I am sat eating all the snack food my kids have taken out with them today to the local home-ed social, namely fruit winders and crisps. Must at some point get a sandwich or the health police will be knocking at my door.
Since my last post on schedules a lot has happened and it was only 2 weeks ago!
M didn't want to go back to school after the half term. We discussed it and she seemed convinced she had had enough. I rang the school on the Tuesday and arranged to take in the de-reg letter. The head teacher was lovely and fine about it all. He handed me her books...and she is free again.
A week later I received a letter from Trafford, nicely asking to come and visit me at home with an EWO and the schools improvement officer...I think that is his title. It seems most LA's have a different title for the person in charge of contacting home-edders.
I politely declined the home visit but said I would meet at a local venue if it was deemed necessary, though I was capable of asking for help on anything. The thing is they state the support the LA can offer home-edders, but really what support is there??? What has anyone ever been offered?? Except home-visits and checklists?
He asked if I could send a brief educational report which I have so I am awaiting a reply. He seems a nice guy but not terribly efficient so that may be the last I hear of him.
I would like to contact him to see about home-ed kids having access to this but the funding comes through schools, so ideally I would need a school to put my dd's name on the role but not attend EVER. Not sure I can see that happening. Course I could see about getting a grant from somewhere.......
So once again I am re-jigging our days and routines. We are quite relaxed really. It seems colleges have a blanket MUST HAVE MATHS + ENGLISH statement so if a kid wants to go to college at 16 it would be worth enduring those. Tricky for my eldest though who is dyslexic and possibly dyscalculic...... but I am not sure where she is heading yet.
I do know for me, this journey has been extremely tough, heart wrenching and often lonely. I don't share my worries or fears amongst my home-ed friends. To be honest they mostly seem to be doing well and their kids not particularly struggling and few people share their journeys openly, so I am not sure they would understand, or would possibly judge me somehow. I do enough of that for myself.
Of course as I type that last section, I secretly hope no-one is reading this. I often blog stuff thinking no one is out there but maybe some day someone pops over!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
I am currently trying to re-schedule my day... but countless cups of tea get in the way.
When I was young, I used to like making schedules of what I would do and when, though my sister was better at drawing up hers, particularly for revision. Some people can't stand schedules and that is fine for them. I however like to use them, not to make myself feel guilty if I don't achieve it, but as a guideline or a little nudge of what it would be a good idea to be doing.
I had written out a schedule I was using, that included one to one study time with each kid, each day. But now M has gone to school I need to completely re-jig it. The morning school run means I am often not home before 9.30am, later if I have shopping to do.
I also am getting no chill time early in the morning. I long to sit with my brew but often I am making sandwiches whilst drinking it. So that is my mission for the next few days.
I will write up alternatives for days we have home-ed stuff on, though I am not getting to as much as the kids Dad likes taking them to the social groups, while I stay home. We also seem to be doing more after school activities so we are in more during the day. I am trying to make it fun for J though, as he has lost his playmate for a few months.
I think M is still enjoying school. I don't think she loves it nor does she hate it but I suppose it is different so she is still happy to go back after this half term. I will have to start waking her earlier though over the next few days. She struggles to get up at 8am and there is no way I could get her up any earlier than this or she would just fall back to sleep.
It is a good job I am here to get anyone up actually. I think in the summer I will experiment and see what time people naturally rise. I had to wake A up yesterday at 11am - which she was not happy about - as she has some GCSE work to complete. She has practically finished the course and I know she finds it boring but after all, she did choose this.....
I can't believe how much of my time is taken up with he kids stuff. A while back, I had time to read for an hour a day, now when I get to bed, I am lucky to manage 5 minutes. I don't think the schedule will improve this much as A needs a heck of a lot of help with her work due to her dyslexia so that takes up any free time I did have during the day but I am her parent so needs must. This won't improve much in September as D starts 3 GCSE's then, well that is the plan!
