It’s just been one of *those* days today really. Kids were hard work, my mother was hard work and my grandmother was hard work. I made a phonecall which was hard work and frankly when you’re working this hard you kind of expect to at least get a lunch break or a paycheque at the end of it. Or at least be able to go for a wee without company. Ah well! 🙁
My Granny was on top form today, she ‘tested’ Davies by asking him things like ‘whats 2 plus 2’ and asking him if he knew his ‘abc’ 🙄 then when I explained about how we don’t do that because abc is just alphabetical order and learning 2 plus 2 by rote is actually utterly pointless unless the child cares/understands/appreciates the revelance of two whats plus two whats is four whatevers it is once again, parrot fashion learning. OK I’m not belittling abc or 2+2 but why can’t people get into their thick heads that actually while that is not irrelevant as such there are far greater things to be filling children’s heads with. I really thought she’d grasped and understood what I was getting at with autonomy and formalised learning and so on last time we spoke but it would appear not. 🙁 She went on to ask what I was ‘teaching’ him at the moment and during what hours did we do sit down learning. I explained, possibly with slightly less patience and probably rather defensively that it doesn’t work like that either and actually got fairly arsey when she started driving further home with her point and asking what was ‘recommended’? By whom FFS!!!! ARGH!
Anyway (returns from cupboard under the stairs having chanted safe and warm, calm blue ocean, cool wet grass 27 times and returned breathing and pulse rate to within normal parameters once more) she then got caught up with my Mum in a big debate about John’s funeral, what his will had consisted of and all sorts of rehashed old ground. At which point I buggered off into the kitchen with the children and made snickerdoodles. Again. Which failed to rise. Again. All the while wondering why I was listening to my grandmother and mother having the same arguments they’d always had and I’d always listened to since childhood, only this time I was hiding out in my own kitchen. 🙄 Granny left and Mum stayed.
Davies was on a real loud and crazy roll today so I was trying to keep him in check by pulling out a constant round of things to try and keep him sitting down and occupied. We tried marble runs, we tried geomags, I suggested puzzles, drawing, all sorts and nothing worked. Scarlett did remember yesterdays 100EL letters but failed to get the hang of t today. We ended up doing some hama beads, Scarlett soon lost interest but D stuck it out and created an aeroplane of his own design, completed a chick from the pattern book and finished an egg that I had started.
So, in all it was probably an ok day really, and given the amount of emails flying about tonight and IM chats I am having while trying to compose this post, coupled with the several glasses of restorative wine I have consumed it is all looking so much better. So I’ll predict tomorrow will be a better day and be done with today for now!
I was thinking about you and your Granny today in the car, because you hadn’t mentioned her for a while – and then I came home to see yesterday’s blog that you were going to see her today! Perhaps I picked up your psychic emanations today 🙂
Am rolling eyes in sympathy at her ‘educational’ questions 🙂
Comment by Alison — 09 March 2006 @ 12:39 am
I hate it when people do that. Actually, as they get older, a lot of KIDS seem to do it. Hannah got given a hard time by a little shit on a campsite last year “testing” her on stuff.
Comment by Joyce — 09 March 2006 @ 8:19 am
I”m definitely lucky with my parents that they don’t do that and in fact after being a bit “hands off dubious” for a while, the Tudors and now the reading has convinced them. Plus they’ve worked out that the benefit of HE is they get to see more of the kids!
Max’s gran on the other hand, is a complete pain about it at times; at Xmas she asked Fran “what is mummy teaching you in lessons at the moment?” and Fran looked so gormlessly at her that i did wonder if in fact Fran thought i ever helped her learn anything! 🙄
Glad you felt a bit brighter in the end anyway 🙂
Comment by Merry — 09 March 2006 @ 8:37 am
We haven’t told all our family what we do! Can’t be arsed with the questions. Lots of half terms these days!
Comment by Roslyn — 09 March 2006 @ 8:57 am
Ros! I thought *I* was secretive! Even I couldn’t carry that one off. ROFL
Comment by Joyce — 09 March 2006 @ 10:42 am
Oh dear Nic! I can sympathise with the yearning for a lunch break adn a wee in peace!!! and I have no idea why your snickerdoodles won’t rise… maybe you need to come visit and we can have a joint effort 😉
Comment by Katy — 09 March 2006 @ 9:17 pm