It has been absolutely ages since I have written one of these, life seems to have become rather busy, hectic and tiredness on my part has crept it.
Just where this year is going I don’t know, it’s racing away far too quickly for my liking that’s for sure, Christmas is a distant memory now and Easter is fast approaching.
The children are both doing really well in school currently. Harry’s teacher pulled me aside a few weeks ago to tell me just how pleased she is with him and how hard he is trying at all his work, spellings, reading, maths and writing.
During his parents evening, we discuss how easily distracted he was and how he struggled to get any work done as he was just far too busy looking around the classroom to actually put pencil to paper. I mentioned that his reception teacher had been using a timer with him to help him focus – set for 10 minutes so he could see how long he needed to sit still and concentrate for, this has now been reintroduced and it seems to really be having a positive effect on him.
He actually wants to read his reading books – helped by the fact they get certificates in school for reading a set amount of times and I am now able to get him to sit down at home and practice his spellings.
Emmy is no longer complaining that she hates school and has stopped trying to think of an excuse every single day as to why she shouldn’t go in.
This is really helped by the continuity of her teachers once again, she had an unsettled start to the year with her teacher leaving after only being there for 2 weeks, then having other staff members cover her classes until a replacement was found. She now has 2 very nice teachers who she really likes and she is happy going in, and today she even wanted to practice her spellings and times tables ready for her mega test, something she hates doing usually.
A few weeks ago Emmy started Brownies and it is the best thing for building her confidence.
As I’ve mentioned many times, she is a shy one, likes to be with her friends only and struggles to make new ones. She doesn’t like to be in new environments especially if I’m unable to stay with her, which is why she didn’t complete any of the dance classes I had paid for when she was younger.
Her teacher suggested a drama club would be great for building her confidence but the more I talked to her about it the more it really didn’t seem a good idea. She hates being the centre of attention which is why she never puts herself forward for speaking roles in the school plays.
She has been going to Brownies for about 5 weeks now and she absolutely loves it, 2 of her best friends from school go to the same one and she knows a few other girls there too. They have ensured not to put her into the same groups as her friends but this has worked well, as she is there in the same hall with them so she doesn’t feel worried.
New friends have been made and shes always so excited to go – it’s just a pain to get her to as I don’t have access to our family car during the week.
Harry also started Beavers the same week. He absolutely loved the first 3 weeks but then was poorly last week and didn’t go and refused to go this week.
He has always been very confident, sometimes overly so so I knew he would be fine starting. This was a good thing as he didn’t know anyone else there at all, but as soon as he saw a football to kick around he waved me off and apparently smiled for the whole hour and a half.
He was full of it when he got home, they had played ‘Duck, Duck, Goose’ and had drinks and a snack so he was very happy.
This week however he point blank refused to go saying he didn’t know anyone there and not to make him go.
Of course, I would never force either of them to attend a club they didn’t want to go to.
I’m sure he does love it, so I am chalking up this week to tiredness and will see what happens next week before I tell his leader and forfeit his space.
Thankfully, for each club, I’ve been allowed to hold off on buying the uniforms until we are certain they will love it and continue, Emmy’s I will be buying next week and Harry’s I’ll hold off on currently.
Do your children attend Beavers or Brownies? What do they love most about it?
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Clare
Hi, I'm Clare (Emmy's Mummy). A former Nanny and Mother of 2 - Emmy (born February 2010) and Harry (born October 2012). We are Essex based and share our adventures and misadventures of a busy crazy life.