I have had many struggles with the whole GCSE thing and now realise colleges cannot think outside the box so if a very intelligent home-ed kid applies without having taken any, they will not only not know what to do with them, but most likely place them at the bottom. IMO there is no point in this but they may as well stay home and access the courses that are available to them for free at 16. Of course, when compulsory education age is raised (when is this?) it will once again make it harder for home-ed kids.
Gah, if I had the funds, mine would be doing so much more qualification orientated work than now, but that is the sacrifice you make when choosing this path. I have thought long and hard about whether to put them in school at 14 so they can sit them for free, yet my conclusion for this family is that the reason I object to schools is still there if they went at 14 and it would change our family. Yes my kids may not have the same number of qualifications but they are intelligent and we have a strong family. You can't put a price on that.
When I was young, I used to like making schedules of what I would do and when, though my sister was better at drawing up hers, particularly for revision. Some people can't stand schedules and that is fine for them. I however like to use them, not to make myself feel guilty if I don't achieve it, but as a guideline or a little nudge of what it would be a good idea to be doing.
I had written out a schedule I was using, that included one to one study time with each kid, each day. But now M has gone to school I need to completely re-jig it. The morning school run means I am often not home before 9.30am, later if I have shopping to do.
I also am getting no chill time early in the morning. I long to sit with my brew but often I am making sandwiches whilst drinking it. So that is my mission for the next few days.
I will write up alternatives for days we have home-ed stuff on, though I am not getting to as much as the kids Dad likes taking them to the social groups, while I stay home. We also seem to be doing more after school activities so we are in more during the day. I am trying to make it fun for J though, as he has lost his playmate for a few months.
I think M is still enjoying school. I don't think she loves it nor does she hate it but I suppose it is different so she is still happy to go back after this half term. I will have to start waking her earlier though over the next few days. She struggles to get up at 8am and there is no way I could get her up any earlier than this or she would just fall back to sleep.
It is a good job I am here to get anyone up actually. I think in the summer I will experiment and see what time people naturally rise. I had to wake A up yesterday at 11am - which she was not happy about - as she has some GCSE work to complete. She has practically finished the course and I know she finds it boring but after all, she did choose this.....
I can't believe how much of my time is taken up with he kids stuff. A while back, I had time to read for an hour a day, now when I get to bed, I am lucky to manage 5 minutes. I don't think the schedule will improve this much as A needs a heck of a lot of help with her work due to her dyslexia so that takes up any free time I did have during the day but I am her parent so needs must. This won't improve much in September as D starts 3 GCSE's then, well that is the plan!
I have had many struggles with the whole GCSE thing and now realise colleges cannot think outside the box so if a very intelligent home-ed kid applies without having taken any, they will not only not know what to do with them, but most likely place them at the bottom. IMO there is no point in this but they may as well stay home and access the courses that are available to them for free at 16. Of course, when compulsory education age is raised (when is this?) it will once again make it harder for home-ed kids.
Gah, if I had the funds, mine would be doing so much more qualification orientated work than now, but that is the sacrifice you make when choosing this path. I have thought long and hard about whether to put them in school at 14 so they can sit them for free, yet my conclusion for this family is that the reason I object to schools is still there if they went at 14 and it would change our family. Yes my kids may not have the same number of qualifications but they are intelligent and we have a strong family. You can't put a price on that.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Day 3 of experiment school.....
Well M has been on a school roll for 8 days now but today was her third day due to the school being shut because of the snow and M being ill. She was a bit nervous about going yesterday after a weeks break but it is always her choice. I dropped her off and when she got home later, she seemed to have had a good day because they had done art which she loves. She doesn't talk much about the work they do which is odd but I leave her to that. She did mention how she has to write about the rain forest today. I asked her had they taught her anything about it and she said no, she is just supposed to write about it!! She also mentioned how she got "told off" because a girl asked her a question while the teacher was talking and she answered! I have told her she can stay at school as long as she wants and when she has had enough to let me know. I did explain though that I am planning some trips out which we would have to do twice at weekends so she can come.
