Woman with a plan

Grit posted this: http://gritsday.blogspot.com/2009/06/warning-unplanned-life-ahead.html
about the recommendation in the Badman review regarding planning -

'At the time of registration parents/carers/guardians must provide a clear statement of their educational approach, intent and desired/planned outcomes for the child over the following twelve months.'

The funny thing was I've been meaning to write a post on this for ages... I started writing a reply so long thought I might as well write that post!

Several people have posted on this subject recently with negative reactions, often saying they don't and can't plan... But I see plenty of evidence of planning. Scheduled courses, that's planning! Watching a programme regularly - that's planning! Booking lessons in something - that's planning! Just because the impetus/request has come from the child (learner led - fabulous) doesn't mean it isn't a plan! I find my kids often come up with very detailed and intricate plans for stuff - it's their formulation, their topic - and yes, you guessed it, still a plan!

Planning doesn't mean not having the space for spontaneous stuff; beach if it's warm, aquarium if we can get money off tokens - is written into our planning...

Sorry. I'm trying to argue, honestly, its just... There seems to be such a negative connotation of the word 'plan' at the mo and really, it's just a description of what humans do.. Looking ahead... Considering options... We'd never have caught mammoths if we did have a didn't have an intrinsic instinct to plan, and co-operate...

I suppose I should admit that we plan. If I think about it, I like planning. It's very difficult to change your plan to suit the situation unless you have one in the first place. I like having shopping lists, a chores reminder list, planning Christmas presents, all that... We have regular family meetings where, essentially, we plan. It could be about where we want to go the next day, what behaviours everyone (and I do mean everyone - kids get to comment on Mum and Dad's behaviour!) needs to work on during the next week, or our next camping trip - everyone, adults as well as children, get valued, listened to input.

That sounds like I'm super organised, but I'm not - actually I'm dappy and scatty and absent minded, which is why shoving it down on paper appeals - then I don't have to worry about trying to remember what we did/what we discussed/what we decided to do!

Plans are what you make them. You don't want something like schools have - fine, don't have one! Have your plan as 'consulting with the children as to what topics and courses they wish to pursue and enriching with suggestions of books and other media accordingly'

If you don't want your aims and goals to be 'will be reading by 7th December at 12.45' then don't! have 'em as 'protect his current confidence in handling books, and be on hand to assist as required' (i.e., no pushing, just answer when asked 'hey mum, what does this word say' like we've done with Wig)

Job done!

Honestly, everyone plans. HEers who have decided to follow autonomy totally - that in itself is a plan. Even people who refuse to make decisions, like the Diceman - that in itself is a plan of action.

The definition of the word plan - along with imaginary planes and specific design instructions - is 'Formulated or organized method by which thing is to be done... way of proceeding' (The concise Oxford Dictionary)

Nowhere does it say that it's set in stone - no plan can be, there are so many variables that plans always have to adapt to changes in circumstance and this is specifically written in to good plans. Nowhere does it say that it has to be a certain way, nowhere does it say it has to be like another plan, like someone else's plans...

Now we come to the second bit of the recommendation I want to bring to your attention -

'Guidance should be issued to support parents in this task with an opportunity to meet local authority officers to discuss the planned approach to home education'

If anything gives you concern, it should be this bit - this is the bit that raises questions over whether there is a hidden agenda or set of criteria. Or not hidden exactly, more not spelt out yet. So I'll definitely wait and see on that bit... Although as ever I think it will come down to the individuals, the ones administering this...

Same as Health Visitors, Midwives, GPs - some you will click with and be like old friends, lots you will be able to have a workable professional relationship with without too much effort, a few you will just clash with. Which is when you have the complete legal right to request an alternative.

Don't panic boys! I've got a plan!



(In case anyone's baffled over my choice of vid, I was actually after just a straight clip of the Self Preservation Society from the Italian Job when I fell across this AWESOME video - being a die hard Dr Who fan I naturally couldn't resist - enjoy!)

