“Mummy, can I have a break?”
You are 4 years old! What do you need a break from exactly?
Home school is in full swing at Chez Mummy Nutcase. Unlike the preschool format from last year, Year R is a little more structured. There is a basic agenda to follow. Phonics, writing practice and maths are the building blocks of the mornings. Repetition being key to transferring the foundations of education, into today’s young minds.
Reading, number games, creative play, religious studies, craft and PE make up the afternoons.
The work is sent the night before and consists of several pre recorded Youtube videos, attachments and activities to participate in. All work needs to be completed, photographed or recorded and uploaded to the school’s online portal for marking by 5pm that day.
My daughter is very clever and also very fed up with the current routine already. Her negotiating skills are top notch and she has zero issue with advising me of her terms ahead of time.
“I will do one more thing for you, then I get more play time”
Er no, we need to do this maths work and when it’s complete, you can have a break.
I sometimes think she can’t hear me at all. English lessons sound like this;
“g…g….g….try and stay on the line if you can….on the line…make your letters a little smaller… on the line….remember the deep blue sea letters….on the line…”.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah
Deep blue sea letters fall below the line like p or g. Heaven letters stay above the line like h or t. A lovely way of teaching letter formation. It is lovely. I just don’t think my daughter hears me when I speak!
Each night before school, I watch the videos in advance and make all the necessary games, activities and arrange craft materials. In a pandemic when you can’t get out and about, it can be a little stressful, when the activities call for really random things like balloons or lard!!
Lard! Is that still a thing?
We have made frozen dinosaur eggs using balloons, bird feeders and nests, dinosaur dens, painted rocks, made card games and used empty cartons for junk modelling. I feel like I have been at this for ages but in reality it’s been 3 weeks.
ICT – Information and Communication Technology, is a relatively new concept to me, especially at this young age. I didn’t start working with computers until I was a teenager but in this digital age, the kids need to immerse themselves sooner. That being said, my jaw was on the floor, when I had to teach my daughter how to take and edit photos and how to make a stop animation movie. I am learning alongside her in this area. Luckily, there is an app for most things and we were able to create a 2 second masterpiece she was thrilled with.
I need to pick up the magnets from my kitchen floor, after my gorgeous mini me, has thrown another epic wobbly. I’m told my little angel is just processing her big feelings. Well she can do that, while I have my millionth cup of tea. We have some more school work to do but right now, doesn’t seem to be the best time to mention it.
Time to take that break.