This morning I had overslept due to teenagers keeping me awake so it was rather rushed to eat, dress and get out in 20 minutes. The pavements are slippy ice now so walking to the school takes nearly half an hour. I am enjoying the ritual of an early morning walk, grab a paper and brew when I get home, but am also finding my morning whizzes by really quickly because of the hour taken up by school drop off. Oh well, I see it as a learning experiment and have the de-reg letter saved up should I need it soon!
On Monday it was D's 14th birthday. We had an arts award session at my house in the morning, which means there are no more sessions now before they have their files moderated at the end of January. Eeeek!
D mostly got cash which she may decide to spend at some point. We ordered Chinese take out and had tooo much food that evening lol. We bought cupcakes and put candles on and I got some lovely photos on my phone of her.
She has also had 2 sleepovers here and has plans to go to the cinema today and maybe shopping later. Ah, the chilled life of a 14 year old!
I have put off phoning the exam centre I am trying to arrange for A to sit an exam at, as it always seems really complicated when I call, yet I must do it today as I HAVE to book a centre. I also have to e-mail a survey A has done for people to respond to for her Sociology. I bought myself this with the idea I can make a daily list, over my brew each morning so I don't forget stuff I need to do but I am currently out of sync due to the horrible virus I had over Christmas - which may have been swine flu but didn't do a test to find out. Consequently my energy is very low and I am having trouble getting myself into gear. Hoping that improves soon.
Well M has been on a school roll for 8 days now but today was her third day due to the school being shut because of the snow and M being ill. She was a bit nervous about going yesterday after a weeks break but it is always her choice. I dropped her off and when she got home later, she seemed to have had a good day because they had done art which she loves. She doesn't talk much about the work they do which is odd but I leave her to that. She did mention how she has to write about the rain forest today. I asked her had they taught her anything about it and she said no, she is just supposed to write about it!! She also mentioned how she got "told off" because a girl asked her a question while the teacher was talking and she answered! I have told her she can stay at school as long as she wants and when she has had enough to let me know. I did explain though that I am planning some trips out which we would have to do twice at weekends so she can come.
This morning I had overslept due to teenagers keeping me awake so it was rather rushed to eat, dress and get out in 20 minutes. The pavements are slippy ice now so walking to the school takes nearly half an hour. I am enjoying the ritual of an early morning walk, grab a paper and brew when I get home, but am also finding my morning whizzes by really quickly because of the hour taken up by school drop off. Oh well, I see it as a learning experiment and have the de-reg letter saved up should I need it soon!
On Monday it was D's 14th birthday. We had an arts award session at my house in the morning, which means there are no more sessions now before they have their files moderated at the end of January. Eeeek!
D mostly got cash which she may decide to spend at some point. We ordered Chinese take out and had tooo much food that evening lol. We bought cupcakes and put candles on and I got some lovely photos on my phone of her.
She has also had 2 sleepovers here and has plans to go to the cinema today and maybe shopping later. Ah, the chilled life of a 14 year old!
I have put off phoning the exam centre I am trying to arrange for A to sit an exam at, as it always seems really complicated when I call, yet I must do it today as I HAVE to book a centre. I also have to e-mail a survey A has done for people to respond to for her Sociology. I bought myself this with the idea I can make a daily list, over my brew each morning so I don't forget stuff I need to do but I am currently out of sync due to the horrible virus I had over Christmas - which may have been swine flu but didn't do a test to find out. Consequently my energy is very low and I am having trouble getting myself into gear. Hoping that improves soon.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Happy New Year!
2010 sees the streets here with up to 30cm+ of snow. I can't actually remember now when the pavements were not covered in snow or ice. The snow is preferable as at least you can walk on parts of it, but in a few days after frosts every night it will again become difficult to walk. All the main roads here are kept clear but that is tricky if you can't get your car to access the main roads. Also on the news last night it appears the council here has 5 days of grit left and this weather is set to continue longer than that so it looks like a bad situation.
