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Wednesday 7 January 2009

Red ceiling day

Today we did science. I didn't intend to do science but that's how it turned out. We started by making bread, then ('cos of the yeast reacting with sugar etc) they wanted to make a volcano and play with the model heart they got for Christmas. Cue disaster. Both would be much more realistic with a bit of red food colouring I thought. Hmmm,... maybe not such a good idea. It would have been alright if mother hadn't been so impatient and decided to give the volcano a bit of a shake to speed up the reaction between the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar (with red food colouring of course). The result was an explosion of massive proportions (well quite big anyway) and red food colouring all over my previously white ceiling. We all screamed and fell about laughing on the floor. Even daddy was impressed with my prowess with explosives. Haven't told him he'll have to paint the ceiling yet, though. Lol!!

I also did some planning today so that I can get the boys down to work a bit more quickly on a morning. I am still struggling massively with ds2 who is a total fidget bot and won't really do anything constructive for more than a few minutes at a time, which would be okay but ds1 is not really a very good independent worker - he only needs a minute where you're not focussing on him 100% and he is drawing Star Wars illustrations in his workbook, rather than completing the task set. And if I leave ds2 to his own devices I get something which would give even Kim and Aggie nightmares. What to do. I keep threatening nursery but I couldn't really do it to him. I can imagine that we'd be up at the school every evening with him in heaps of trouble just for being 'exhuberant'. It would totally squash him as it did ds1 and I just can't face that - not even for a tidy house. Any tips on child training gratefully received, as long as they don't involve school of course.

Jo

3 comments:

Jackie said...

Have you thought of taking a forest school/ steiner approach for a bit - ie learning everything outdoors in wellies? At least the ceiling wouldn't need repainting....mula

joc4jesus said...

TBH you've almost pre-empted me. I've just ordered some books on Steiner from Amazon. I am getting desperate; our lives are not at all peaceful atm. On the other hand I'm petrified at our family's response to us not doing formal work; I just hate criticism and conflict,... such a wuss you see. How do you find Charlotte Mason? I keep going on Ambleside online and looking but I don't think ds1 would get on with the narration. I got For the Children's Sake for Christmas but I haven't really had a chance to start reading it yet. I might ask for some ideas on Deut but I am a bit scared of what I might get in response.
Hope you are all well.
Jo

Wendy said...

Another idea I had was - if you absolutely have to do formal stuff with both how about swapping a weekday for a Saturday so you have a parent available for each working child (and a completely fun day in the week!!) Shouldn't impinge on weekend stuff too much if you only aim for 2 or 3 20 minute sessions. Your comment made me (and not for the first time) consider myself blessed that we have practically no family! Praying...