NST April 2020: Fools we are not!

Siebrie

CCL, I'm struggling with teaching dds resilience as well. They are 11 and 8, and especially the eldest has a problem concentrating and thinking things through, and with just plain failing 20 times before she masters something. No amount of me persuading her, egging her on, nagging, praising, you-name-it-I-ve-tried-it, helps.  For instance: it took her 3 years to learn ropeskipping, she was 10 when she finally mastered it; dd2 still cannot ropeskip. They try once or twice, and then stop. It is soooo frustrating, because it's such an essential life skill; dh and I both like to figure things out, so how come that hasn't rubbed off on dds??? A couple of days ago I had a very serious conversation with dd1 that she will not be able to attend the secondary school she prefers, with that attitude. It's a very good school, and they expect their pupils to be interested in stuff and figure things out.

ditty1234

Just had a quick skim read and I think the new 3 weeks with no plan for what will happen afterwards just cemented the insecurity and frustration about home schooling and in particular people working at home and trying to home school younger children ... it's so hard and some good teachers /schools makes it easier than others! But I think keep a dialogue with the school, set small targets, make it different - study time  ... play time (tv time while parent works) ! 
Keep the mood up and the expectations reasonable. And if the kids are nervous about progression ... basically all the kids are in the same situation. SD hugs and xxx

f0xh0les

I have the opposite problem. mine are not worried at all, not stressed,  and are refusing to do their homework as they would rather be reading a book (not a school one).   My children are perfectly happy in the belief I can solve everything.

They are laid back at the best of times, but have managed to all morph into Shaggy from Scoobie Doo.  It is all about the chillin' out, work avoidance, and scoobie snacks.  So we have changed the wi-fi password and they are now complaining they cannot access their homework, which is odd, as they have had wifi for 3 weeks and not been able to do their homework either.  I am unrepentant.

So today, I am Captain Evil.  How do you do?

abundant1972

Good afternoon!

Thank you Apple - yes - change is scary. I am trying to focus on the things I can change and not the things I can't... plus stay in the present so I'm not stressing about the future and what may/may not happen. Today is a day off - and time to just stop and regroup. Having a recharge day. Chipped a bit more off my debt and rechecked over finances - all good. Still on budget, and clocked up another few NSDs. 

Today I am grateful for:

1) Time off to chill
2) Finally some structure to my week which has been lacking for so long
3) The note I wrote for myself on self care

Today = NSD number 9

Have a good one folks!!

abbi_aurelia

CCL could it have been the time pressure? I completely lose the plot if I try to do something live (have actually had a panic attack in an exercise class) but if for instance I had a video of the paper airplane that I can pause and run back and forth I would be fine
Toni's friend - if you are not worried about presentation, I've made small batches of brownies in saucepans and casserole dishes. The have to be oven proof, but then I just put baking paper in and pour in the mixture.  Unfortunately looks like a cowpat when whole, but cut it up and no one is the wiser
Cloudy and chilly here today, refusing to turn the heating on though and just using a duvet at my desk
Grateful for finding chocolate in the fridge, chatting with a friend over messaging and the fun of being allowed the trim some of my OH hair (wasn't trusted with all of it, just the bits at the side that annoyed him)

BadBookkeeper

Thanks for all your replies about DS.  It looks like he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t do it & tbh lockdown or not I think he’d have the same response so maybe I’m being too sensitive that everything is to do with lockdown!  I think trying to do it in real-time was a problem as he’s being making lego things from YouTube videos pausing & replaying and does that fine.  He is a ‘if I can’t do it first time then I’m not interested’ boy! Teaching him to tie shoe laces was a nightmare!!

Not an NSD today as ordered a birthday card for my sister. 

Today’s been ok, I’ve got a video call played tonight with my friends and one for ds and his friends tomorrow.

Keep safe xx

Toni'sfriend

Hello Everyone

Another NSD but I really have lost track so I'm not counting any more.

Thank you all for the baking suggestions. Unfortunately the main problem is I can't get flour anywhere. Is there anything you can make without it? I used the knit but I haven't for at least 30 years or so. I might see if I can buy some needles and wool on line and have a go at that. I've spent the afternoon emailing my friends and family just to keep in touch and see that everyone is safe. Not a lot of family left so they are very precious and we're not in contact nearly often enough.