If we had snow like this yearly I think we could cope because we would have snow chains and snow gear. But because it is freakishly rare everything comes to a stand still. I have enjoyed all the phone calls this week cancelling the kids activities meaning we haven't had to leave the house in the evening. I don't mind attempting it in the day when things have thawed a bit. Although saying that at some traffic lights the other week, my brakes locked on ice and had there have been a car in front I would have crashed. It was scary but worse was I hate the feeling under your foot as it happens. I wasn't even driving fast but having no brakes there when I need to stop is not something I want to repeat.
I have had to head out daily to the shops to buy things like milk as I can't get my Mum's car out of our roads. Today's plan involves shovelling the snow in the hope the car may be able to be used again. Not least because I don't want my Mum walking to the shops. To get to the local shops you have to go up a hill then down a hill and subway, fine if you have a snowboard or skis mind!
Anyway we had a nice Christmas, marred by a virus we have all had. Symptoms ranging in severity but when I was ill with it I was worried it was swine flu and still don't know for sure it wasn't. I am on the mend now after over 2 weeks of cold, then awful cough, then high fever, aches, pains and shiver. J has had fever for his 3rd day now and M still has the choking cough but not much fever.
M actually did one day of school this week. She was excited about trying it out, I think thinking it would be like a holiday club. When I collected her she wasn't happy and I realised when I got her home, she had not eaten or drunk ANYTHING all day. The children have to leave lunch bags outside so her food and drink was too cold and left untouched. I think she will try school again but it has since been closed because of the snow, but I was keeping her off anyway as her cough is awful and exacerbated by the cold weather.
On the walk to the school we looked at some fab icicles I took a photo of, so we had done science before we even got there!
That brings me onto schools. I have a confession. I DON'T LIKE SCHOOLS.
I used to worry about saying that but now I don't. I know most people will never be able to understand my objections to it. I mean it is after all a lovely place for kids to be, where they are excited and learning all the time and socialising aren't they. Well NO actually they aren't, but my kids however, living in the REAL society with REAL opportunities are.
In fact whilst thinking about this the other day, an analogy came to mind.
If a seeing person was trying to describe colour to a person who has never had sight, although the blind person may have their idea of what colour is in their minds, they can never really truly understand what blue is, or red is. I have realised this also applies to home-educators and parents who don't. I can explain home-education and learning etc to a non home-educator, but unless they have actually experienced it for themselves they will never TRULY get home-education, they just won't.
This year is a powerful one for me. I have decided against tiptoeing around peoples feelings about me home-educating, namely my friends who don't. I am actually going to refuse to answer anymore prying questions about it as I don't pry into why they make their decisions that way yet because I do something different, somehow it is seen as okay to grill me. I also hate the awkward air feeling if you mention anything about home-education. Well I am fed up of it now and not going to play the game anymore. I am out and proud :-)
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
2 sleeps till Christmas and the ground is covered in snow...wonder if it will last and how much money the bookies are going to lose if it does lol.
The downside to the snow is how high I am having my heating turned up. I have now brought fleece blankets downstairs for when it all gets too chilly. The kids have spent lots of time playing in the snow which is great, particularly J who IMO needs to get outside and burn energy off, is doing so well now we have snow. Our road is inches thick in compacted snow and ice so the kids have taken to running up and down it with a sledge. I tried driving in the snow on the first day, down the main road before it was gritted. You couldn't even see the road markings and there was points where the car was sliding so it was not enjoyable.
Last Friday the girls performed their arts award challenge pieces in front of a small crowd. D did her dance and A did her radio play. A is particularly happy as she submitted her play to the Royal Exchange and it has been accepted by the young people's theatre group and will be performed there in May. She gets to oversee it and is looking to forward to it. If she sets her mind to it, I can see her doing really well in performing arts, she just is natural with it.
D has not been dancing for a few weeks as she seems to have a run of bad health. Not long ago she had a terrible eye infection that nearly resulted in IV antibiotics. Last Friday I took her to the doctor as she couldn't breathe and needed antibiotics again for a chest infection. She doesn't do well at this time of the year so I am off today to buy more vitamin C and echinacea.
J has had his share of ill health as he developed terrible exczema. I used some cream from the doctor to clear it up and he has since had a visit to the homeopath where he was issued tablets from a remedy that has only just been created - exciting stuff.
