walk in, lay her down, walk out again. She doesn't seem distressed, in pain, wanting a cuddle, nothing, I'm wondering if shes just getting into a routine of everytime she wakes, knowing if she cries, i'll come and put her back, or whether its the little bunny she sleeps with, if she can't find him, whether she cries for me to come and find him.

It sounds really v. trivial i know, and i'm sure there are MUCH bigger issues some of you need addressing, but each time i get up i'm finding it hard to get back to sleep so feeling wiped out in the morning.

If i leave her to cry, i can hear she really does start getting distressed, through teething, or any illness, its only been a couple of nights here and there, but this is starting to develop a pattern here!!

Any advice? x

The problem with the press is also that they take a study or report concerned with the most extreme of circumstances and then publicise it as if it applied to your average, middle-class (in the DM's case) child. Which it does not.

Hi Ray! Lovely to see you.

Yes, we had the same with H. Pretty sure it's molars. He is a great sleeper too, but we had a week or so of it. If she is getting up several times, you could try calpol the first time and see if that helps. If it is pain, that should sort it.

120 Pleased to hear another good sleeper had similar thing. Always tried to be cautious with Calpol, but will give it a whirl tonight & keep fingers crossed.

So a little bird told me Missj is expecting, Dog has just given birth, anyone else?

We have been discussing it lots recently but after a summer (DH only gets 3 weeks off A YEAR, in june) of our wedding and running around like mad, like to enjoy his time off next summer just 3 of us, and manage to get away on hols before being pregnant again, especially given how sick i was with DD1.

Impossible to go over the months of threads i've missed, so hopefully i'll catch up with all your news bit by bit! xx

Lovely to hear from you Ray.

HKZ - This is my personal favourite Daily Mail story of the day: Micheal Gove lets poor pupils jump queue in school admissions shake up they are such wonderful humanitarians at that paper.

Hi Rrrrayray, long time no see.

Same here with dd on the sleeping. She's generally a good sleeper (once she goes down ) but every time she cuts a molar, things go a bit pear shaped. First she gets restless and noisy in her sleep for a couple of nights (like last night) and then she starts waking a few times a night. Like Esme though, she justs wants me to lie her down. She doesn't want a cuddle or any extra reassurance.

Lenni, glad the GP was able to put your mind at rest. I used to get visual disturbances for days after my migraines. Its good that you're going for a follow up though. If your migraines are that severe it may be worth asking for a referral as the specialist have better options for treatment and/or prophylaxis.

I know I shouldn't look at Daily Fail stories, but I can't seem to help it. Its similar to the morbid fascination people get when there's a car accident. You don't want to look - you know its going to be horrile - but at the same time you just can't help yourself.

Lenni...articles like that make me shudder whilst boiling up with rage! I was listening to the ideas on admissions policy, academies and pupils on free school meals and could have predicted that DM response. Started reading the comments underneath and had to close that window!

I just managed to get through the first few pages of the report and it is nothing particularly surprising. Some schools manages students, resources, SEN registers better than others.... so many variables too; LEA, support structures, outside agencies, use of good practice, use of TAYP/TAC, CAF properly , demographics blah blah blah. As usual the DM, as you say, are taking examples out of context and scare mongering amoungst their (I guess) predominantly middle class readership. Sigh.

Glad the GP gave you the ok re. BP and eyes. Hope you're feeling better. COuld it be linked to change of seasons/air pressure etc. DH always gets attacks in Spring for some reason.

Hi ray, sorry to hear Esme's not sleeping well. It could just be a growth spurt, or molars like 120 said and woul d second calpol if it is as it seems to take the edge off. Think its just me and MissJ who are expecting at the mo, me in jan and MissJ in march... then there's the famous PACT! ANd of course Tree's eggy baby.

120, love the thread title...are you gonna do the honours?

Books, thak you for the link, its much appreciated, I will look at it properly when I get home.

great to hear from you rray

how is everything your end

i was going to say probably teeth

anyone else getting there dcs boots yet for winter
going to hget dcs on sat have ordered some into store to collect

Tink, Am going to get DD some kicker boots in a month or so (just waiting to see if her feet grow) DS can have her old ones as he is only 2 sizes behind her now!

AM super pissed off, someone just knicked DD's scooter in the playground. Who would pinch a toddler's scooter? Grrrr. She uses it all day every day too to get to and from everywhere and they are not cheap. I think they cost about £45 and our insurance excess is £50, so can't even claim. Am off to scour ebay.

oh no! was that up in the vppg, the little fountain one, or your one. I would be super cross too. Sometimes ours gets 'borrowed' but I always get it back!

Happy for you to to the honours..

It was in the playground by our house... DH was with them, I was at work. Oh well, it has stickers all over it so I should be able to spot it if I see it out and about.

dd1s scooter was £20 on amazon

Helllooooo Ray! Lovely to hear from you.
I'd say calpol and neurofen. Pain sucks.

No time to read everything, but will hopefully catch up tonight

Heard the report on Radio 4 this am Moose, and thought of you and all the SN mums. Guessed it would either evoke or in a mum with a child with SN, probably depending on energy levels!
Be assured that no one you really want to hang out with believes the hype. About anything.

Cuddles to the newest thread baby

Evening all. My friend came round with a 5 week old today. Absolutely gorgeous! Thought of you Dog.

I went for it as DP doing bathtime..

{{http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/1041340-Jan-2009-baby-D0Gs-and-bumps-galore-lets-make-room New thread here]]

or even

new thread here

actually, I think that one is missing. should have a tutu.

I could be wrong here but the report would've been happening and being prepared before the Tories got into power surely? These big departments take ages to research and prepare reports like this, so I personally do not think this is some sort of secret plot by the Tories on funding. The cynics amongst us may think it's convenient that this report comes out now, when due to a massive defecit the Tories are trying to cut money, so yes they may have a good hard look maybe at funding for Special Needs now due to this report. But the PM did have a special needs son so I do like to think it is an area he cares about. This report would probably have been commissioned by Labour I suspect or just Ofsted itself as they are a separate entity aren't they? I know Lenni would probably know more than me. I'm probably not making any sense I suspect