I realise I’m in danger of posting for the sake of it at this point, but I want to continue the blog to the end of the school year for two reasons:
1 So when I’m old and decrepit (next year) I can look back and laugh at my worries
2 Because who knows what has yet to happen that is new and unusual and will send me running either round the block in frustration or straight to the wine cellar …. ?
Well, very little to report in terms of our household and anything new with school. Our routine continues busy and at times manic, but hey. I think that’s life with kids.
Two things of note elsewhere in the gemeinde, however.
The first is that a 16 year old girl is shot dead in the car park at the local shopping centre, on a Saturday evening. The most gist I can glean from the paper coverage is that it’s something to do with Balkan drug gangs. Apologies for my ignorance – but the paper’s gone out for recycling now so difficult to check. This is pretty shocking for Switzerland, I know, but before here we lived in Manchester; in broad daylight, I used to drive through certain areas not far from where we lived, as fast as possible and with the car completely locked. It's not like that here.
The second thing is that we have now had 2 or 3 letters about some sort of sexual incident involving a 15 year old girl at the local secondary school. Obviously this is of more immediate concern. The letters are rather complicated, though, and we haven’t seen the neighbours to try to get to the bottom of the story. However, OH has managed to work out that the letters refer to the accused’s nationality (ie not Swiss) and are trying to explain that not everyone of certain nationalities (whatever they are....) should be tarred with the same brush. Seems an intelligent and pragmatic reaction.
And the third thing, on a wider note, is the business about Lucie the au pair from Fribourg who was found dead in Baden. You just don’t hear about these things as often as in the UK, so it’s really shocking – and of course devastating for her family and friends. A stark reminder to tell the kids that they mustn’t talk to strangers. Difficult when they’re taught at school to greet everyone they see with “Gruezi” – I guess it’s a question of teaching them boundaries.
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Weeks 25 & 26 - All as quiet on the western front as it gets with 2 boys
Saturday, 14 March 2009
Week 24 - J goes to judo
Little to report this week – everything normal, no major dramas involving falling off play equipment, usual volume of homework, etc etc etc.
But on Wednesday, I take J to the judo club in the village. Luckily this is in his school, otherwise I would be facing the real prospect of becoming a whirling dervish on Wednesdays, what with trying to get C from his English lesson at the WAC and back to the village for 5pm. I’ve just worked out that J is now doing 5 out-of-school activities, and, ever conscious of not wanting to become Alice from May Contain Nuts (or have I already ? am I paranoid or are they after me ?) I am thinking that that is quite enough thank you, given that he’s still learning to cope with being educated in a second language and play with his mates in a third. C is doing 4 activities, and may decide that he also wants to do judo - we’ll see. The problem isn’t the interests they have - or I’ve imposed on them - but the fact that with one exception they’re all at different times, and I don’t want them scooting or cycling round the village on their own in the half light. It’s noticeable that drivers seem to be switched on to be aware of children at crossings at the standard school times (8ish, 12ish, 1.30ish and 3.30ish) but not at others. So yes, I am paranoid about road safety out of school hours, particularly since our neighbour’s son was knocked off his bike last September coming home from football training - he’s OK (the bike was wrecked) but it was a nasty shock.
Anyway, unfortunately OH was away on business on Wednesday, so I took J down to the club – we had made a deal that I would take him but he’d have to do the talking. And I was right - the chap in charge spoke a completely incomprehensible Schweizerdeutsch that left me with the familiar cringing feeling that I wonder if I will ever shake off. My understanding of Hochdeutsch isn’t bad now – but Schwiezerdeutsch is a different kettle of fish altogether.
But no matter: J LOVED it. And I must admit, it looks ideal for him. He has a great deal of physical energy (show me a boy who doesn’t) and it’s a licence to do everything he’s not allowed to do in the house – run round, jump, physically handle people - but all the while teaching him how to control his energy and aggression – and learn some self defence.
So, we will go back next week and hopefully within a couple of weeks time I will be able to leave him there and go and collect him later, rather than sit and watch, twiddling my thumbs and wondering how the hell I’m going to have enough time to get dinner on the table and get myself out to rehearsal at 7pm.
