Dreading my kids homework

So in our home at the moment it seems that magnetic darts seems to be the game at the moment, that we took it away as punishment for a bit today, but then my son apologised and got it back.

As I have been playing magnetic darts for almost the entire week, realised how crap I am at maths and it got me thinking,

What am I going to do when he starts to bring home his maths homework ?

He has had worksheets which have included maths so far this year which have been easy to do,

but what about when he continues to go up?

Let’s face it he has quite a lot to catch up on as it is at the moment,

what about when it starts to get even harder?

I don’t stand a chance, so now I am dreading my kids homework and I hope my anxiety over it doesn’t show whilst I think of how to help him so he doesn’t end up dreading it aswell.

I watch these kids on countdown who don’t even look like they have hit puberty yet and I think,

why wasn’t I given such a brain at that age?

Why couldn’t my dad have been einstein?

But it wasn’t my dad was a dustman and a window cleaner, and when it came to needing help no disrespect to my father, with homework it was always my mum who we’d go to.

So it looks like I may have to see if I can in some way in my dreams get in touch with Carol Vorderman or Rachel to get some help because I am already getting anxious to the fact that me and maths are not a good mix because like my sense of direction I don’t have any.

Thank the lord for calculators as face it I would have been lost without one, and I was the kid in my year who got a U in my maths GCSE the only one in my year to do so, so that sums it up.

How I got a job working in accounts for two years or so is beyond me but I did learn a lot more about maths than I did at school and even now it baffles me of how that happened.

Life has a funny way of putting you through working in an industry you know you are not good at, until you reach your dream job, but that’s life.

Anyway am thinking I may have to go over my maths to try and help for when my son brings more challenging homework so I am some what prepared.

With parenting you can’t really plan but you can prepare yourself for such hurdles.

If you have any tips on how to help a child with their homework fill free to share as all help is very much welcomed.

Many thanks for reading,

 

Carrie X

 

 

 

Adventures of Parenthood

Parenting however you try to prepare yourself can often knock you for six, and there is always something that will crop up that baffles me.

Example my son finds that playing with a sock just as entertaining as playing with a ball, going on how many balls and toys he has.

When they decide not to eat one day, but when their isn’t that much food in the house they suddenly what to eat a feast.

I do feel like banging my head against a brick wall, and no matter how organized you become there is always that one thing that item you end up forgetting for school or when we plan to go out for the day.

You can never watch any T.V in peace if you do it is always disturbed by a child needing the toilet or they are hungry again or they want to dive on you.

When I want to do some writing is when my son decides he wants to play tennis or play catch in the hallway when we have a garden to play out in.

When it is lovely and warm outside like yesterday, and we planned to go the park, on this occasion my son wants to play indoors. As mentioned in a previous blog I am very grateful for the person who invented magnetic darts as this ends up being played most of the afternoon and evening.

When you are cooking dinner they decide that the kitchen is perfect place to play about in.

Ummm no….I do not fancy a trip up A and E or have to call in the fire brigade. 

They start to use bad language however you try and curve it, but they suddenly use it as a way to interrupt a school assembly and it so happens to be your child.

Henry this morning decided that he wanted his tablet, no other morning has he asked for this, but today as we move to the end of another week decided he would scream blue murder because he couldn’t have it.

So I just said “You can have it, but when we get back home later” and just kept repeating it up until we got to the school gate and then he was fine and went into school with no further problems.

Kids will scream out, but in a way you want kids to still express themselves but when they kick off all you want to do is run yourself. Of course not a option but boy I do feel like it on some days.

With children there is no stopping them and you just have to get through each day the best you can, and ignore the adults who may give an opinion on what they should be doing, at the end of the day I don’t always want to do school work when I can be having fun playing, that’s life isn’t it, so just do what you can and remember to stay safe.

Many thanks for reading,

 

Carrie X

How do you stop yourself going insane when parenting during Lockdown

So many kids have returned to school and many aren’t and as a fellow parent it can be very hit and miss, to the point the only one having a tantrum and screaming into a pillow is you.

Kids don’t come with remote controls and what you see is what you get, not that and I am going to repeat this, don’t love my son because I do but they can be very hard work. When Henry doesn’t want to do anything he won’t and in fact he can often do the exact opposite.

