A Diary of Reinventing Ourselves

katiepoppycat

This might help with your feeling trapped and unable to get out:

http://www.mysterydining.net/

I do one of these every month or so and we really enjoy them. I don;t know about your area but in mine theyare always desperate for people with kids to sign up. You have to complete a restaurant review to be considered and I think with your fluent writing style they will snap you up!

scotdebs

Pelirocco - FW has said a number of times that she doesn't want to be too specific about family details to ensure she remains anonymous - and could easily have children in differing primary or secondary school - I really don't think that nit picking over these kind of details and having FW constantly justifying herself on her own thread is really constructive or helpful

greensalad

pelirocco wrote: »

That's 3 schools

Secondary school age children can make their own way. Youngest in nursery can move, or go to a childminder probably not any different cost and more childminders around near the house. Then move the primary school kids to a school closer to cheaper side of town. Voila.

sugarcube84

greensalad wrote: »

Secondary school age children can make their own way. Youngest in nursery can move, or go to a childminder probably not any different cost and more childminders around near the house. Then move the primary school kids to a school closer to cheaper side of town. Voila.

I wouldn't let a child in the first couple of years of secondary school make their own way there when FT has said it has very busy road/dual carriageways. I also think its a bit unfair to keep expecting FT to change her children's school.


My ds went to a decent school, on paper/Ofsted/area/results, in reception and he didn't get on well at all, he was struggling, the teachers didn't seem to like him, he didn't really have friends, he was labelled as having a potential learning issue with both maths and phonics, which according to the teacher I should have known about/noticed!


After receiving his end of year report which basically said he started behind so he has finished behind...I moved him and it has been the best decision ever. He is at the same level as the rest of the classed with maths, despite the old school saying he had dyscalculia (never tested/diagnosed/or told me!!) and by the end of the year should have caught up with his phonics, I wouldn't move him now, he is happy, settled and progressing and that is worth much more to me than money.


Also with competition for school places you could end up with children at different schools through no fault of your own, I know someone with a child at secondary, 2 children in different primary schools and one in nursery, which is just madness!!

Forward_thinking

Katiepoppy - that sounds a great idea - thanks for that. Scotdebs - thanks for that. Appreciated. Definitely will be four schools - unique situation but I won't be expanding any more on this. Greensalad - you made me smile. Yes, looking for a nursery could work well. However, the main reason I want to stay in this area is to enable the children to stay at their wonderful primary school. It's an amazing school and they are incredibly lucky. Moving them to the primary school on the other side of town would be perhaps even more devastating for them than leaving the county totally and starting anew. It all looks so wonderfully easy on paper but these are little people who have lives where their schools are the most important part in their little lives at the moment. Moving them up the road might sound as though it can be done with minimal effect but their whole world would be changed. I know everyone does it, we have done it ourselves several times. But they are really happy and we love their schools. We'll get there. We always do.

Forward_thinking

Sugarcubes - that's wonderful news about your child. I'm so pleased it worked out for you. As you say, even if we wanted to move the primary children over, it's unlikely a school would have multiple spaces. Trust me, I know about getting children into school having returned from abroad. It was painful with a capital P and took us years to get to where we are now.

enthusiasticsaver

FT I totally agree that you should put the children's schools as a priority and I personally would find it annoying that people think it is that easy to move their children from one school to another once they are happy there and have their friends and it is a good school - they are like gold dust so hang on to that.. That is important for their security and happiness and consequently yours. Also it is all very well to say secondary school pupils can make their own way via buses etc and they probably can once they get to a certain age but I would have been reluctant to let my daughters cross a busy town on their own at age 11 but I guess it depends on the child. Living in a rural back water as we do our kids were not what you would call streetwise until about 13 or 14 when we had done a few supervised bus trips with them into the local city.

How frustrating that no rental houses seem to be coming up in your area. Are the agents not being helpful?

Still you are making changes to your expenditure and you now have a car so are saving £600 on hire costs so all good changes.

greensalad

enthusiasticsaver wrote: »

Living in a rural back water as we do our kids were not what you would call streetwise until about 13 or 14 when we had done a few supervised bus trips with them into the local city

This probably just speaks for my independence then. I was home on my own from 11 years old, cooking dinner for my Mum, getting buses and cycling to see friends at that age too. I'm not from a city but I never relied on my Mum so was taught independence early on. At 13 I used to catch the train to London for the day with friends. I understand some parents want to supervise their children more at that age.

sugarcube84

Forward_thinking wrote: »

Sugarcubes - that's wonderful news about your child. I'm so pleased it worked out for you. As you say, even if we wanted to move the primary children over, it's unlikely a school would have multiple spaces. Trust me, I know about getting children into school having returned from abroad. It was painful with a capital P and took us years to get to where we are now.

It is i'm so happy with the new school, but I was using my experience to highlight how important it is for your child to be happy and you to be happy with the school, which you obviously are

anna_1977

You're doing so well FT

With regards to the schools, we can all comment but at the end of the day you, and only you know what is best for your children!!

I really enjoy reading your posts and seeing your progress it is very inspiring

xx