But on Wednesday, I take J to the judo club in the village. Luckily this is in his school, otherwise I would be facing the real prospect of becoming a whirling dervish on Wednesdays, what with trying to get C from his English lesson at the WAC and back to the village for 5pm. I’ve just worked out that J is now doing 5 out-of-school activities, and, ever conscious of not wanting to become Alice from May Contain Nuts (or have I already ? am I paranoid or are they after me ?) I am thinking that that is quite enough thank you, given that he’s still learning to cope with being educated in a second language and play with his mates in a third. C is doing 4 activities, and may decide that he also wants to do judo - we’ll see. The problem isn’t the interests they have - or I’ve imposed on them - but the fact that with one exception they’re all at different times, and I don’t want them scooting or cycling round the village on their own in the half light. It’s noticeable that drivers seem to be switched on to be aware of children at crossings at the standard school times (8ish, 12ish, 1.30ish and 3.30ish) but not at others. So yes, I am paranoid about road safety out of school hours, particularly since our neighbour’s son was knocked off his bike last September coming home from football training - he’s OK (the bike was wrecked) but it was a nasty shock.
Anyway, unfortunately OH was away on business on Wednesday, so I took J down to the club – we had made a deal that I would take him but he’d have to do the talking. And I was right - the chap in charge spoke a completely incomprehensible Schweizerdeutsch that left me with the familiar cringing feeling that I wonder if I will ever shake off. My understanding of Hochdeutsch isn’t bad now – but Schwiezerdeutsch is a different kettle of fish altogether.
But no matter: J LOVED it. And I must admit, it looks ideal for him. He has a great deal of physical energy (show me a boy who doesn’t) and it’s a licence to do everything he’s not allowed to do in the house – run round, jump, physically handle people - but all the while teaching him how to control his energy and aggression – and learn some self defence.
So, we will go back next week and hopefully within a couple of weeks time I will be able to leave him there and go and collect him later, rather than sit and watch, twiddling my thumbs and wondering how the hell I’m going to have enough time to get dinner on the table and get myself out to rehearsal at 7pm.
Monday, 9 March 2009
Week 23 - bullying on the way home
Week 23 sees J bring home another beautiful piece of handarbeit – a sewn notebook and pencil case. At this rate, I’m going to be putting him on the street selling home made craftwork – he’d make more than I would selling anything.
The Thursday sees C have another little friend round to play in the afternoon - good !
On Friday J is bullied on the way home at lunchtime by the two lads who approached C a few weeks ago. They seem to be following classic bully behaviour – there are two of them, they wait until they are not in sight of anyone, and are a good distance from school. They try to block his path, make fun of him for needing to go to extra German lessons, push him off his scooter and refuse to believe that he’s in Grade 4, because of his size.
J is very upset – understandably. So after lunch we look on the CBBC website and search for “bullying” and how to cope with bullies. http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/specials/bullying/default.stm
Bullying behaviour is outlined, along with strategies for dealing with it. So the boys have some ideas now, and understand why I want them to walk to and from school together wherever possible – they are less likely to be approached if they are together. J also wants to join the local judo club, so we’ll be doing that next week. I send him back to school, asking him to tell his teacher and ask her what he should do, so that he gets the Swiss “take” on what his next step should be rather than just mine. Luckily she says the same as me – get their names and what class they’re in (we know they are at the school next door rather than ours).
We need to keep practising what they need to say to bullies if this happens again. OH and I are both of the view that you can’t protect kids from bullies – bullies are everywhere, school, the workplace, you name it. But we want to help them learn to deal with it, not become victimised. Luckily we seem to have supportive teaching staff at school – and at least we know that the kids involved are not at the same school as ours, though that could potentially make the situation more complicated to handle. I hope not.
The Thursday sees C have another little friend round to play in the afternoon - good !
On Friday J is bullied on the way home at lunchtime by the two lads who approached C a few weeks ago. They seem to be following classic bully behaviour – there are two of them, they wait until they are not in sight of anyone, and are a good distance from school. They try to block his path, make fun of him for needing to go to extra German lessons, push him off his scooter and refuse to believe that he’s in Grade 4, because of his size.