The amazing expanding woman

Just an update on the pregnancy - feeling ok at the mo actually!

NOT sick (oh what a joy) tired, but in comparison, bursts of energy (the kitchen floor is clean! Really! Well, cleaner. Which isn't difficult) feeling kicks quite strongly now...

Bump is largish, but not so much I can't get into the car, in and out of the bath easily and all that...

Wig is being very cute and giving my bump lots of kisses, like he did with both Fluff and Petal :)

Oh, and I've located a DVD of that AWESOME programme on Ch 4 a few years back, of the baby's development in the womb using fab technology and all that - can't wait for it to arrive and watch it with the kids!

Bullying character...

Debs, I think it was, tweeted a link to some article which had someone declaring that-



'bullying builds character'



UGH!



First of all -yes, it can do. All that happens, pleasant or not, traumatic events and all can inform and shape us. However, what do you mean by 'builds' exactly?



Being bullied could potentially make someone 'stronger'. It could also just as easily tear character down, to keep the construction analogy.



As statistics show, the most likely thing bullying does is make bullies. Just as sexual abusers very often were sexually abused themselves as a child, and perpetrators of domestic violence very often experienced it themselves as a child, being bullied raises your chances of exhibiting bullying behaviour yourself.



So what this 'person' - no, I'm not going to bother dignifying them by finding out who it was -is actually saying is that bullying is important because it builds more bullies and heaven knows a healthy society needs lots of bullies.



Um, yeah.

Especially for you, Grit..

First of all, apologies in advance for a post peppering - have had loads of post ideas and a temperamental laptop :::rolls eyes:::: and tho i can read blogs with my phone, commenting is somewhat laborious (so I haven't been, much) and I refuse to type out a whole post on phone keys - eek!

ok, back to the scheduled programme!

I've been meaning to blog this for ages, and I'm really glad I didn't get round to it because now I can post it in reply to Grit's post about dodgy reactions from the public...

We went swimming the other day. The boys sat with Petal on a bench in the waiting room while, 10 yards away, I stood at the desk and payed. There was a queue, and the nice lady behind me (late 50's early 60's I'd say) made some comment about the kids being there, so I explained that we homeschooled. (Yes I do use that term, it works for us, apologies to those who hate it.)

Her face lit up, and she told me that she knew several families that homeschooled, and how she'd noticed that the children tended to be much more polite in an easy way, and just better at communication and social skills generally.

I told her that we were out and about a lot, so learning social skills, that is, learning to be at ease with communicating appropriately according to a range of different situations and people, came quite naturally and maybe quicker than schooled children.

She nodded, and said - "Yes, it's (home education) much better for social skills, isn't it."

I could have given her a big wet sloppy kiss, but we were both British so I didn't.

Fluff the fourteenth

Fluff's at that adorable phase of changing his clothes four or five times a day...

Sometimes it is because they get the odd splash on them because he's dropped them on the floor too close to the toilet, or because he washes his hands too vigorously, but mostly it's just because he fancies it - and suddenly is able to dress himself, like, overnight!

The nicest thing about it, really? That I find it adorable, rather than silently fuming about more washing. Really, it doesn't make much difference, especially as it's warm now, so everyone's living in t-shirts and shorts which take up much less room in the washing machine.

Maybe I'm finally really getting the whole 'just relax' thing?!

Change of pace...

It's been rather hectic round here of late (like you haven't heard THAT before) so it's been nice to stop rushing quite so much and just ease into chilling a bit more...

Some classics from round here today:

Me, giving Wig three strawberries: 'One for your left hand, one for your right hand and one for your... um... middle hand'
One ends up on the floor.
Wig: 'Oops, my middle hand dropped it!'