Sometimes I feel this is pay back from when I was a defiant child and often got smacked as a child, not saying I smack Henry, but I was often being told off and so feel this is natures way of saying “here’s your pay back time for being a disobedient little mite yourself”.

So how do you stop yourself going insane when parenting during lockdown. Some may say do a run, but that isn’t always possible, as they usually come running after you, and then they think that this is the new game for today.

Oh and apparently there is a National Parent Day. Well F**k me, that should be 365 days a year not just one day.

This National Parent day is on the 26th July this year, but surely it should be 365 days a bleeding year, rather than one day. The Queen gets two birthdays, oh and yeah okay we get mothers day and fathers day that’s just gone, but we should get a day every day.

Thankfully he does go to school for half a day at the moment, and is staying an extra half hour tomorrow, hallelujah.

Parenting doesn’t stop just because of Lockdown, so we have been playing lots of Countdown and Magnetic Darts for the second part of the day and did go to the park today, which is my saviour at the moment, along with repeats of Tipping Point, up until bedtime.

This allows him to learn about numbers, but to say I am bad at maths is well beyond me so I am going to be stuck when he goes up a class and gets more maths homework. I hold my hands up now and say “I don’t stand a chance” I was the only in my year to get a U in maths, so that sums that up.

At the moment though it is simple homework one that I can do if he asks me, but he is too tired at the moment to do any but we do try to do a bit each day.

Don’t beat yourself up if on one day they don’t do any because lets face it, by the time you have played, had dinner, got them to bed, it is time for you to have some down time and so we as parents deserve to grab some time to ourselves aswell.

So just do what you can do and just enjoy the evening being light for longer and take them to a park then if you don’t want to do it earlier because our local park can get quite busy and that can make social distancing tricky, so do what you can and just take each day as and when they come.

Stay safe, and many thanks for reading,

 

Carrie X

 

Keeping memories alive

Hi and welcome to another parenting blog. Here I share tips and tricks for other parents as there have been times where I have struggled as a parent and come across many dilemmas.

Now that my dad has passed away along with his Uncle Bluto my son’s dads brother, who he was very close to, have passed away it is important for me to keep their memories alive through my son and any children I may have in the future.

I want my son to know who my dad was, his grandfather even though the two of them never met, and not likely too now. Apparently speaking with my brother who was able to see our dad before he died knew of Henry as my brother told our dad about him, but is just sad that they will never get to meet.

Handling bereavement is tough but I do believe that you should try and explain it to your children as I had loads of questions to ask about it when my dad’s parents both passed away when I was younger.

Show them photos like I have done with our son, and it was funny how quickly he knew that was his Grandad Robert. I am going to start celebrating my dads life each year, by doing a something special, as I want my dad memory to be kept alive.

• Get your kids involved by still celebrating the loves one that have passed on birthdays and get the kids to make cards for the occasion, and light some candles.
• Create a scrapbook with their pictures and memories alive.
• Do a display with their picture and letters or cards from them with flowers and a candle to celebrate.
• If you have a love one who is dying create a video of them to look back on, of course a bit tricky with lockdown but if they have a carer ask them to see if they would do this for you.

It can be anything just do whatever you feel will help your children remember them and to know them aswell.

Many thanks for reading,

 

Carrie X

 

Taking a well earned break and stop guilt tripping

The one thing I hate is guilty tripping, where some adults non-parent or another parent around you judges you for the way you parent your child, and I am like give me a break, at the end of the day I spend most of my afternoon’s with my son, but today I wanted to do something different, yet some how this is wrong.

Sorry but we all deserve a break and so this is mine, why is that so terrible?

I get that my son wants to play, but I have work to do, just like the next person, so why should you guilt trip me, when all I am doing is catching up on my work?

With children they have to learn about boundaries and that is mummy will play but there are times that they will need to play on their own for sometime whilst mummy does some work.

Once mummy has finished her work then she will play.

Some times as I keep saying when it come to parenting, you do what you gotta do, and sometimes that means your child playing darts on their own or have them write a letter to someone whilst you write some of yours.

Home schooling does take it toll, especially when your kid has other ideas of what they would like to do.

So getting them to read a book whilst you read your book once they learn how to read on their own, is sometimes the only way to have some good quality time for yourself.

Everyone deserves time for themselves so stop judging other parents and guilt tripping other parents because with children they are all are different, and so what works for one parent doesn’t mean it will work for them, it all depends on the child.