One neighbour is cutting the communal grass again as the council are not doing it at present (quite rightly so) and another two have just cleaned out the bottom bin shelter. That's not a job I would have tackled even if I could go out. It's a disgusting place. 
My neighbours are wonderful. A really good community. We have all been treated to a bit of birthday cake from the now eight year old - a skittle rainbow cake. How appropriate.

Hope everyone is beginning to perk up a bit.

Pollie

If you google 'flourless cake', quite a few options come up including brownies and chocolate cake.

snowbird20

We have some crazy weather in Maine and right now the sun is shining brightly and snow is falling.
I do have 1 NSD in my pocket today...pretty sure there's another tonight.  There's nothing that i need.  As I am decluttering and packing some things to move, it makes me angry at myself for the things I wasted money on.
Gratitude:
everyone in family still well/sunshiny days/food and a warm place/dh is only 135ish days from retirement/we are getting the meds sorted out and they are helping greatly.
Hope everyone has a lovely evening.

mothernerd

Feeling much better today. Worked hard yesterday but felt a bit down at not doing everything on my list. Was going to do the windows but mum wanted the swing chair frame lifting as it had fallen over again on top of the roses. After doing that and watering/ replanting pansies and primulas in the outside pots, I needed a rest. Gave the bathroom a thorough clean, washed the bathmats and the shower mats (plasticy things with suckers on the back), mopped, moved mum's 'unused' clothes into suitcases (she said she sometimes wore the coats on holidays, then when I looked at her she just said "I'm not going on holiday, am I, maybe never again.". Moving all the things she does wear (hanging up things we're not starting on all the drawerfuls of t-shirts etc) gave me two empty wardrobes so my clothes are hanging in solitary splendour and I have space to put some of the thngs that are around. (I also have plans for one of the wardrobes).

Today I put my 'district nurse' head on and changed mum's dressing (nearly better), was going to morph into window cleaner mode but mum said they weren't too bad (don't know if she thinks I'll make a mess and is hoping the window cleaner comes back). Have done a pill stock check and contacted the doctor's and the pharmacy to order mine and mum's. Mine can be delivered but it will be the end of next week and I am expecting mum's to be made up next Friday and will be delivered the following Tuesday (4 weeks worth instead of just one week's blister pack plus boxed extras).  11 items on her prescription, only 4 on mine but I opted to buy my own hayfever and ibruprofen and will soon be in desparate need of suncream (or I come out in white spots). I've done some cooking and some planning - last week's meal plan got sabotaged when mum decided to go off menu a couple of times (then kept trying to throw things away or reminding me that certain items were there and needed to be used up).

Done a quick shed tidy (sorting food items which have been left to 'decontaminate' and trying to get the veg in good order - put the veg box on the walker on Wednesday to transport it and it fell off half way. Took the box the rest of the way and then put on gloves to scoop the other things into a bag), unpacked another delivery (including large planters, wooden garden labels and bulk pack of mealworms for my birds), put that (very large) box in the shed in case one of next weeks visitor's wants it. Put a card, two lots of money (cash for shopping brought and cash for things being brought) and a card for an August birthday (people might get fed up of visiting us when the novelty wears off so the more we can send out the better), plus a toy that got left behind into a bag. Will be putting the visitor's chair out on Monday so mum can chat (chair goes outside in front of the front window, I open the top window so we can hear and pull the blind across so we can see and be seen). Reorganised one of mum's cupboards and cleared some things that were on the worktop.

Couple more things I want to get out of the way and think tomorrow is polytunnel day (have some marrowfat peas soaking in a cup and will gather all the collected toilet rolls together and set them off in case I can't get pea and bean seeds.

Today I am grateful for feeling more on top of things, for knowing the pills have been ordered, for good food made from using odds and ends, for meal planning, for having brought the granny smiths into my room (mum's having all the large oranges, all the bananas and most of the other fruit from the veg box - I have asked for oranges and bananas every time someone has asked if there's anything we need, I've had one tangerine, a few grapes and tinned fruit), for it not raining (I left washing out despite mum's objections - had done hers earlier and dried it but I was gathering odd bits and they didn't get set off until I finished cleaning), for good books, for people who phone to see how we are, for this thread.