J is very upset – understandably. So after lunch we look on the CBBC website and search for “bullying” and how to cope with bullies. http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/specials/bullying/default.stm
Bullying behaviour is outlined, along with strategies for dealing with it. So the boys have some ideas now, and understand why I want them to walk to and from school together wherever possible – they are less likely to be approached if they are together. J also wants to join the local judo club, so we’ll be doing that next week. I send him back to school, asking him to tell his teacher and ask her what he should do, so that he gets the Swiss “take” on what his next step should be rather than just mine. Luckily she says the same as me – get their names and what class they’re in (we know they are at the school next door rather than ours).
We need to keep practising what they need to say to bullies if this happens again. OH and I are both of the view that you can’t protect kids from bullies – bullies are everywhere, school, the workplace, you name it. But we want to help them learn to deal with it, not become victimised. Luckily we seem to have supportive teaching staff at school – and at least we know that the kids involved are not at the same school as ours, though that could potentially make the situation more complicated to handle. I hope not.
Sportferien
Sportferien passes, seeing us in Austria for a week with friends, which is fantastic. Almost too much snow – if that’s possible. The transition between last year, when the boys were terrified of ski school and were dragged there almost kicking and screaming every day (very relaxing, I must say) because “we don’t understand German” and this year, when they leap out of bed and can’t wait to get started every day, is remarkable. Of course it helps that we are on holiday with their best chums, but they are not in the same ski school groups together. They are no longer frightened of an “all German” situation. And in any case, all the ski instructors speak English. In fact at one point J lapses into Schweizerdeutsch, to his Austrian ski instructor’s utter confusion.
The second week of sportferien sees an argument with J about his German homework for the holidays. He’s convinced it’s a huge piece of work. However, we break it down into small steps and all of a sudden, it’s finished, and he is no longer in an argumentative mood about it. Funny, that.
The second week of sportferien sees an argument with J about his German homework for the holidays. He’s convinced it’s a huge piece of work. However, we break it down into small steps and all of a sudden, it’s finished, and he is no longer in an argumentative mood about it. Funny, that.
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
Week 22 Aha ! Ich verstehe the handarbeit
It’s a week of handarbeit in our house.
J brings home a lovely little card heart for me, for Valentine’s day. Oh, how sweet.
J brings home a lovely little card heart for me, for Valentine’s day. Oh, how sweet.
Then he brings home a folder that he’s made, which is really lovely and very individual – artwork on both covers, inside and out.
Then he brings home another folder that he’s made – the card work on which is really very beautifully done. I’m posting some photos here but I’m not sure the detail is really caught. Hey ho. The spirit was willing even if the photographer was weak.
And then – on Thursday, C brings home the result of his 20 lengths of crochet, and it finally all makes sense. The crochet is the fringe on a really gorgeous scarf. His teacher had already stitched a felt smiling face onto it, and he had to push the crochet lengths through holes that had already been punched, and then tie them. So he’s very proud of his work, and I’m very proud of him. He can’t wait to wear it.
Again, I apologise for being unable to turn these pictures round, so sorry about your cricked neck. I must be missing something very basic - if you know how to "flip" photos on blogger.com please do let me know.....
The other exciting news from this week is that J’s class do a rap workshop with some musicians from the city, with a view to creating a rap about the environment and how we should all look after it - or something like that. If it’s good enough they will record it and maybe post it on youtube…… so now he has stars in his eyes. But he thoroughly enjoys the experience and is looking forward to working more on the project after sportferien.
On the Friday afternoon I suddenly realise that we’re half way through the school year already and am amazed at how much has happened, how much the children have adapted, how quickly they are picking up the language, and how well they are coping. Yes, they have been utterly knackered at various points. Yes, we’ve had tears (all of us, perhaps apart from OH), yes sometimes it has felt completely alien and lonely and sometimes I have missed seeing other mum chums in the morning for a chat and a coffee. But I miss the school run like a hole in the head, I’m more than happy to see the boys off from the front door each morning and afternoon and am thrilled in every respect that I only use the car perhaps twice during the week. We’ve definitely turned a corner, and the fear factor has almost completely disappeared.
