Morning
Have been awake half the night feeling so rough. Was hoping it would just be a little cold, but it seems to have other ideas.
Ds2 won star of the week this week and I haven't been able to go and see him collect his certificate, partly because I'm ill, partly because I still have ds1 at home. Dh has gone for the first half of assembly so he has someone there for him, but I'm as its the first time I've ever missed anything like this.
Lenni you sound like me, only you are much younger and have already done so much more than me. I've been having a tough time with lack of direction recently. I need to retrain/study as I won't/can't go back and then when I think I know what I want to do I worry about not contributing financially to the household (and lord knows we really need the money) and the fact that by the time I've finished studying I'll be too old for anyone to want to employ me.
The community cohesion PhD sounds fascinating. Having lived in Burnley during the riots, dh and I feel strongly that a lot more needs to be done to help these communities see themselves as exactly that 'communities' rather than warring factions. You would definitely be paying back the taxpayer doing research which helps to shed light on the subject and show a positive way forward.
Interestingly the dc's school just got into trouble with OFSTED for not doing enough to encourage and promote community cohesion. It got 1s and 2s across the board and a 3 for community cohesion/awareness of other religious beliefs and ways of life, both in the community and around the world. I have to agree with the Inspectors, they spend an awful lot of time ramming the usual C of E brand of religion down the children's throats so that they can quote it back verbatim to Mum and Dad, but only pay lipservice to learning about other religions etc. Its made worse by there only being a handful of children who come from anything other than White/British/Middle Class backgrounds as well and unfortunately within the small number of children from different backgrounds there have emerged a few bullies which of course colours the attitudes of the other kids towards those cultures. (Personally I think if I was the Headteacher/Governors I would be asking why, within such a small subset of children at the school there are a disproportionate number of bullies? Could it be as a result of the way they were treated by others when they first started at the school? Begs the question whether they feel they have to adopt a 'bully or be bullied' attitude
doesn't it?)
Sorry, waffled on a bit there, but was trying to say that the problem is a lot wider than the sort of community splits we have in a lot of North West towns. The people round here would never admit it, but its a real issue in this sort of white middle class neighbourhood, its just swept under the carpet.
Anyway, that aside, personally, if I'm being honest, I would love the chance to study again. My brain definitely needs a wake up call after 3 lots of crazy hormones and baby brain. When I get right down to the roots of the problem it seems that the problem for me is financial. If I study now we will continue to be seriously broke but will have more money when I qualify and go back to work, which is when the dcs will be older and more expensive. BUT we are both suffering serious stress from lack of funds at the moment and life would definitely improve greatly with another salary (albeit a part-time) one coming in.
Tis a real quandry and I still don't have a clue which way to jump.