mini man and his "new life"

"I can start a whole new life..."

This is what mini man says to me when i ask if he definitely wants to change schools. And it brings such a big lump to my throat and my heart hurts.

During the past 2 academic years I have heard him say amongst other things

"No one loves me.."
" I am stupid"

and the worst

"I wish I was dead.."

To hear that from your child is the worst feeling in the world. I child should not even have these kinds of thoughts, and all because a few  kids try to make his life a misery because he is different. He is kind, he likes to wear his hair long, he loves to read.......

I have worked with the system and gotten no where. And I am so happy we go this transfer, he starts after Easter on the first day of the summer term. We had our admissions appointment at the new school, and it really is a lovely, small school (148 pupils). The atmosphere is fantastic, and very positive, we got took around every classroom, and it was lovely to see the children happy. The school gives them so much responsibility, lots of extra curricular activities, and has zero tolerance on bullying.

We left with a prospectus, and he read every page over and over again, and when I asked if he was excited he said it again

"I can start a whole new life..."

I really hope this school will give him the opportunity to be himself without feeling that somehow being himself is just not good enough, or wrong.

Job centre single parent interview......

well I had my 6 month single parent interview at the Job centre today. Many of you may know that when i took redundancy, part of the terms was that I could not work for another Acadmey school, attached to my own for 2 years, and also I could not work at another school for 4 months from my redundancy taking effect, which was September.

There were many reasons I took redundancy, the little redundacy pay woudl allow me to make a change in my life, not only for my children, but also for my emotional health, another was i wanted change, and my colleagues did not, by myself and another taking redundancy their jobs were safe. And the main reason being,  with 3 munchkins and no support from family I was finding it increasingly difficult to care for the Munchkins, and something had to give.

I dont knock anyone who decides to work when single, I have worked full time and part time, but with no grandparents, or aunts or uncles to leave the munchkins with it was getting more and more difficult to fullfill my teaching role, with ever increasing demands of the job, holidays, weekends, evenings, planning , marking, extra curricular activites,  most people think teachers clock on at 9am and clock off at 3. In fact I hear so many parents complaining at the school gate about teachers and how they have got it easy with their holidays - sometimes I just want to slap them.

And I dont care who you are, a high powered business woman or a woman working the till at Tesco, as a mother, and more so a single mother, in fact single parent, when working something does have to give, you cannot have it all, its a myth that you can. Either it is your children having to spend increasing hours away from you,and I feel as children get older they need you more to keep them on the straight and narrow. Sometimes it's your realtionship to some extent, or your sanity as the guilt of trying to do everything gets too much.

Sometimes I think Feminism, or some radical feminists have a lot to answer for. We wanted equality, but more importantly the right to choose, not to be everything, recent studies show that even if a woman works a full time Job and so does her partner, she still does the majoirity of childcare and housework. The amount of time I hear friends who have partners say to me, " I will have to ask him to babysit" meaning their partner - errrmm no, they are his kids to, he is not baby sitting, and you should not have to feel bad in asking.   I think someone though right they want it all lets give it to em and see how they bloody like  that ha ha - anyway I have totally gone off on a tangent ( nothing new there then)

So I decided to use the time to retrain to childmind,  which I have done, and in the meant time I was able to claim income support, as my redundancy pay was not vast, and also with being a single parent you can claim income support without pressure to find work until your child is 7  (5 years from April) . My intention has never been to stay on benefits long term, and hopefully I will be off benefits real soon. They have been a help when I have needed it, and once I start work again I will pay back into the system so that someone else when they are in need will be able to use it too. Yes I know there are those who abuse the system, but the majority dont.

My interview lasted all of 3 minutes. Everything I have been doing the past 6 months left my interviewer with nothing left to ask me, or guidance to give, so hopefully that will be the first and last time I will have to attend the Job centre for one of these interviews......................

pricing giggery pokery......

I see it all the time in supermarkets now, special offers, or price drops, especially in Tesco. Yeah right! They put up their prices, so that in a months or so time they can advertise it as a price drop. Or they run a special offer a few days them hike the price up to more than it was before. It bloody infuriates me, especially with shops that make such a huge profit anyway.


Today I found these 2 reduced to £4.45 each

you may notice the £2.49 per kilo sticker,these the were the last 2 in the shop at this price, and they had been reduced even further to get rid of them ready for the new stock at a higher price.

They have now hiked them up to £5.99 per kilo, with a special and a nice big line through the £5.99 per kilo down to £4.99 per kilo. Ridiculous really. I Steer clear of meat when it is at its full price and only buy when on offer or yellow labelled. I really do think that if I bought everything full price an did not shop so frugally and savvy them I would not be able to afford to live, which in this day and age should not have to happen especially in a "first world" society................

I got the call.....

My Local Family Information Service (FIS) just phoned to say they got a call from Ofsted this morning to say I am now officially registered. They took all my childminding details when open, my facilities and now I am live on their list, so any parents who are looking for a childminder in my area, will be given my details. My certificate will be here by the end of the week.

I am so excited. Just have to wait for a little one or 2 to mind now.

Time to buy the last bits i need such as my liability insurance and contracts.

I am a very happy bunny today  :)

not a good start to the day

lil lady is usually up at the crack of dawn putting the world to rights. As soon as she stirs, she is bolt upright in bed shouting at the top of her voice "it's morning, wake up mummy.........down stairs". Every morning without fail. So this morning when she stayed in bed for a cuddle and did not get up, i knew something was a miss, and again when i got out of bed and she stayed there sucking her fingers ( yes she is still at it) and closing her eyes, then i knew my baby girl was poorly.

We did make it down stairs and she asked for toast and Jam as big bit was eating some. I came back from making her some to find her like this

I think we are in for a long day. A dose of calpol has pepped her up. I have mini mans admissions interview this afternoon for his new school, it is only a 15 mins walk so i think i will bundle her up for the fresh air and walk her across in the buggy. Hopefully she will sleep otherwise we are in for an eventful time.

I hate my babies being poorly no matter how old they are.....