Hurrah !
The other exciting news from this week is that J’s class do a rap workshop with some musicians from the city, with a view to creating a rap about the environment and how we should all look after it - or something like that. If it’s good enough they will record it and maybe post it on youtube…… so now he has stars in his eyes. But he thoroughly enjoys the experience and is looking forward to working more on the project after sportferien.
On the Friday afternoon I suddenly realise that we’re half way through the school year already and am amazed at how much has happened, how much the children have adapted, how quickly they are picking up the language, and how well they are coping. Yes, they have been utterly knackered at various points. Yes, we’ve had tears (all of us, perhaps apart from OH), yes sometimes it has felt completely alien and lonely and sometimes I have missed seeing other mum chums in the morning for a chat and a coffee. But I miss the school run like a hole in the head, I’m more than happy to see the boys off from the front door each morning and afternoon and am thrilled in every respect that I only use the car perhaps twice during the week. We’ve definitely turned a corner, and the fear factor has almost completely disappeared.
Hurrah !
Monday, 9 February 2009
Their friends are real !
Thursday sees J have a friend round to play – skateboarding, out in the street.
Saturday sees C have a friend round to play - inside this time as it’s tipping with rain.
A good sign: their friends aren’t imaginary, or made up to reassure me that they are doing OK at school, honest. They are real ! And they come round, all on their own, to play ! It’s just like it was for us in the 1970’s ! But without the inflation and the power cuts, thankfully.
Saturday sees C have a friend round to play - inside this time as it’s tipping with rain.
A good sign: their friends aren’t imaginary, or made up to reassure me that they are doing OK at school, honest. They are real ! And they come round, all on their own, to play ! It’s just like it was for us in the 1970’s ! But without the inflation and the power cuts, thankfully.
Cookery lessons
No, not at school, at home, but I’m posting about it because I had agreed with the boys that I would teach them to cook. I am determined that by the time they leave home they will be able to cook, manage their money, operate a washing machine (and iron), keep their room / home in some sort of reasonable state, and organize themselves. There’s nothing less appealing than a bloke who still can’t boil an egg at the age of 25, and no excuse for it either in these enlightened times. Just in case you’re wondering, yes this is completely one-sided on my part, so please feel free to throw things at me. I have no intention of picking up a power drill or using the lawnmower. Readers who know me personally may – rightly perhaps – question my motives. Surely I just want to be waited on hand and foot and as soon as possible, princess style ? Damn, rumbled again. In fact I really do rather like the idea of pottering round the kitchen on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, glass of wine in hand, having some bonding time with the boys and giving them a useful life skill, especially for our household: how to use the corkscrew.
Seriously though, I’m fully of the opinion that the decline in the health and increase in obesity of the UK population is due to a complete inability to cook for many people, after cookery was taken out of the school curriculum. The whole of my year group had cookery and nutrition lessons for the duration of the third year at secondary school – but that was 1982, it’s no longer on the national curriculum in the UK, and hasn’t been for quite some time.
I have no idea if the boys will learn cookery at Swiss school – there are teaching kitchens on the lower ground floor of the school, but I don’t know who uses them – perhaps they are for evening classes. But it doesn’t matter – the boys wanted to get started right away and I didn’t want to dampen their enthusiasm. I dug out all their childrens cookery books and sat looking at the pile, utterly baffled, trying to figure out how to put together a meaningful, structured course. I didn’t want to just teach them “this is how to cook pasta”, I want them to be able to understand the food science and nutrition behind it – appropriate for their age group of course – and be able to put together a balanced meal so that they can take care of themselves when they are old enough. Then I realised that some clever person somewhere might have already done all this, and so I typed I want to teach my children to cook into Google, and lo and behold: http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/ came up.
I’ve bought the kids cooking lessons package and set it all up. It looks brilliant, and perfect for gradually introducing techniques, science, nutrition from age 3 right up to age 18. We started at the weekend and are racing through the age 3-6 lessons. We enjoyed some fun snacks in front of the opening matches of the Six Nations on Saturday, and on Sunday, C prepared most of the vegetables for dinner. Result !
