The Goose & Carrot Pub

[RedRegular]

A thread for all who have DC with SN. The thread is deleted in 90 days and doesn’t show in active. The season is changing and the bar is well stocked.

Great photos!

Yeah, I think the college is dead in the water. DD2 was crying this evening because she's so frightened that there's nothing for her. Trouble is, she's right. I'm still waiting on the LA for updates.

We voted today. I said I'd need to assist DD1 and the presiding officer said 'does she definitely need you in there with her?' I said 'She absolutely does, but I won't influence her or look'.

So I stood at the accessible booth and read the polling card to her, looked away and told her to put a cross in one box, then I put my hand out and folded the paper without looking and handed it to her. Repeated for the next one. I then told her to roll over to the boxes and not to unfold the paper.

Afterwards, he said that really I should have filled in a form to be her companion. I offered to fill it in and he said that he really didn't want to because it causes loads of paperwork. So I sort of looked at him, a bit baffled, and said righto, do you need me to fill it in or not? Because DD1 absolutely couldn't have done it without me. In the end he decided that I'd been really clear that I wasn't influencing her or looking at her vote, so he didn't want me to fill in a form. What a palaver!

In other news, DDs' school family liaison officer phoned today, to say that in light of my concerns re. DD3 and the safeguarding rules around teachers leaving and the sense that they may as well be dead, they had reflected on their practice. They've recognised that their attempts to safeguard students can inadvertently do harm, and they've decided that, across all 3 schools in the group, they are changing their policy. So DD3 will receive a letter from the outgoing teacher a while after she has left, giving an update on how things are going for her. It will go to SLT, who will screen it then pass it to DD3.

My sciatica came back in full force after the day travelling on Wednesday! The path up to the Parthenon is supposed to be steep and slippery. There is a disabled lift; but you have to have a disability certificate for 67% or a report from a public sector doctor, confirming mobility problems. As I had only seen an osteopath, a letter from them wouldn’t count, nor did it count as a disability after 10 days.

I didn’t think I could make it up. After seeing Rome, which I have; the Parthenon was second on my bucket list!

Anyway, DH went up to the Greek officials and explained I had sciatica - they let me and him go on the golf buggy to the lift, and use the lift up and down! I was really grateful! 🙏

@BlueandWhitePorcelain Greeks sound sensible and compassionate. Yay.

Life a bit difficult here. Sun is shining but RL non ds related normal trials and tribulations rather sad, and we are doing some renovations which all seem to be very time consuming.

Successful day for DD she went to the polling booth and had a look outside. I never would have thought that last year. But did worry that because she didn’t vote a dangerous party might win in our area.

Im frustrated today as I want to go to an appointment with DM but DH is still away.

@Lougle a letter is something but surely contracts should not allow mid exam exits full stop.

Every time I read about your trip ‘Zorba the Greek’ plays in my head.

We find the Greeks are quite relaxed about paperwork! (Except British tourists drink driving, when they are strict on a big fine! They told us, nobody cares if a Greek gets killed, but it’s on the BBC news if a British tourist gets killed and the Greek government cares about that!)

I’ve missed the edit. DD was worrying about dangerous parties not me (although thinking about it I am worried too!).

Glad you got to see the Parthenon @BlueandWhitePorcelain

Sorry life is a bit difficult @Zeonlywayisup Renovations always seem to take longer than you think or builders have said (normally 2 weeks goes to 2 months) but it's great when done.

DH is being put at risk of redundancy and it looks inevitable from the summer. Luckily had the spa booked for an evening yesterday so could talk it through with him and cheer him up. We decided he could afford to retire and think currently that's what he will go for if made redundant. He was thinking about it for a couple of years time anyway but wanted DD out of university first but has the money for that already. I was worried for the shed but he thinks its still viable. I will enjoy having DH all the time and we have plenty of projects, it'll just make money tighter than it would have been next couple of years to when he was planning to retire.

Lovely photographs @BlueandWhitePorcelain.

