June 2013 - the terrible twos aren't so terrible

[Biscuitswithtea]

Here goes with a new thread!

Jabs done and I managed to take both children out for dinner alone (DH has been away for most of this week) successfully. She was very brave again. It's awful when they understand what's coming but she also understands why she has them done.

According to the nurse the worst of the 4 in 1 jab will be in the middle of the night. And the MMR side effects will be in 7-10 days. Joy. She already had a rash over her legs before she went to bed - an 'uncommon' reaction according to the NHS website.

They did the flu vaccination while we were there despite originally claiming that they couldn't do it earlier than mid-Nov, so that's something else to cross off. Apparently she'll have it done at school from next year.

They can't enforce attendance in reception either. School isn't compulsory until five.

Tell me how it works in Scotland then? You have another year of nursery? Nursery really does seem great at the moment- learning through play etc. I understand reception is much the same but hate the idea of curriculums and stuff like that creeping in...

There's still a nominal curriculum for preschool nursery (age 3+) but very much done through play and child-led. So, for example, DS is doing Stick Man at nursery. We've read it heaps at home but at nursery they are using it to get the children to talk about their own families and make their own family tree. Then things like eldest/middle/youngest gets them learning about relative sizes, counting, etc. There's still a lot of free play through the day too. DS will start primary school in August 2018 & will be one of the older children (but by no means the eldest).

Crikey I'm tired today. I could spend the whole afternoon watching cartoons with DS while DD snoozes on me! Will try and get us out for some fresh air though...

Yes, we start school nursery at age 3 in Scotland ( two intakes, one in August and one in January). There are two years of school nursery before P1 at age 4/5. Our cut- off date is end of February for school where in England I believe its end of August? So our lot with June birthdays will all start P1 in August 2018 at age 5.

Is Reception full time school hours? Our school nursery is 3 hours per day, with the option of paying for additional hours. So we do 2 full days, and 3 half days (only paying for 1 full day).

That's what it's like here. They've been doing Whatever Next, and that has linked to learning about space and sleep/ bedtime, through various activities which have involved skills such as pen control and counting, crafts such as painting and building rockets and discussions on it all. It's all done in a really fun way to get them excited about it. They have based snack time around it on some days, have managed to link P.E. to the theme and have done things like baking space themed (healthy!) biscuits. It's great how they do it.

Yes, reception is full days (though they stagger hours for nursery and I think also reception slightly so the smallest children don't have to arrive and leave at the busiest time).

The 'that's what it's like here' was in response to Biscuits about what they do (the hours here are different with no option to increase them!).

We are having to swap DD to 4 mornings a week rather than 2 full days and a morning at preschool as she is absolutely knackered doing full days, poor kid.

I hope she can cope better once school starts next year.

Any early years education provider will follow a curriculum of sorts. Our preschool does; they'd not do well in the Ofsted inspections if there wasn't a framework. I don't care about Ofsted overly as the preschool is lovely and the kids have great fun there. They certainly don't know they're being 'taught' in any way.

I'm always amazed mine aren't shattered. They are there from at least eight until just before six. I'm bracing myself now to go and get them. At this point in the week they will be majorly grumpy and it's a slog until bedtime.

Yep, I'm quite glad that DS won't start primary for that reason Hungry. He currently has full days at private nursery (where the preschool room follows the early years curriculum) but can't physically last the day there without a nap. Plus he's quite cautious and shy by nature so am glad that he has a bit longer to become a bit more confident before being hit with the full-on world of primary school (and even the attached nursery which he will start next August).
Complicated set of systems!

DD has to have a nap when she gets back every day! We tried without and it affected her sleep at night. She was used to having 2-3 hr naps each day, and she's had to cut down to 1- 1 1/2 hour naps, which she's managing on. They did offer to let us swap to mornings but afternoons have been working really well for us (and I like having quality time in the morning with her to go out for a walk or whatever - if she did the morning sessions she'd just have lunch and be in bed for hours when she got back).

I've not got Lil in the school nursery - the sessions are only 2.5 hrs either mornings or afternoons and our private nursery won't collect so the logistics were just too complicated. She's staying in her private nursery until she's 5 and starts school. It suits us well though as most of the kids will go to the same school.

I've not paid a great deal of attention to the curriculum but got sent a learning journal entry this week which highlighted how good she's getting at maths. Apparently the little swot decided to do the challenge in French.

Joe is firmly ensconced in his school which requires full enormous shorts/ties/blazers/caps and I've struggled so much with it but he, in the Nursery class, can't get enough of it. Yesterday he was v reluctant to leave school. Staged sit down protest and the teacher had to haul him outside. So whilst I struggle with it all he loves it, gets fed a hot lunch every day thus releasing me from having to try too hard at supper, and reports that he 'just does playing' all day.