Seriously though, I’m fully of the opinion that the decline in the health and increase in obesity of the UK population is due to a complete inability to cook for many people, after cookery was taken out of the school curriculum. The whole of my year group had cookery and nutrition lessons for the duration of the third year at secondary school – but that was 1982, it’s no longer on the national curriculum in the UK, and hasn’t been for quite some time.
I have no idea if the boys will learn cookery at Swiss school – there are teaching kitchens on the lower ground floor of the school, but I don’t know who uses them – perhaps they are for evening classes. But it doesn’t matter – the boys wanted to get started right away and I didn’t want to dampen their enthusiasm. I dug out all their childrens cookery books and sat looking at the pile, utterly baffled, trying to figure out how to put together a meaningful, structured course. I didn’t want to just teach them “this is how to cook pasta”, I want them to be able to understand the food science and nutrition behind it – appropriate for their age group of course – and be able to put together a balanced meal so that they can take care of themselves when they are old enough. Then I realised that some clever person somewhere might have already done all this, and so I typed I want to teach my children to cook into Google, and lo and behold: http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/ came up.
I’ve bought the kids cooking lessons package and set it all up. It looks brilliant, and perfect for gradually introducing techniques, science, nutrition from age 3 right up to age 18. We started at the weekend and are racing through the age 3-6 lessons. We enjoyed some fun snacks in front of the opening matches of the Six Nations on Saturday, and on Sunday, C prepared most of the vegetables for dinner. Result !
Week 21: Never be late home from the doctor's.......
I am 5 minutes late home from an appointment on the Monday morning and find C home from school for lunch faster than usual, hammering on the front door and in floods of tears. I don’t know how long he had waited- probably only 3-4 minutes but I hadn’t told them that I was going to the Doctor at 11am, as I had assumed that I would be back well before 12.00. C is absolutely howling, and frantic. I am chastened and reminded that the independence they enjoy in walking themselves to and from school comes with a responsibility on my part to always either be there or warn them of a possibility of being late or give them a key - or all three. I feel dreadful, but he calms down eventually and goes back to school for the afternoon in good shape.
(The doctor’s appointment was a somewhat different experience to anything I had had in the UK recently– but here is not the place for recounting my surprisingly and alarmingly thorough checkup with the Frauenartz. I’ll leave that one for a bawdy girls night out sometime.)
(The doctor’s appointment was a somewhat different experience to anything I had had in the UK recently– but here is not the place for recounting my surprisingly and alarmingly thorough checkup with the Frauenartz. I’ll leave that one for a bawdy girls night out sometime.)
Friday, 30 January 2009
Week 20 - first playdate
First playdate
J comes home on the Monday from school bouncing with joy because he has been invited to a friends’ house to play. This is a major breakthrough. OH and I likewise bounce with joy. J is a very sociable child and has tried very hard to make friends. He seems to have a lot of “mates” and frequently mentions the friend who has issued the invite and another lad, but this is the first time he’s been invited to anyone’s house in his class. So off he goes. We are thrilled – let’s hope this is the sign of him really settling down now.
1/18 for a German test….
Unfortunately on the Wednesday he has an unexpected German test in oral comprehension and scores only 1 out of 18. This is a shame but I’m not worried about it – he clearly worked as hard as he could at the time. They weren’t given any notice of the test, and he said that the teacher spoke very fast. He’s OK about it by the time he goes to bed. I remind him that his teacher told us only two weeks ago how pleased she is with him – and after all, we all have our off days.
Postponed ice skating finally happens
C finally gets to go ice skating with his extra German class on the Wednesday, and announces that he wants to go ice skating at the weekends now, not skiing. Hurrumph. No chance, sonny Jim. The slopes beckon.
Ponies revisited
He also comes home with the news (I’m relieved to share) that the jugendchor are now pronouncing pony as Bonnie. Phew. I will be able to enjoy the concert without being forced to sit in the back row for fear of a teenage-style giggling fit.
More extra German
C has been scheduled one more extra German class, in his “free period” on a Friday morning: what this means is that his late start no longer exists. This is great - I’ll grab any extra free German tuition I can for them.