@RedRegular can DM put you on speaker or FaceTime or similar or is she not able to/not that sort of appointment?

@drspouse good luck with the school visit next week.

@Lougle would a postal vote be easier?

@Tulipandmagnolia sorry to hear of DH’s potential redundancy.

Oh boy it’s going to be a very difficult time. DD is refusing to get up as what’s the point when there is so much hatred. No point studying as there is no future for young people.

@scoopofmintchocchipicecream i never go in with her but I take her and have the tea and biscuit chat at her house afterwards. She will get taxis alone today.

@RedRegular I understand your DD's pain. I think perhaps the presiding officer thought DD1 shouldn't be voting because, let's face it, she was just putting a random cross in the box. But then, I thought, that's probably what half of society does!

@scoopofmintchocchipicecream tbh, the polling station is a 1 minute walk away. The post box is further.

Ds doesn’t vote but maybe one day he will.

@RedRegular I don't know if it would help or be too much pressure but I would be very grateful if she got up and kept going because we desperately need compassionate thoughtful people in the world.

Ds had a lovely session with his PA at the gym. She is just so kind and straightforward.

The SW just phoned to ask whether DD1's car is automatic. Yep, it is, but under 25s can't drive it and it's massive.

Well that worked! Although a bit suspicious how my friends can be sure that she is compassionate and kind - she assures me she tries hard to be. 😀

@Tulipandmagnolia Sorry to hear about DH’s redundancy, but if funds allow, it could have its positives? I have noticed over the years, friends with SEN children tend to develop chronic health conditions - so, with DH being retired, it could give you a chance to share the load or more time for some enjoyment in life!

(We have wfh since Covid and do less and less paid work)

RedRegular and Zeonlywayisup 💪to the power of the geese.

BlueandWhitePorcelain glad you got to see the Parthenon. I hope the sciatica doesn't spoil your enjoyment of the rest of the trip.

Tulipsandmagnolia DH's redundancy will be a big change for you all but hopefully not a wholly negative one.

@Tulipandmagnolia I'm really sorry to hear about your DH's job. It's great that retirement is an option, though.

@BlueandWhitePorcelain oh no! Sciatica is not what you need.

Shifting DS medication from 8pm to 6pm seems to have helped - we're down from 5-7 confusions per week to about 2. So that's good.

Thanks all. DH has to decide asap if he will volunteer for redundancy and he found out what that amount is likely to be and it was more than he expected so he told his manager he wants to volunteer. He was planning on retiring in a year / two years / three years anyway and we've done calculations and its fine to do this and retire now. He seems happy now he's had time to think about it and discuss it. He works from home a lot so that won't be much different but will be nice for him not to have the stress of working and for me to have him to do things with all the time. We have plenty of house and garden projects and he has a classic car and lots of people are retired here. He did say to me yesterday we could go out with DS all the time which would be lovely but is fantasy land. The cat will be very happy.

That's brilliant news. Such a subtle shift, too.

@Tulipandmagnolia it’s about time things went well for you guys. WFH is a funny thing that runs a different energy to living in your home. If DH’s thoughts are to go out with DS then run with it, the shift to not working might bring new energy to you all (although your DD already has so much energy). New chapter for the Tulips

@drspouse that’s good to hear.

Over the next 5 and a bit weeks, DSs have 48 exams between them. I have decided now is not the time to tackle my comfort eating.

Good luck @scoopofmintchocchipicecream i hope you can all make it through in one piece. When DD1 did her GCSE’s its was horrid she did 10 GCSE’s so it was 25 exams in a really crappy bottom 20% of the country comprehensive where multiple teachers had left at Easter so support was light to put it midly.. even the head was leaving. How she passed them all I have no idea in hindsight but she just kept going some how. It really is bonkers as they just don’t need that many exams. I’m glad DD2 just has one in June now and then hopefully 4 in November if she can cope.

@scoopofmintchocchipicecream you're completely hardcore! DD3 has 5 and I'm dreading it.