And so to greed. Last week during a burst of active wifely mumsiness, I saw Mark off to work with a wholesome packed lunch and set about making a batch of cheese and courgette scones. By 9am I had 17 lumps of soft warm cellulite-inducing loveliness sitting on a plate screaming EAT ME - EAT ME NOW...... rude not to, so throughout the course of the day, I scoffed 14, that's fourteen (does it look less in words?) of the little buggers. Mark prised the remaining 3 from my slavering jaws, but I think that I maybe should either a) not cook these again or b) cook them again when I have several really bad mouth ulcers. In the meantime, I have decided that I had better opt for a more middle of the road idea, and so intend to employ the 'no more than two' rule. That's to include biscuits, cakes, sandwiches, glasses of wine and gurt big bowls of pasta etc etc.
Jibbing out. Today, Oliver and I had intended to take part in a living history day at the hut to do with the English Civil War. Once I saw the timetable of the day, I bottled it completely. It seemed to involve a lot of listening, which is quite dull for kids - and it went on for several hours too. I am, in the main, a 2 hours tops girl. So we haven't gone. We are at home for the day. This leads me on a gentle reminder. Oliver's desk is coming out from his bedroom to live in the dining room, where we normally 'work', so that there is not the constant shifting and shuffling of crap and cat food bowls off of the table when we want to sit down and do something. The whole making space debacle adds to the time and effort stress factor of learning at home, and quite frankly, I could do without it. So, this is a today job - and whilst clearing off his desk of the detritus which has found a loving home there, I was seized by the urge to remind him that life is not all about sitting on your arse playing DS or watching TV. Also, there are times I feel annoyed that Oliver does not choose the option to come and find me to help him start off a bit of work - since I know he is aware he is 'supposed' to be doing something 'learny' on a regular (not necessarily daily) basis. So the day ticks by, and no 'learny' stuff gets attempted. This all tends to lead to the 'home or school' conversation, which upsets him and frustrates me, since he doesn't want to go to school, and I don't want him to anyway. I am not threatening him with school, but I think he needs to be aware that getting an education is actually the law, and it's all well and good as long as he gets one not at school, but a bit of a problem if he doesn't start to recognise that he has a part to play in the home-ed scenario if it is to work.
Phew. I have tried several different ways of structuring days, and listed things I want to cover etc etc, but always we come back to doing things ad hoc. Feel endlessly guilty that I am not doing things the right way, or have not yet found the right way. Maybe there just isn't one.
Let's finish on a random pic.
That's cheered me up.
Hi Janice, so good to 'read' you again. I had a friend who home-ed her five children (luckily her mum was a primary teacher and lived next door, so maybe it was a cheat..), but she used to do 'lessons' in the mornings and the games/ activities in the afternoon. I remember she told me about making a solar system in the garden with rocks with the eldest pacing out the distances etc, while the toddlers just painted the planets instead...either way I understand how hard it must be, but I'm sure the rewards are also great. Keep up the good work!
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