Times-tables
The icing on the cake is that C’s class start working on times-tables. I have been dreading this, and start checking his first piece of times-tables homework with a heavy heart, fearing the moment of having to re-explain it all and the inevitable frustration that will follow. Will he have grasped any of the concept at all ?
Yes.
It’s about 90% correct.
He is completely unfazed by it – in stark contrast to his reactions in previous years when a new concept has been introduced to him.
The very pedantic method of maths teaching here is paying massive dividends for him. I daresay to some children it’s too slow and dull, but, from what I can work out, they take a single, simple concept and gradually build it up.
Whooppee !
J comes home on the Monday from school bouncing with joy because he has been invited to a friends’ house to play. This is a major breakthrough. OH and I likewise bounce with joy. J is a very sociable child and has tried very hard to make friends. He seems to have a lot of “mates” and frequently mentions the friend who has issued the invite and another lad, but this is the first time he’s been invited to anyone’s house in his class. So off he goes. We are thrilled – let’s hope this is the sign of him really settling down now.
1/18 for a German test….
Unfortunately on the Wednesday he has an unexpected German test in oral comprehension and scores only 1 out of 18. This is a shame but I’m not worried about it – he clearly worked as hard as he could at the time. They weren’t given any notice of the test, and he said that the teacher spoke very fast. He’s OK about it by the time he goes to bed. I remind him that his teacher told us only two weeks ago how pleased she is with him – and after all, we all have our off days.
Postponed ice skating finally happens
C finally gets to go ice skating with his extra German class on the Wednesday, and announces that he wants to go ice skating at the weekends now, not skiing. Hurrumph. No chance, sonny Jim. The slopes beckon.
Ponies revisited
He also comes home with the news (I’m relieved to share) that the jugendchor are now pronouncing pony as Bonnie. Phew. I will be able to enjoy the concert without being forced to sit in the back row for fear of a teenage-style giggling fit.
More extra German
C has been scheduled one more extra German class, in his “free period” on a Friday morning: what this means is that his late start no longer exists. This is great - I’ll grab any extra free German tuition I can for them.
Times-tables
The icing on the cake is that C’s class start working on times-tables. I have been dreading this, and start checking his first piece of times-tables homework with a heavy heart, fearing the moment of having to re-explain it all and the inevitable frustration that will follow. Will he have grasped any of the concept at all ?
Yes.
It’s about 90% correct.
He is completely unfazed by it – in stark contrast to his reactions in previous years when a new concept has been introduced to him.
The very pedantic method of maths teaching here is paying massive dividends for him. I daresay to some children it’s too slow and dull, but, from what I can work out, they take a single, simple concept and gradually build it up.
Whooppee !
Saturday, 24 January 2009
Week 19: Oh bring back my pony to me
“Mum, we’re doing a new song at jugendchor and it’s from England.”
“How lovely darling, you’ll be able to help them with that then won’t you. What’s it called ?”
“My pony lies over the ocean.”
(sounds of tea being spat all over the computer followed by choked laughter)
“I think they may have got muddled up with how you pronounce Bonnie, darling. Perhaps you could help them with that ? It’s a very well known song, but the name of it is My Bonnie lies over the ocean”.
“No, no, it’s definitely pony, Mum”.
“No, it’s not, trust me, it’s definitely Bonnie.”
(this continues for a while and then I give up)
Nothing exciting, interesting or tedious to report this week. A normal week: well, as normal as it gets in our household, anyway.
“How lovely darling, you’ll be able to help them with that then won’t you. What’s it called ?”
“My pony lies over the ocean.”
(sounds of tea being spat all over the computer followed by choked laughter)
“I think they may have got muddled up with how you pronounce Bonnie, darling. Perhaps you could help them with that ? It’s a very well known song, but the name of it is My Bonnie lies over the ocean”.
“No, no, it’s definitely pony, Mum”.
“No, it’s not, trust me, it’s definitely Bonnie.”
(this continues for a while and then I give up)
Nothing exciting, interesting or tedious to report this week. A normal week: well, as normal as it gets in our household, anyway.
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