Roo: 'What's a gazebo? Oh I know, it's - dooz dooz dooz'
Papacrow: 'No, that's a kazoo'

Oh, and I subscribed to Enchanted Learning. I'm not a great one for 'busy work' - in fact I rather despise it - but we DO like the odd thing to colour (they're somewhat the king of printouts), and they do some great little print out books on endless topics and levels of comprehension, and sheets of things to label, and they're quite good in that the all the answers are in the info on the sheet, if you see what I mean. Plus they take pay pal, and in English money it's £12.49 which works out as roughly a £1 a month, so a great cheep supplementary resource for us. Saurus and Roo were particularly taken with the solar system books I printed out- a page for each planet with a TAB on each page! A simple thing but it made it for them, Roo in particular thinks it very grown up and sensible - a praisworthy virtue for him! Am now looking forward to when we get going on Leonardo Da Vinci and can printout colouring sheets of the Mona Lisa!

News from the trenches...

All not interested in dirty language skip this one - this is the update of Fluff's potty training!

He's been getting on fantastically. He's had one or two slight accidents when weeing - a slight miss aim and his shorts being in the wrong place on the floor - and a slight mishap pooing - out it came as he was weeing standing up. Well he's not the first for that to happen to and I doubt he'll be the last!

However, he seems to have triumphantly put that behind him, and there seems to be far less anxious on and off the toilet build up to pooing - yay!

Plus, his pullup was dry 3/4 mornings in a row last week - he was obviously getting up in the morning to wee and just pulling it down and back up again - so I suggested he didn't bother with it anymore and that was four nights ago - all fine so far, and (unlike several of the others) he's more than happy to wee in any toilet anywhere - in fact, a trip isn't really complete without him visiting the available loo!

So this has been pretty pain free for all, which has to be the ideal toilet transitional (not sure I like the word training much, on reflection) experience for all, just hoping it carries on lasting!

(This is what I WANTED to put at the end, but sadly couldn't find an audio clip for it -)

P** P* B**** B** D******
Flanders & Swann
Ma's out, Pa's out, Let's talk rude!
Pee Po Belly Bum Drawers.
Dance in the garden in the nude,
Pee Po Belly Bum Drawers.
Let's write rude words all down our street,
Stick out our tongues at the people we meet,
Let's have an intellectual treat
Pee Po Belly Bum Drawers.

Sunday again on CBC,
Pee Po Belly Bum Drawers.
And Norman Mailer is coming to tea,
Pee Po Belly Bum Pants!A
lan Ginsberg reads on and on,
But we're having a happening when he's gone,
Come to the party in the john,
Pee Po Belly Bum Drawers.

Disney's planning a double bill,
Pee Po Belly Bum Drawers.
Christopher Robin meets Fanny Hill,
Pooh Bear Belly Bum Drawers.O
n stage and screen we can all work hard,
Throwing toilet rolls in our own backyard,
Who's afraid of the avant-garde?
Pee Pee Po Po Belly Belly Bum Bum,
Pee Po Belly Bum Drawers.

What gets the prizes and wins awards?
Pee Po Belly Bum Drawers.
What did Prince Phillip tell the Lords?
Well, never mind that.
At Oxford and Cambridge, and Yale and all,
and at Berkely, they really have a ball,
'cos the higher the brow, the harder they fall,
For Belly Belly Bum Bum Belly Belly Bum Bum Pee Po Belly Belly Bum Bum,
Pee Po Belly Bum Drawers.

However, failing that, this is quite good too!

Wig and Mum and Dad go to the hospital...

Thanks for every one's kind thoughts and words and wishes - Wig went into our local hospital for a minor day surgery on Friday, everything went completely fine and we were back home in the early afternoon.

I must say, I was very impressed - not only was everyone lovely, but there were lots of little things that I thought were very good - for example, not only the Consultant (who we'd already met) and the anesthetist came up to the ward to see us beforehand, but also the two nurses who work in the recovery room, so their faces wouldn't be strange to Wig when he woke up from the anesthetic - it was also clearly explained to him how he'd go to sleep in one room and wake up in another.

