Renovations and Repayments.

Red-Squirrel_2

heartbreak_star wrote: »

Polish cutlery.

As if there's nothing better to do.

*sigh*

HBS x

You know, I always try to leave places as clean or cleaner than I found them.

That little lecture though would have me sewing dead fish into the curtain linings!

Alex, there are loads of things that adults take for granted on beach type holidays that are amazing to younger children. Collecting shells, speaking a few words of the new language to waiters and shop staff, sandcastles, swimming in the sea, seeing different local wildlife, trying new foods, listening to the local music (flamenco, spanish guitar) and even just flying is mega exciting at littleK's age.

Have you seen this website? Its strangely addictive and a curious child like littleK will probably love watching the planes flying overhead and then finding out where they're going!

https://uk.flightaware.com/live/

AlexLK

Thank you, kelpie.

Thanks, NG. :eek: re. Christmas not being as far away as I thought. Neither is my son's birthday as my in-laws reminded me. They know I'm rather last minute about such things and seem to take it as an opportunity to tease me as they are generally very organised.

HBS, it rather surprised me, to be honest. Disappointed me, too as my parents aren't usually particularly bothered about such things. Another opportunity to give me a lecture, though. Week off is quite a blessing at the moment.

Won't be having fish and chips here, maman but we are uncouth enough to eat fish and chips by the river at home every once in a while.

Hidden shadow, thank you.

Red squirrel, you've summed up the type of things we're doing and he's having a really good time. I'm a little ashamed to say I needed to relax and switch off planning full days of activities. My wife has been really good with him over the past few days, she is enjoying the freedom to do things rather than the activities being planned in advance. Will take a look at the flight aware site, thank you.

A_Frayed_Knot

maman wrote: »

:rotfl:


You could just buy fish and chips and eat with your fingers Alex, problem solved!:D


Have a great time.:A

Or just go buy a set of cutlery (cheap) once over there - although AlexLK, probably doesn't do cheap use, then just throw them away before leaving :rotfl:

Have a great holiday, time to chill out and relax and enjoy your time together.

gallygirl

Like others have said Alex, you don't need to spend a lot if money and draw up a schedule of activities - and it will certainly be too warm to drag him into Malaga for instance to visit museums.

As he's interested in cars, why not do something transport related? Does he know cars drive on the right? Show him that and ask him to work out what happens at roundabouts for instance. Are the traffic lights the same? How can you cross the road safely (please get back to me on that if you find a way, pedestrian crossings just seem to be a way to collect targets in one place :eek:). Can he work out what the traffic signs mean? Is he interested in modern cars or just your vintage ones? If modern, can you see any cars you don't see in the UK? Not suggesting you take him to Puerto Banus though, too vulgar . How about the number plates - how do they work (there are two systems still in place till older cars disappear). Tell him you'll give him €50 if he can find a vowel on a new style number plate (there are none :rotfl:). How many different countries can you see plates from?

AlexLK

A_Frayed_Knot wrote: »

Or just go buy a set of cutlery (cheap) once over there - although AlexLK, probably doesn't do cheap use, then just throw them away before leaving :rotfl:

Have a great holiday, time to chill out and relax and enjoy your time together.

:rotfl: We haven't bought a set of cutlery. Don't have the best reputation for keeping things cheap, so perhaps it was best left as is. Good idea though and we do have a set of picnic cutlery at home.

Definitely been a (surprisingly) relaxing break. Though my wife did tell me this evening she's pleased we have remained married because I "don't have expectations" of her. After what has been a great time together, I'm not sure she's been enjoying my company when the most complimentary thing she can say relates to me not having "expectations".

AlexLK

gallygirl wrote: »

Like others have said Alex, you don't need to spend a lot if money and draw up a schedule of activities - and it will certainly be too warm to drag him into Malaga for instance to visit museums.

As he's interested in cars, why not do something transport related? Does he know cars drive on the right? Show him that and ask him to work out what happens at roundabouts for instance. Are the traffic lights the same? How can you cross the road safely (please get back to me on that if you find a way, pedestrian crossings just seem to be a way to collect targets in one place :eek:). Can he work out what the traffic signs mean? Is he interested in modern cars or just your vintage ones? If modern, can you see any cars you don't see in the UK? Not suggesting you take him to Puerto Banus though, too vulgar . How about the number plates - how do they work (there are two systems still in place till older cars disappear). Tell him you'll give him €50 if he can find a vowel on a new style number plate (there are none :rotfl:). How many different countries can you see plates from?

Thank you, Gally.

We are going to come back in the wintertime to do more. I'm confessing to not really doing much at all. Half guilty for indulging a want to relax but I think it's been good for me too. For the past few years I have scheduled my son's time with very little space to relax. He seems to have still enjoyed this (somewhat more) lazy summer. I suppose I'm realising good parenting doesn't need to be all about finding educational pursuits in everything I do with him. I'll admit to a time when I was compelled to make a dog walk into developing some target from a developmental chart I'd kept and saved, always willing him to be attaining above his age group in every area (on multiple charts). It was my cousin who persuaded me that there's more to life than planning his whole life around getting my son to reach developmental milestones. Remember her asking me if she thought her children were doing well before telling me she'd never downloaded/copied or kept a record of her children's developmental milestones.

