Parent Gossip

Is it really wrong to take kids out of school when they are only 7?  When they are in all the top groups and doing really well?

My son has just been on a skiing trip with his Dad in term time.  Obviously this was unauthorised by the school and understandably so but he’ll have a black mark against his name.  But what would he have really missed? So he didn’t drop behind I requested for some work to be put together for him to do whilst he was away.  Now it wasn’t done on holiday but on his return and do you know how long it took him - 10 minutes and all was done correctly with no help from me.  So if that’s all he missed I reckon he probably learnt more in a weeks holiday than he would have in school anyway!!

Most kids these days seem to have long hair.  Now some it suits whilst others look like they’ve just finished autioning for the muppets or something!

My son has fairly fine hair and as soon as it gets past a certain length it looks a bit like a bouffant!

However, despite me commenting how quite like a girl he looks, the poor little guy is determined to get long hair so he can headband whilst doing his dancing he loves so much!

As a mother what do I do?  Let him get past this stage and let him grow it and hope it looks Ok sometime soon, or drag him to the hairdressers kicking and screaming to get it cut?  Help is needed please?

It never ends - I thought I’d been through the cycle of my firends having babies.  But no as it seems they are all now in their late 30’s and as lifes have been lived and careers established oh and decent men sought, found and kept - babies are the happying ending - the icing on the cake!

Me, I feel like I’m forever on the search for New Baby Gifts for boys, girls and twins alike.  I love going to see my friends and having acuddle of their new little bundles of joys.  I also love coming away and realising that that is a game I couldn’t go through with again.  My son is 7 and sleeps throguh, can feed himself, go the the toilet by himself.  In fact, he’s my mate and we can go anywhere now without having to take all but the kitchen sink with us.

My son would love a little siblings I’m sure and he is great with my friends babies and toddlers.  He lets them chase him and he makes them laugh but he soon gets bored and goes off into his own ‘older’ world and leaves them behind!

No, I’m happy to help, but treasure my sleep too much these days - 3 years of sleepless nights was more than enough for me thanks so Good Luck to all my friends and I’ll just carry on shopping for new baby gifts!

Taking your kids out of school during term time is a BIG no no and not many schoold would give permission unless for an extra special occasion.

However, this can be unfair to families who a can’t afford the prices which seem to tripple when it is school holidays.  My son is being taken ski-ing for the first time in a few weeks by his Dad.  It’s during term time, but he’s going to take work with him which will be all part of the deal to enable to take him away.  This in my eyes seems fine - after all he is doing really well is in the top groups for all his topics.

Does a week out really matter at this age - he’s only 7?

It doesn’t seem 2 minutes since Christmas but Spring half term is nearly upon us already!  Have you got your child care sorted?  Have you made any plans for day trips? It all depends on the weather Iknow but I have a few little tricks up my sleeve.

I hid a few small pressies from Christmas which my son has forgotten all about, so they can come out if its raining. They include making a wooden aeroplane and painting it so that should keep him occupied and it’s something I can help with too - or probably end up doing for him!

Then the good old fashioned form of ‘playing out’  I did nothing else as a child at school holidays but yiou never see anyone out on estate these days.  If it’s not raining off he’ll go to the little park opposite our house where I can keep an eye on him at all times of course.  And I won’t see him for hours - so lots of fresh air - lots of exercise from running around and one tired little boy at the end of the day!

My son is 7 now and it really doesn’t seem 2 minutes since he was born.  So much has happened in that time, good and bad, that the time has just flown by.

The weeks are a rat race of working, fetching him after school club, making and eating tea, bathtime and then bedtime.  Every night I’m asked if I can read a story which I know I should be doing but by this time I am so tired that I just want to make sure he’s asleep so I can crack on with chores or just flake out myself in front of the TV.

He’s normally fine about it, a little dissappointed but understanding at the same time -which always pulls at my heart strings. Although later on when I creep into his room to kiss him good night you can guarantee I’ll wish that I just spent 10 minutes reading to him - it’s not much of him to ask me is it?  I always seem to live in a guilty world of not spending the time with him that I should. Do other parents feel this way too?

Before I know it as time flies by - he’ll be leaving home and won’t even want be near him!  Just stop the clock for 10 minutes for a story - please?!!

We’ve all been through school so we are all aware of how cruel kids can be to one another - some experiences are worse than others I agree and I have been through this myself.  But, now as aMUm I really don’t want the same thing to happen to my 7 year old son - the protectiveness is definately there in me.

So, when he came home from school and in answer in my question of ‘How’s school been today - good day?’  He said ‘ No Mummy, it’s not been a very good day for me today’  My heart went in my mouth as assumed the worst.  So, he told me the story of what had happened and yes he’d fallen out with 3 of his pals as they’d ganged up on him a little, obviously upsetting the little fella. But my the time he arrived at the school gates the next morning, all was forgiven and they were all running round laughing and smiling again!

Kids hey? they can be so fickle!!

If you haven’t bought your Christmas Cards yet then why not make your own. Making your own can be great and you know that the recipient won’t have another one like it. And you can get the kids involved too! A friend of mine sends out the most adorable Christmas cards every year with pictures of her little boy on. Obviously the pictures are Christmassy themed with her son as the star – last year she photo shopped a picture of him into an elves outfit stood next to a reindeer! I think the year before he was Father Christmas in a snow scene (she obviously doesn’t make him dress up, that would be cruel and in later life I don’t think he would ever live it down!). But now we just expect one from her! So every year she has to think of a new one.
Making your own Christmas cards is not cheap (and definitely not easy) but it is a great way to keep the children occupied, they could set up a Christmas theme and take snaps of it, draw pictures or, like my friend, be the star of the card. If you have a decent enough printer you could print your own Christmas cards, if not take them to a printers. So this year do something different and make your own!

I cannot believe how quickly this year is going! Before you know it Christmas will be on our doorstep and then it will be New Year in a blink of an eye! Now that summer is truly over and autumn has started its time to start thinking about getting out my winter wardrobe from the loft! On doing this over the weekend, I suddenly realised that I was in desperate need of some new clothes. Particularly winter items which will keep me snugly warm all year through.
On looking online I came across Roxy Clothes which seemed very reasonably priced. I was particularly impressed with the selection on Hoodies which I tend to live in during the winter months. They are not only warm, but very practical to throw on whilst I am running around looking after the little ones. The range is very chilled out and relaxed yet stylish, just how I like my clothes to be. I think it is important as I get older to keep up with the trends, and where clothes which I feel comfortable in. There are plenty of items to choose from, so many different colours and styles,  I was spoilt for choice!

Long gone are the lazy summer days full of sunshine, the noise of the grass being mown in the distance and light evenings spent walking and pottering about. Or that’s how it should have been - think we’ve just seen rain, rain and even more rain!

Autumn is on the way - you can tell by the chilly mornings.  This is one of my favourite times of year when the colours of the leaves start to change and fall to the ground. My son and I love running through the dry leaves and kicking them all up in the air.  The days, although shorter, have bright blue skies and frost in the air.  Now, it’s only a few weeks until the clocks will go back and it will soon be time to buy fireworks.

Bonfire nights is ace - as long as it’s not raining and you’re wrapped up warm the evening spent in front of a big fire eating jacket potatoes and treacle toffee is my idea of heaven.  Organised firework displays are the best and the oohs and arrs that are being let off by all the people watching never fail to amuse me - it’s as if they’ve never seen fireworks before!

Once that is over, it’s then the count down until Christmas….!