Babies Born ~ September 2007 #75

[AnyDream]

How are all my lovely September mummies tracking these days? I know the thread is getting progressively quieter, I'm sure we've all got huge lives going on these days, but I do think about you all often.

Arte - I LOL'd about W being born knowing about $$$. Some kids just do. Even now H is permanently baffled by her complete lack of funds, while E knows her piggy bank balance down to the exact cent. PMSL

Arte, it's awesome you're getting compliments about your gorgeous kids' behaviour. We all know you've done some very hard yards on very little sleep, so it's a really positive reflection on your efforts! LOL at the bonus bagpipe party. My E thinks there's an entire suburb of Radelaide named after her (excitment every. single. time. she hears it on the telly).

Re E, they don't have a school nurse thing here (I don't think). There was a kindy health check before she started school, but that was before all this happened. She's a bit more settled now that DH is back, but I'm still not convinced about her ears. They are doing swimming this week as school - which might give them a bit of an extra wash - and she gets a stick of gum to chew every morning (to promote eartube drainage through the jaw action). I think I might have to suss out whether there are any positive psychology programs for her, she does have that tendency towards anxiety - but she holds it in (so other people are oblivious to the fact that she's wigging out on the inside). Her teacher is lovely this year, and E seems to be doing well academically (ie, just jumped from reader box 11 to 16 in one fell assessment), but I've booked a parent teacher interview anyway, specifically to talk about this anxious/perfectionista streak.

Cass, are you going ok? Breakdown of cognition is a good sign you need more sleep or relaxation pool-side or at least some kind of chocolate binge. Massive hugs re family poo-poo-heads. Hang an imaginary ba-gua mirror on the front of your aura so that hate just bounces straight off. I guess the move was always going to be a huge transition - and the sting is that the change process is never over as quickly as we want it to be! I've always found the 3-month mark to be pretty gruelling - I've never really settled in by that point but I think I expect that I should have. Give it time. Make yourself a vision board or a brain-map or something of what you want your life to look like... and then do something to take a tiny achievable step towards that.

Re the less-than-ideal school. OK, drawing deep on my lived experience here: during my childhood, I attended 3 kindies, 6 different primary schools, and (thankfully only) one (less-than-ideal) high school - and educationally I turned out pretty damn ok. Once I'd mastered learning to read in prep, and had left the painting drawing and singing of lower primary behind me, I was pretty much bored ****less for the remainder of primary school... BUT what kept me going was the exploration I undertook in my own time. I *know* for certain that you live a full and interesting life with your little family, you expose them to a huge variety of sensory and cultural experiences and people. Seriously, that counts for more in your children's brain development and learning than all the high-end pedagogies on the planet. Sure, strive for improvements if you can, but take the angst/pressure off yourself. Your kids will be ok, and more than that they will thrive, just because of the fantastic family they are a part of. xxx

[Cassius2]

ok, and now you have me sobbing happy tears MD. Your words have brought me alot of comfort. from the aura shield idea...(duh, why'd i not think of that??!!) to the school. I think I do need to have more faith in our little family to help guide her through. and it is by no means a poxy school...just different ITMS. I guess if we keep reiterating our values then it might just work out.

[AnyDream]

Extra hugs

[Artechim]

Cass, sorry your family are being ****s. My words of wisdom are nowhere near as lovely as MD's, but I find it helps to remember that some people are just ar$eh0les.
And again MD is far wiser and right on the money on the school front.

I am preemptively with you on the foot stamping about making new social circles. Part of me just can't be bothered really. I already think I won't get so heavily involved with the kindy/playgroup scene. But I have to do something or I am going to be hanging out with the IL's a lot!

MD, W was like that with the anxiety - appears fine and dandy to everyone else but bottles it up. He seems to be loads better now and it really only presents when we are somewhere different (i.e. my hell trip to hometown the other week).

Thank goodness daylight savings ends this weekend. It is good while it is good but these last couple of weeks have really dragged - everyone keeps sleeping in and then the morning routine is rushed even more than usual and then they won't go to sleep until late.

[AnyDream]

I'm with you both on the footstamping too. Arte, it's still worth getting in on the playgroup/kindy stuff, even if you're more selective about it, because some of those networks transfer over to the school as well. And if not that, think about if there are any interests you would like to develop, or some ways in which you can volunteer. Everyone *loves* volunteers and there are lots of social benefits to that too.

Good to hear W is less prone to anxiety now - it's tough all round I think.

Also pleased that it's the end of daylight savings. It's my pettest pet hate - it saves absolutely bloody nothing & in fact actually costs us more (extra hour of cooling every afternoon all summer long = big buckaroos to the electricity suppliers). GAH. But the weekend we get the hour back is the one I love the most .

Getting excited today, we're going to the movies to see the Lego Movie, and I've bought some new Lego goodies as well. Everything is AWESOME!!! LOL

[Artechim]

MD, you will have to tell me if the lego movie is good. One of the good things about new town is that it has a movie theatre. We can actually go to the movies without it being an expensive day trip.

Well, just when you think you are winning something seems to come and slap you in the face. My friends across the road that have a daughter going to W's school and that we car pool with have decided to homeschool and A was visiting today and I found out W was part of the reason. Apparently he is the leader of the boys and the school bully I had no idea and it was a big kick in the guts. He was bullied quite badly last year and those kids have gone now and it seems he has filled the gap. We had a talk and he said he didn't ever think about it making them sad. I am really failing at this motherhood thing. I have absolutely no idea how to teach him normal social behaviour. The lack of empathy is astounding. The other week apparently he was playing tug of war with this girl, let go of the rope and then when she whacked her head on the wall he laughed! What kind of kid does that! What kind of mother raises a kid like that! I am in over my head and have no idea what to do with him. Around adults he is a lovely kid, it is just the kids that are slightly younger and in particular girls that he is horrid to.

In other news, W lost his first tooth today.