Blimey, I'd forgotten how much longer everything takes with a small baby around, luckily E and H are being very patient, and enjoy baby L being around, which makes things a bit easier!
I'm having a general HE wobble at the moment. Partly because I can see that E could benefit from being out of the house away from all the baby stuff for a break i.e. school, but know that she would enjoy a couple of hours of it here and there, but not 5 full days a week of it! And partly because I feel/know I'm not doing anything constructive at the moment HE-wise. This is despite the fact that I keep kicking myself and saying sternly that E is only 4, and doesn't need to be in full-time education.
Our craft cupboard is well-stocked at the moment, so E has been inventing her own activities and has been very good at keeping herself busy. We're doing lots of visits to the park, library, cooking when we can, and playing with friends. This is my other issue, I need to make a big effort to find E some more friends of similar age. We have missed the last couple of local HE groups, so I need to make an effort to go to these.
H in the meantime is determined to show me how amazing autonomous learning is. She proudly showed off some scribblings earlier this week, where she had managed to scribble a round shape, announcing she'd drawn a Numberjack, Zero! She had also brought me a puzzle piece on another occasion with a '3' on it, and she told me what it was! She's cottoned on to the fact that writing actually means something, and points to words and asks what they say, then makes up her own meanings for each word.
Any advice on how to get back on track gratefully received!!
6 years ago
it sounds like you are on track to me!
ReplyDeleteif you want to feel like you are doing more, how about readalouds that you can share with all your children, that might then spark activities for your oldest?
But if she's only 4, the craft and the playing will be giving her pretty much all she needs :)
I totally agree with Jax - but even if you can't shake the feeling that you should be doing something more structured, it's OK to take a couple of months off to adjust to the new baby. Even schools take holidays, and sometimes long ones!
ReplyDeleteIf E could do with some time away, try looking into extra-curricular stuff. Rainbows, Tumbletots, stuff where you can leave her (or wait for her) for an hour or so, rather than whole days.
:-)
You, and E, and H are doing fantastically! Cut yourself some slack! You have only missed one HE group, so don't' stress about that. Just enjoy L - he's brand new and part of the girls' growing up and learning is going to be about learning how to absorb him and the new changes into their family and lives.
ReplyDeleteWhat would you be saying to me if I'd said or written what you did? Look at your family objectively - both your girls are doing great on 'not doing anything constructive at the moment HE-wise' - if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Structured things are, IMO, for the parent, not for the child - so the parent feels happy that 'things are being done'. Katherine's got my copy of How Children Learn At Home, but borrow it when she's finished. And try that book Doing It Their Way that I keep seeing you looking at when it's at the HE group! ;-)
Friends - well as you know, I've had that issue. E may well be fine at Rainbows, knowing her - get her down on a waiting list asap though. And maybe get meeting up with some other HE families, the children of whom E's got on well with at the HE groups?
Thanks everyone for the supportive and helpful comments! I've been getting on much better through the week now, and feel much more on the ball! I've been doing quite a bit of research into groups/activities locally that E, and also H might enjoy joining in.
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