There was a folder on the bed with FAQ and the ethos of the ward and naturally I read it from cover to cover - things that stood out for me, was how, in the over night admittance beds, there's a camp bed with each one for a parent or parents to sleep in, and 'if you usually sleep in with your parents we don't mind if you get in with them or they get in with you'!

Also, under rights along with the usual ones of privacy and respect - nice to see in relation to children - was 'the child has the right to have their parents with them'.

The nurse and student nurse who had been settling him, taking observations, filling in paperwork with us etc also went down to the anesthetist's room, as did I - I could stay there until he was totally under, then I was taken down to the recovery room as soon as he'd started coming round. The emphasis really was on involving us as parents in the care, and ensuring the child had the safety and security of a parent - and emphatically NOT just on paper!

I've said it before and I'll say it again - many things have changed over the last 20 years or so, and certainly not all of them for the worse!

Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep...

Wig is going to into hospital tomorrow for a simple, minor procedure, requiring a day admission only.

It's the optimum time (related to his age and health) to do this, and we've had excellent advice from several trusted sources.

However logical though, the thought of general anesthetic sends me slightly nuts so I'd appreciate thoughts and prayers...

My Scrapbook of the First World War

What I ACTUALLY meant to post about this evening!


Archie's War: My Scrapbook of The First World War, Marcia Williams, Walker Books.





OH MY GOD this is an awesome book. Found by chance by Saurus and my sister Aunty A at the library when we went all together the other day.

I know we've already 'done' WWI but I may HAVE to go out and buy this - I don't think I can bear to send it back to the library!

Please, go find it NOW!

Now you're under control...

I thought I was over with political posts.

But...

'Andy Winton, the chair of the National Association of Social Workers in Education, said: "School is a good safety net to protect children. They have access to adults who can detect behaviour and are with children who make them realise what is normal social behaviour. If parents are home-educating, that safety net is not there. We don't think home education is a route to abuse – the majority of it is brilliant – but we think there is an additional risk."'

?!?!?!?

Ok... Let's break it down... (Oh for some big dusky rappers to help me out at this point. Or snowy ones, I ain't fussy!)

'School is a good safety net to protect children.'

Oh it is? Well, we've all seen the figures of children that are in NO WAY caught in that net, and they are frighteningly high, even proportionately. I mean, c'mon, that 'safety net' has gaps in it big enough for a murderer or paedophile WHO IS REGISTERED to drive through.

'They have access to adults who can detect behaviour and are with children who make them realise what is normal social behaviour. If parents are home-educating, that safety net is not there. '

Oh. Right. Because the ONLY place where 'normal' social behaviour (oh, define 'normal' please, by the way?!) happens is in schools. It evidently DOESN'T happen in Libraries, swimming pools, karate clubs, football training academies, or church communities. Gosh my poor kids. They have no idea what 'normal' is then.

This also implies that the ONLY people with the social responsibility to protect children (other than social workers) are teachers. Which would be down right immoral if it wasn't so patently silly.

'Morgan said: " … I'm sure the vast majority of home-educators are doing a good job, "

Well you obviously DON'T think that do you? If you do, why the review? C'MON I'm not as green as I'm cabbage looking!

(oh, there's swearing in the vid below, just to warn ya)

The Bear Necessities...

We went to the Build-a-Bear workshop in the next town - sorry, it's a city now - today!

I'm sure it IS an evil corporation but we had a BLAST - we had all wanted to go for AGES, particularly Roo, and had saved up accordingly (the deal being that I'd pay for the bears, and they'd pay for clothes etc) and the staff were lovely - we can be a bit of mob due to shear numbers and a lovely girl took us all round and did everything with and for them, spoke to them nicely and was lots of fun, and the lady on the till was fab with them too.

They do parties apparently, so I guess they are used to children in numbers... Mind you, just because a place does parties doesn't necessarily mean your children will get great treatment and a great time as we've found before in the past!