Many thanks for reading,

 

Carrie X

 

When kids just won’t go to bed

Hello and welcome to another parenting blog.

I felt I needed to write this after battling with my son to stay in his bed. Tonight he had decided he would play up, so at the moment please don’t judge but it seems to be the only thing keeping in bed, is that he is watching his tablet.

I tried reading a story but he just used this to play about even more and kept changing his mind of what story he wanted.

When kids won’t go to bed you can end up having a tantrum of your own and be like “Why oh God why?” when I am very tired being up at 5am this morning so the day has been a long day, and yet my little dude decides he will play up.

You just have to do what you gotta do at the end of the day and I know tablets are not great for bed time but when it is the only thing that is making him stay put sometimes you just have to give in.

Please check a blog post I wrote a while ago about Limiting screen time for kids as giving it to him all the time can make a child unsociable and can effect their sleep.

We do have bedtime routine, where by we will have quiet time before bed and I will look after him from when he comes home from school, and do different activities whilst we watch our favourite quiz shows, and then after dinner then we will start getting him ready for bed, which is brush his teeth, go to the toilet and then read a book or watch some TV in bed.

I just checked on him and yes he is finally a sleep.

So this means I have the evening to myself which means I can work on my blogs or books, watch a bit of Youtube, listen to some music or an audiobook.

I don’t know what I would do without these pleasures and I got to say when you become a parent you see them more of a blessing than before child.

With kids come sacrifices and yes I do love my son, but at the same time some times it takes it toll, and all I want to do is hide away and say,

CAN SOMEONE TAKE OVER PLEASE

Especially when they decide that they won’t brush their teeth, have a bath or go to sleep.

You just have to grab the bull by the horns and do the best you can.

I used to play lullabies to help my son sleep which again some mothers would shake their heads at but at the end of the day if it helps them sleep I am all for it.

So do what you can and try to have a bedtime routine if you can as I find this does help when getting kids to go to bed.

Stay safe everyone and many thanks for reading,

 

Carrie X

 

 

 

Getting kids to talk about school

So it has been two weeks since Henry returned to school, but getting Henry to talk about school can be very hit and miss.

Here is what to do when getting kids to talk about school,

• Don’t bother wait until they tell you, as they usually decide to talk about school on their terms not on yours
• Never ask open questions as you can hit a brick wall
• The nearest I can get is from my son is what he had for his lunch which at the moment seems to be the same thing everyday
• They are too knackered to care about talking about school so wait until they have slept before asking
• Usually Henry is too hungry to care about school and gets hangry
• He wants to do face time during the only time I get to watch TV when he comes home from school
• They find playing with a balloon more interesting than anything to do with school
• Use bed time as an excuse to cause havoc

Henry will say things about school like a copy a prayer or song that they have been taught, or ask about a school friend.

If you can’t get much out of them about school don’t be disheartened but they will when they are ready to.

Many thanks for reading,

 

Carrie X

Things I have learned being parent

Parenting comes with many dilemmas and challenges but let me tell you, you can get through them.

Here are my top twelve dilemmas you may face as a parent:

• You can’t win sometimes and feel like you are fighting a losing battle
• There is no right or wrong way of parenting it is whatever works for you, of course with no violence. It can be more them hitting us as the parent
• You feel like you have hit a brick wall
• Avoid wearing white or black can end in tears, never wear your best outfits
• Washing quadruples and feels never ending
• Food still ends up everywhere
• They can stay at home until they are 40
• You can end up with Piles after child birth and they bloody painful
• They can have pooh explosions any age
• School run is never stress free
• Tantrums can last up until they are 16 years of age

If you have any dilemmas that I have included then please comment below.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Busy days and School days

As much as I am happy Henry is now back school the school days are busy days. There is no getting away from it, however much we try.

Good thing there is tea and coffee because as soon as I do the school drop off I want a cup and get desperate for one because it can be so full on, that come the weekend I am done with it.

To prepare for school days I try to get as much done the night before as I can and as soon as the 6 weeks summer holidays begin.

I try not to do anything last minute, as everything is done by email so I check for school updates on what Henry will need on his first day and week, so the first day of term and week becomes a breeze.

SO I THINK UNTIL MY ALARM DOESN’T GO OFF

If this is your child’s first year or even a new year and the school has an open day then find out when they are and go to it, because the school will tell you what to expect for each year and term.