:rotfl: re. Puerto Banus, sorry your message didn't get to me in due time as we've already been there. :eek: My son's good taste is yet to fully develop and he has a liking for both nice old cars and modern supercars.

I think we'll do something transport related tomorrow, thank you for the idea, it will certainly keep him occupied. Though learning how to cross the road safely would take longer than a lifetime here. :rotfl:

amanda_p

One very valuable lesson I learned as a parent and a former teacher is sometimes children just need to 'be'. They learn the art of amusing themselves, find enjoyment in things that on the surface have no educational value but fill a very valuable space in life skills. I remember when teaching (infants) some would come in and be tired and cranky all day with little interest in anything. These children were the ones that had a full set of activities every night after school, these children were 6 years old. As an example:
Monday Swimming
Tuesday Gym
Wednesday Karate
Thursday Football
Friday Tutoring
Saturday Football game, swimming in afternoon.
Sunday Homework, either from school or from the tutor.

These children were not being 'allowed' to develop their own interests, they could never play pretend games with playmobil or lego, they wanted an adult led activity all the time.

As an adult we know what being under pressure all the time feels like, having to do things sometimes we don't fancy doing. As adults we can make our own choices and decisions, but at 6 you are not ready for this.

I remember taking our two sons to California and taking them on a car ride down the Big Sur. They both sat in the back of the car reading, complaining that it was like being in Cornwall! They can look back on it now as adults and understand the beauty of the coastline but not at 8 and 10. At the time we got really irritated that they couldn't understand what was special about it. Different ages. different perspective.

I think the thing to remember is, they are children for a very short while, let them just be. Sometimes it is good to just sit back and watch and not intervene. It is fine if they are bored. Not one child I ever taught understood what bored really meant. It was a cry to Mum and Dad, I'm bored entertain me.

In todays world it is even harder with the technology explosion. I fear our next generation will lack both imagination and social skills. Only time will tell.
I know my two were happiest when they came home covered in mud after climbing Quasimodos tree, plus they have never forgotten it at 29 and 34!

Red-Squirrel_2

AlexLK wrote: »

I'm not sure she's been enjoying my company when the most complimentary thing she can say relates to me not having "expectations".

Sounds good to me, she can just be herself and relax when she's with you!

shangaijimmy

amanda_p wrote: »

One very valuable lesson I learned as a parent and a former teacher is sometimes children just need to 'be'. They learn the art of amusing themselves, find enjoyment in things that on the surface have no educational value but fill a very valuable space in life skills. I remember when teaching (infants) some would come in and be tired and cranky all day with little interest in anything. These children were the ones that had a full set of activities every night after school, these children were 6 years old. As an example:
Monday Swimming
Tuesday Gym
Wednesday Karate
Thursday Football
Friday Tutoring
Saturday Football game, swimming in afternoon.
Sunday Homework, either from school or from the tutor.

These children were not being 'allowed' to develop their own interests, they could never play pretend games with playmobil or lego, they wanted an adult led activity all the time.

As an adult we know what being under pressure all the time feels like, having to do things sometimes we don't fancy doing. As adults we can make our own choices and decisions, but at 6 you are not ready for this.

I remember taking our two sons to California and taking them on a car ride down the Big Sur. They both sat in the back of the car reading, complaining that it was like being in Cornwall! They can look back on it now as adults and understand the beauty of the coastline but not at 8 and 10. At the time we got really irritated that they couldn't understand what was special about it. Different ages. different perspective.

I think the thing to remember is, they are children for a very short while, let them just be. Sometimes it is good to just sit back and watch and not intervene. It is fine if they are bored. Not one child I ever taught understood what bored really meant. It was a cry to Mum and Dad, I'm bored entertain me.

In todays world it is even harder with the technology explosion. I fear our next generation will lack both imagination and social skills. Only time will tell.
I know my two were happiest when they came home covered in mud after climbing Quasimodos tree, plus they have never forgotten it at 29 and 34!

Fantastic post :T

hiddenshadow

AlexLK wrote: »

Definitely been a (surprisingly) relaxing break. Though my wife did tell me this evening she's pleased we have remained married because I "don't have expectations" of her. After what has been a great time together, I'm not sure she's been enjoying my company when the most complimentary thing she can say relates to me not having "expectations".

Echoing what RS said. Also, do you know if this is the "most complimentary" thing she has to say at the moment, or just the thing that's at the forefront of her mind? I could rattle off a variety of praise for my DH, to varying degrees of value/relevance/seriousness , but only a few might come to mind on any given day.