The best thing - here were four boys (ok, and a girl but it was a little bit over her head apart from the hugging fluffy things and picking out shoes bits, which she excels at) ranging from 3 to 12 all glorifying in what is probably a 'traditional girls' activity, something with lots of creative and nurturing... Admittedly there are also superhero costumes and football strips available, and Roo indeed chose an army outfit for his panda, but still - I wasn't expecting Saurus to enjoy it as much as he did/is...

I have to say, to see his creativity re-emerge in the last 6-8 months has been a real joy :)

Anyone for tennis?!

I was moaning away after lunch about wanting to watch the French Open men's final - Papacrow looked at me in a puzzled fashion and told me it was just about to start on BBC2!!!

I watched the WHOLE THING!!! Papacrow and the kids watched bits of it with me, and went off to the park in the final set, returning for the last few games - we had many interesting discussions about the scoring system, the two players, the potential record Federer could equal, the french language and numbers in french, languages spoken in Switzerland to name but a few!

OOO it was great! Federer was just that bit better, but it was definitely a match - a proper final - and I will definitely be watching Soderling more closely from now on.

I now can't WAIT for the Ladies competition that takes place in this town, and then WIMBLEDON! YAY! And no having rush off to school in the middle of matches - perfect :)

Lets talk about...

As well as questions, we tend to have somewhat eclectic discussions around here... Sometimes sparked off by something heard on the radio or seen or TV or by the monthly topic, sometimes just something that they come up with... This is often portrayed as a typical Home School happening, but I don't know... We've always talked about this kinda stuff!

Anyways, here's a selection, and as ever, I'd love to know the weired and wonderful things you end up talking about!

Existence at an atomic level, atoms etc

Blood - clotting, scabs

DNA, Genetics, eye colour, recessive/dominant genes

Expenses scandal - MPs, why and how they work/should work, accountability, representation, corruption, etc

Corrosion, cumulative damage, the Grand Canyon etc

Fairtrade - what it is, who makes/grows out goods etc

Telescope - how it works, refraction, lenses, etc

Solar system - planets, inter-relations, orbits, gravitational pulls etc

Greek legend of Echo and Narcissus

How checks work and why

Body temperature and regulation through sweating, antiperspirants and deodorants, very cold temperatures and frost bite, comparative survival of wounded in the Crimea and Vietnam wars and relationship to temperature.

To Vote or not to Vote, that is the question...

Well, I did, but there have been occasions where I just haven't bothered or spoiled my ballot paper out of disgust of the choice - or lack thereof.

However, I most desperately did NOT want there to be another split council (or whatever the term is) as that's been a disaster - with all of them having a huge say, too many schemes get agreed, they all put their wages up and the council tax just goes up and up, eek!

However, I did NOT vote because of the memory of suffragettes. Now I realise a lot of people feel strongly about these women who campaigned for women's rights, and I respect that and mean no disrespect or offense in anyway, and the following is purely my own personal opinion.

Suffrage duly came up in the curriculum, and I think we supposed to come away all fired up, being an all girls school. I wasn't particularly smitten at first, some personal reading soon shows how deeply unlikable the key players were. However, what sealed the deal for me was they made the mistake of going on and on about Emily Wilding Davidson, showing us the footage and so on, and acting like she was some kind of sainted martyr.

What did she do? She committed suicide at the 1913 Derby by throwing herself in front of the King's horse.

Now, I recognise how desperate these women felt about it, that although the movies and shakers were by and large upperclass, how they really were fighting for all women, and how there was terrible oppression, how awful the treatment was they were subject to in jail such as forced feeding, etc etc., and what a horrible death to be trampled to death by horse is..

BUT - what would be Evangelists usually fail to point out (I went and found out through my own research) was that the horse also died.

You have to understand that I was a teenage girl, completely obsessed with horses above all other things... That was it for me, I completely rejected feminism in all its forms.

And I must say, my view hasn't changed... I'm interested in EQUALITY - NOT for men and women, or black and white, but for ALL, irrespective of gender or sexuality or colour or height or age or... You get the idea!