I am part of the Whatsapp parent group, and as much as it is handy to get reminders of certain days of school, it drives me mad at the same time, and I can bet you by next week the loss school uniform begins. 

Have your child become a lot more independent as the more they can do for themselves the easier school life will be for them, unless they refuse to get dressed like it does in my house. It is a massive transition and so it is important it is made stress free as possible.

BRING ON THE CAFFEINE!

I find picking them up is the easiest part, its the dropping them off and getting them from home to school and visa versa, to be the tricky part and can lead to tears and tantrums, so pre-plan your journey and give yourself extra time, so there is no fear of being late.

Henry when we have done the school walk when I lived in Epsom to be the most testing as Henry wants to watch the planes fly over, the buses go by and if there are any squirrels around, and so by the time I get to the school I am ready to throw in the towel and say “Sod it, lets have a duvet day instead”.

I admittedly I hated school when I was a kid, that come 3:30pm I never looked back I was off and out of that dreaded classroom. Looking back I found that Primary school was lot more bearable than secondary school, because it so happens my mum worked at my Secondary school and so I would pretend I didn’t know her.

Being bullied at school I knew instantly who the potentially bullies were and kept my distance.

It was fun though taking the piss out of the teachers, but appart from English and Drama I didn’t really enjoy many of the other lessons.

I went to church schools and I loved it when we would go to church it meant we had no lessons that morning or daytime, and if we were lucky got to go home early, same with sports days.

Now my son is at school I want him to enjoy it more than what I did and he appears to love it. There is a better structure than there was when I was a kid and all kids come together rather than being against each other.

I am not saying there aren’t any clashes but the kids seem to be a lot more compassionate compared to when I went to school. At primary school a few of the teachers would walk out rather than the kids, during the school hours, as they had, had enough come 3pm.

School life was so different being back in my day, I remember praying for Friday to come as soon as Monday hit, and I remember thinking if I can sink into the duvet as much as possible my mother would end up leaving me alone. No such luck and she would be all songs of praise at first and then turn into Cruella De Vil by 8am when it was inevitable that me and my brother had no intention of getting up out of bed, however much she gritted her teeth.

Henry can be testing and I do feel when I my son doesn’t cooperate it is pay back time, but he is much more keen on going to school than I was and it is a different time of life now.

So keep safe everyone and I will blog again next week, until then many thanks for reading,

 

Carrie X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So the school run begins

Hi and welcome to another parenting blog. So the school run begins with panic and mayhem all the way.

On Monday I get a call at about 12:30pm telling me that Henry’s only doing half day rather than the time that all the other kids will be finished. So had to make a quick dash to get there and wait until my ex husband go home to take over.

I don’t know what it is but the school run seems to be so rushed even when we leave plenty of time. It’s like quick get them in before they change their mind.

Like I said in my previous post Back at School after the Lockdown that getting them dressed can be hard work. I don’t know how the Saccone Joly’s do it as they have 4 children to worry about. I don’t think I’d sleep.

I mean I would like to have more now that I have met someone else, but I think with the school run it should be done as a team sport rather than a single persons thing.

• One tip I’d give is don’t give them breakfast after getting them dressed and ready as you and them can end up wearing Weetabix , so do breakfast first with plenty of time to spare before they get ready, and this in turn makes sure they are well and truly fed
• Check the weather and traffic the night and morning before in case of any public transport issues or traffic jams 
• Put all bags, shoes and coats and anything they need to take with them, including the kitchen sink if possible, by the front door ready
• Have the kids make their own beds once old enough, so I would say from 2 years upwards. Only joking more 3 years and upwards
• Try and control your road rage however tempting it is to murder other drivers, because as my driving instructor told me, “All other drivers are idiots” so be aware of language as it can easily be picked up and used in assembly’s and classrooms if not and then you being the parent and there is no where else to go, will get the blame
• Check parking beforehand, as the moment it being the first week it is quiet but by next month I’d say it will be busy again, and will have to leave extra early again to get a space
• Dress for the weather and check forecast. My biggest floor as I am guilty of not doing this, so will have to learn to do this myself as there is nothing worse when it is pissing down with rain and you got your summer dress on and the works, but no rain jacket or anything

The school run can be stress free and the first few days are always trial and error, but you do get there.

anyway have a good day and stay safe.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X