My little schooler

Friday is upon us thus marking the end of the first full time week in reception class for my little lion cub.  He has got used to the notion that he goes for the full week but is still surprised and joyful when he gets to wear his ‘normal’ clothes and not go to school; needing reassurance through questioning if he get the WHOLE day off school, “yes love, you even get TWO WHOLE DAYS off.”  I am also joyous as I feel the school get the best bits of him during the week and I get the hungry, tired, non-listening, emotional bit at the end of the day.  

The school routine provides so much for them to remember before they even get started on learning; where to put scooters, drinks bottles, bags, coats, lunch packs, P.E. Kit and that is just within the first five minutes of them walking into the classroom! I know they become used to the routine but it feels like a huge expectation on a four year old.  Thus I am very forgiving and responsive when he comes out of school at the end of the day, gives me a huge hug and says “can we go home now” which is normally followed by sitting on the sofa in a zombie like state for 30 min watching Peter Rabbit and Octonauts.

Having school aged children seems to make your weekend feel all the more precious (this proves difficult when my husband works at least 2 weekends a month) however I am purposefully holding off doing very busy & highly sociable activities in awareness that this is probably the last thing his brain and body needs.  Playing with your own toys in your bedroom without any schedule and pending routine is what is more definitely needed in these early days of schooling even if this is not what you want to be doing as their parent.

Snuggles and time spent just ‘being’ are high on my ‘agenda’ for their WHOLE TWO DAYS OFF….before us parents have to start the dreaded Sunday evening uniform ironing, shoe cleaning and pack lunch making rigmarole…again and again and again.

 

The post school zombie state (completely unaware of my presence!)

Bug Bare or bear

I have just had my three boys all weekend while my husband has worked and it does feel like a ‘task’ or ‘challenge’ to get through the weekend with minimal stress and maximum enjoyment and fulfillment, some weekends definitely feel more like survival and others more like a pleasure but in reality they predominantly fall somewhere in the middle of the continuum.  I feel very fortunate that I have a husband and one that does not stay away from home with work, however do dislike the weekend work.  

Now the monkey, lion and zebra in my life do not with a capital DO NOT conform, perform or do anything without gusto, noise and enthusiasm…and I love this trait (although this does not elude me from feeling challenged and exhausted by it) but to put it plainly people sure do know when my children are around.  They are also very polite, caring and very loving and affectionate children. To cut to the chase I have found this weekend that I have managed to encounter far too many people staring, eye rolling and making those comments under their breath that are very clearly audible!!! and to be really honest it makes me feel upset that there are still people who expect children to behave impeccably and with very little noise and really in the way that THEY want them to behave and it would appear it is okay for them to pass judgement on my children and my parenting within minutes of being in the same public space.

We were in the village library which is i can assure you in the size of a small toilet block and my children were choosing books with excitement and interest, to be criticised by a lady in her older years who had just arrived to return some books…I wanted to say ‘I can hear you, you are only 2 metres away…and not as quiet as you think you are!’ 

This afternoon my eldest two boys had found two rather large sticks that under instruction sensibly carried around the supermarket…we bumped into a friend (who also has three children, but had been able to free herself of them to come shopping!) she redeemed the negative comments of the weekend by praising my ability to ensure that all children still had two eyes and this was all that mattered! 

And we are all still in one piece…I am thankful that tomorrow will bring some time for me to be child free and yes, “I have got my hands full” with three children and “I do know I have got them” and they are bloody brilliant…think of a new comment, bored of those now….(are you going to try for a girl is NOT an acceptable alternative!!)

 

Bug beared/bared…..and relax!!!!