I also caught D's cough and cold but although it has affected my asthma slightly I am on the mend. I have recently taken up jogging 4 times a week and am happy that if I go slow enough I can do a circuit that is approximately 3/4 of a mile but could be more. I am glad the snow has co-incided with my cough so at least I have 2 excuses as to why I can't run.
Anyway, back to arts award. It will be finished and moderated by the end of Jan so the final push is on now to get all the info in the files. The girls have done the practical stuff but need paperwork in files to prove it, this they find hard yet I do not understand why. It has created stress as they sit on Facebook while I moan about putting effort in and getting results out. They are not result motivated and yet they need to be in some way or I am unsure as to what the future will hold. It is those days I find my choice to home-educated hard, but I won't go into it too much here, there isn't any point.
On Monday I had my annual Christmas party. There was about 10 adults, 20 children that all had an enjoyable time. Everyone brought food to share so we had lost of nice goodies.
Yesterday I took M,J and a friend to see Spaceship 87 at the Royal exchange. It was an enjoyable kids play but has yet to beat the Man Who Planted Trees which we just adored.
Off out shopping for milk and last minute stuff shortly. I am at the Lowry again tonight so it will be a late one as I am on sales for White Christmas so won't be in bed by 11 which Is what I need, then it will be CHRISTMAS EVE..
HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE
The downside to the snow is how high I am having my heating turned up. I have now brought fleece blankets downstairs for when it all gets too chilly. The kids have spent lots of time playing in the snow which is great, particularly J who IMO needs to get outside and burn energy off, is doing so well now we have snow. Our road is inches thick in compacted snow and ice so the kids have taken to running up and down it with a sledge. I tried driving in the snow on the first day, down the main road before it was gritted. You couldn't even see the road markings and there was points where the car was sliding so it was not enjoyable.
Last Friday the girls performed their arts award challenge pieces in front of a small crowd. D did her dance and A did her radio play. A is particularly happy as she submitted her play to the Royal Exchange and it has been accepted by the young people's theatre group and will be performed there in May. She gets to oversee it and is looking to forward to it. If she sets her mind to it, I can see her doing really well in performing arts, she just is natural with it.
D has not been dancing for a few weeks as she seems to have a run of bad health. Not long ago she had a terrible eye infection that nearly resulted in IV antibiotics. Last Friday I took her to the doctor as she couldn't breathe and needed antibiotics again for a chest infection. She doesn't do well at this time of the year so I am off today to buy more vitamin C and echinacea.
J has had his share of ill health as he developed terrible exczema. I used some cream from the doctor to clear it up and he has since had a visit to the homeopath where he was issued tablets from a remedy that has only just been created - exciting stuff.
I also caught D's cough and cold but although it has affected my asthma slightly I am on the mend. I have recently taken up jogging 4 times a week and am happy that if I go slow enough I can do a circuit that is approximately 3/4 of a mile but could be more. I am glad the snow has co-incided with my cough so at least I have 2 excuses as to why I can't run.
Anyway, back to arts award. It will be finished and moderated by the end of Jan so the final push is on now to get all the info in the files. The girls have done the practical stuff but need paperwork in files to prove it, this they find hard yet I do not understand why. It has created stress as they sit on Facebook while I moan about putting effort in and getting results out. They are not result motivated and yet they need to be in some way or I am unsure as to what the future will hold. It is those days I find my choice to home-educated hard, but I won't go into it too much here, there isn't any point.
On Monday I had my annual Christmas party. There was about 10 adults, 20 children that all had an enjoyable time. Everyone brought food to share so we had lost of nice goodies.
Yesterday I took M,J and a friend to see Spaceship 87 at the Royal exchange. It was an enjoyable kids play but has yet to beat the Man Who Planted Trees which we just adored.
Off out shopping for milk and last minute stuff shortly. I am at the Lowry again tonight so it will be a late one as I am on sales for White Christmas so won't be in bed by 11 which Is what I need, then it will be CHRISTMAS EVE..
HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE
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