Anyway, I voted - I voted in memory of all those people who, in the past in this country, and in the present in other countries, were not able to vote, are not able to vote without the risk of being bombed or shot at or murdered.

And I voted in privacy and kept my vote secret (I also steadfastly refuse to register for a postal vote for this reason) - oh how ANGRY those people make me that lurk outside and ask for your polling number! It shouldn't be allowed! How can we have a democracy without a free vote? How can we have a free, unpressurised uncoerced vote if it isn't secret?

Ok, how much of democracy it is when the choices are what they are is debatable, but lets leave that for another day, hey.

Rambling Round-up

Lots been going on here - we still on Astronomy which we're really enjoying. The end of May was half term, so there was no way we were going up to Greenwich Observatory then! Papacrow, bless him, is taking Friday off so I can stay home with Fluff and Petal. We may change our minds and all go, but I'm not sure Petal will enjoy all that time on a (potentially hot) train, and Fluff...

People not interested in potty talk, skip the next paragraph!

Fluff, bless him, has toilet trained himself in two days. Yes really! Of course I've been poised for the other shoe to drop, and there has been one or two minor poo issues in the last couple of days - once in his pants, but it was solid and easy to clean up, and tonight in the bath - but we have had a mild stomach bug going round the last couple of days, and it took him by surprise bless him - he was rather upset! Also, compared to the major poo issues with some of others - retention, screaming, not wanting to go on the toilet or in a nappy - he's been a breeze - and he's not needed any changes of shorts for the last 3/4 days (he came out of pull-ups last Thursday). He's wearing a pull-up at night, (we agreed this together) and its dry or pretty nearly every morning.

However - a bit much to ask him to survive a train journey this early on? Even if there are those new toilets now. Especially after he's maybe a bit uncertain after the poo-in-the-bath incident.

Sooooo (people who don't want to read all about pee and poo can come back in now) I'll want to try and take Fluff and Petal somewhere else fun instead, like the miniature steam railway. I might just settle for the big park, with the swings and the slides - they both love it, it's free, and the last time I surprised Fluff with the steam trains it was a bit of howling disaster - it was a Thomas Christmas special and just too much for him I suppose - he was still only two.

To conclude! That's why the month topic round up has been later than usual, we've enjoyed having lots else going on too - programmes we've discovered like The Incredible Human Journey, and Springwatch, and all the tennis and cricket that are starting up. We also keep finding new space projects we just have to do, so watch this space!

Question...

Oh dear. We're still all here, I've been having loads of great ideas for posts and we've been doing loads of interesting things and have I posted any of them?! Have I heck!

So I'm trying now, to DEFINITELY do a post every time I come on line (which is most nights).

So.... Weired and wonderful questions! I'm not convinced this is a home schooled child phenomenon, as ours have always asked this kind of questions, and indeed BC (before children) Papacrow and I asked each other this kind of question - and still do!

So, recent ones from all of us, adults and kids around here, and random interesting facts that have taken our fancy...

Is the Eiffel Tower bigger or smaller than the Empire State Building?
What does the word 'daffodil' mean?
What do water rats eat?
Are the inner planets of our solar system solid and the outer ones (though bigger) gas giants because the denser ones are more susceptible to the sun's gravitational and magnetic pull/field?
Does the letter A have it's own meaning other than just a phonetic sound?
How many times did Louis the 14th really change his clothes everyday?
What does the word Eskimo really mean? (not as simple as it sounds this one)

Did you know that an earthworm has five hearts and no brain?!
Did you know that the sun changes shape?
Did you know that the summer solstice is the longest day of the year? (you probably did but Roo was very taken with this one, pointing out that that's the day where should have lots to do, and the winter solstice is not good if you have lots to do)
Did you know that Cromwell had the organ from Cambridge Uni taken to Hampton Court so he could listen to it all the time?

I would LOVE to know your favourite odd questions and weired facts!