Celebration balloons

[mummymilky]

DD is in a tiny Reception year and has been sent home with a little cut out cardboard balloon entitled 'I can...' for us to write one or two 'home achievements' on. Once filled in, the balloons are read out during carpet time, the child applauded and the balloons stuck up on the celebration wall.

The other evening DD did a 60 piece puzzle without any help (it took forever!) and I asked her whether she'd like to put it on her balloon as an achievement at home. She said that's not the kind of thing you're supposed to write, so this morning I looked at the balloons that have already gone up on the wall. 'I can ski by myself and have passed such and such skiing badge', 'I can ride my bike without stabilisers', 'I can swim 50m', 'I have passed such and such dancing exam'. Suddenly doing a jigsaw seems a bit lame among all these talented 4 and 5 year olds!

Should we just 'forget' to take the balloon in (there was no time limit given), or buck the trend and write something less exciting? Or make something up?!

Well, personally I would be way more impressed by a child of this age doing a 60 piece puzzle by herself than having parents that go skiing.

I think that she has done something fab and you should celebrate it, and do your best to make sure that her school class celebrates it too.

For what it's worth, my dcs school has a similar scheme and I once wrote on ds's "ds managed to collect five knives, five forks and five spoons to set the table for the familiy - without any help counting to five" which I was immensely proud of and that doesn't seem quite so clever as your dd doing that jigsaw by herself

We have that too (it's called the Wow Wall here) and the jigsaw would be a great thing to put on it. The others things are lovely too, but tbh they aren't that unusual - don't be concerned at all! I think it's a bit of showing off on behalf of the parents really. At DC's school the teacher writes the things on, and it's stuff more like "I wrote a sentence" and "I can build a tall castle from bricks" !

Thank you both. I feel better now! I was really proud of DD for completing the puzzle, and more importantly, she was really proud of her achievement. One of the balloons I mentioned in my OP was for the teacher's child (who is in the class, obviously!) so I was using that as a guide to what was expected. But if DD is happy to go with the puzzle, that's what we'll put on the balloon together tonight.

Update! DD decided she wanted to do her 125 piece puzzle - and managed it all on her own with no help whatsoever. (Bizarrely, she did it quicker than the 60 piece one!) Anyway, we did her balloon together and she took it in yesterday. She came home with a sticker for completing the balloon, but didn't get it read out at carpet time. She said hers hasn't gone up on the wall (that's true, I sneaked a look this morning at drop-off) but the teacher has glued it to a 'special' page in her work folder to 'keep it safe'.

DD doesn't seem to mind so I'm not going to make a fuss, but it seems such a shame. Never mind, she knows we're really proud of her. And there'll be another balloon next term...

Yes, as far as I know all the other completed balloons are up - there are so few children, it's not too hard to see! DD seemed pleased that her balloon was being kept safe (hidden away in her folder) as she's so proud of it! She doesn't mind it not being up on the wall like everyone else's - it's just me that thinks it's unfair!