Bloody uniform, tho. Lord. I'm constantly washing.

I didn't think I could do any more washing but now she wears uniform and normal clothes each day there's even more!

DD had a great first parents evening. Previously we'd had no real indication as to how she's been, other than her liking it (which is a good sign I guess!). They said she has an outstanding vocabulary and speech, is great at counting and touch counting and all the rest of the academic stuff (which obviously we know but it's good to know that she's been confident enough to show them what she can do. Especially as they've done assessments already!) but what we are really proud of is that she's been really kind and caring towards others and has been taking it upon herself to support and comfort the children who have found it harder to settle in. She's like this with me and DS - she's a real mother figure - but I had no idea she'd been doing this at nursery. I had to fight to hold back the tears. And we were worried she might not have made friends but apparently she's friends with everyone and she has made a special friendship with a little boy - their relationship sounds lovely. Such a relief!

DD has a little best friend at preschool. They'll be going to primary together too, which is good. DD calls her 'my bestest bestie' which is very cute!

We've just had the second lot of Men B jabs, which they were both vaguely OK about having. DD has her preschool jabs in two weeks' time, poor thing. They're both having the flu nasal spray then too.

We aren't having meetings at preschool this year, I don't think. I'm not sure what assessments they do overly this year either (crap parenting award for me!). DS had his 2 year assessment the other week. I know that DD is fine, so I'm not too worried!

We have parents evenings at nursery. Wine is available from six. By the time of my appointment I have always overdone it on the red on an empty bar from pringles stomach.

I have surmised from the learning journeys etc that both appear to be decent human beings which is truly good enough for me for now. I've discovered there is a Steiner school fairly local to me. It's five grand a year which is actually fine but it's only nine until one, until they are seven. This is less helpful. I so love the Steiner model though

DD was fine after her second men b jab (thankfully, as I've been on my own all weekend). Apart from not wanting to take her Peppa Pig plaster off. And we're 11 days post 3 year jabs and no side effects from the MMR either (side effects normally 7-10 days afterwards; she came out in spots after the previous one).

Nursery are getting them to write their names and numbers and have asked parents to help them practice. DD enjoys doing the wipe clean pen control books at home but it seems a bit early for taking it so seriously? On the other hand they've just had a visit from owls. I was very disappointed that I couldn't stay (despite having met many).

DD has started doing writing at home; whether they're doing it at preschool or it's of her own volition I'm not sure. We haven't been asked to assist, I know that much!

Seemingly no side effects from the jabs yesterday, which is good. She's never reacted to any of hers before really; but DS had a fever and the grumps after the first one, so it was him I was more concerned about.

DD adores owls so she'd have loved that visit!

Oh, she's started to make up stories and act them out with her cuddly toys...seemingly not arsed about pretending her toy lion is going to eat her beloved mouse and what that would mean! 😂 Strange child!

DD wants to do it at home and has done for a while, it's the actually being asked to help them practice that I'm not sure about. We've been given a sheet on how to show them to do 0-10 correctly, with rhymes to aid. She does them on a wipe clean book at home but I'm quite relaxed about how she does them at the moment!

It was lovely for her as they all got to hold one (there were baby owls too!). We did the owl thing at Center Parcs earlier this year but children weren't allowed to hold them there.

Haha, DD has a good imagination, she has nightmares because of it sometimes! She was acting out stories with the dolls in her doll's house the other day. I love quietly watching.

My sister works in a primary school and attempted to teach me how to do the letters and numbers. Our nursery isn't pushing these things though so I'm quite happy for it to go in by osmosis.

All I can say is that now Strictly Come Dancing is back on the telly I'm getting a proper workout on a Saturday night. First we have to do the dance, then we have to stand in front of the judges (her toys) and then we have to run up the stairs to Claudia for a chat. And again. And again. And again

Has anyone decided what you're getting them for Christmas yet?

DD has requested:
To go into space and see the planets.
To go to the moon.
To have real magic in her wand.

I suspect she'll be disappointed.

Maybe we should allow her to watch adverts after all!

Oh that's a brilliant list. One to treasure because it will never be so fantastical again!

DS doesn't know to ask for stuff but will be getting some lego and some additional bits for his train set. None of that is from us; family and friends ask us for ideas. If we get organised in time we would like to get him a pedal bike as he keeps pretending to pedal thin air on his balance bike.

DD on the other hand may have nothing from us at this rate - we have all the baby toys still from DS. Am loath to buy for the sake of it...

You've reminded me that I should write it in her memory book (of things to embarrass her with in the future) before I forget.

We really struggle for ideas for DS as DD has so much already.

Ha, DD needs a new bike but I think we'll leave that for her birthday. We're thinking an easel as she's been painting and drawing on a flat surface up until now.