Shoes bust

So at my sons school just the boys in his class were hauled up for shoe inspection and not the girls. They questioned him on his shoes and said they were borderline till they further inspected the soles of his shoes. He wears Clarks Bootleg shoes that do not look like trainers.

Boys Bootleg shoes from Clarks.

I like my child to wear practical shoes to school that stand up to the rigours of the school day football, etc ,dragging their feet along like Quasimodo under the horrendous weight of all their school books.

So I understand the need for tidy uniform that it instill good behaviour and all that.

But to single out just the boys in my sons class is just a tad ridiculous or as my son put it sexist.

If they are going to take such draconian measures its much fairer that the girls should have their shoes inspected as well.


I hasten to add this was not a spur of the moment inspection by the class teacher but the head of year and the deputy swooped on the class, perhaps someone was wearing white socks and sandals ? We are talking about teenagers here its not a drugs bust....


This is Year 9 we are talking about they are on the cusp of pondering their options taking their GCSES or what ever other exams the government choose to cook up ...

So please schools treat children fairly .... 

Come Parents Evening I shall be checking you are wearing the correct shoes...

This is not a private school but is in a way its one of those super duper academies you know the ones where you sell your granny to get into the school catchment area.

Starting School tips

Starting School ,Preparing your child for school.

Whether its is because children start school to early , some have just turned 4 when they start school or whether parents or nursery are not preparing children for school. Many are coming to school nowadays without basic skills.

• They can not dress themselves.
• They can not cut up their own food.
• They don't know when to ask for help by putting up their hand.
• They have no manners.

You need to prepare your child for school in conjunction with your nursery  or any one else involved in your child's care.

• Visit the nursery or school with your child to give them an opportunity to see what the class does.
• Explain what will happen during the school day ,: play at school children will love being the teacher!.
• Read books about starting school.
• Reinforce the activities that your child interests and the things they will enjoy " there's be lots of duplo to play with- you love building" or "There's a teddy you can take on holiday!."
• Talk about the fun activities you already do at home that will be replicated in school such as painting,drawing,craft activities story time etc.

Before there first day.... well before their first day that is. You might want to check a few things with the school.

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• What's the typical school day.

• Toilet trained our child where possible- though not a problem if your child has learning delays etc as school will have an intimate care plan in place.

And these tips are the ones that will make your life, your child life much easier at school as it is often the little things that upset them such as not being able to put on their own coat.

• Try and mimic the timings of the school day where possible "Oh Look it's 12 o' clock the children at school are having their lunch now."

• Practice doing up buttons and fastening shoes.... Velcro is ideal but as they get older laces are ideal especially as by the time they get to senior school : Velcros trainers  really are not cool.
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• Practise social skills, such as taking turns, following directions and making choices
• Visit friends with children or invite other children to play
• Teach simple  jobs that may be useful at school, such as packing away toys. The teacher doesn't want to break their neck on a stray sheep now do they?
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• Help your child to recognise his name - most children can't read or write yet, but they may be able to recognise the first letter of their name or even the whole thing

Remember, all these activities should be fun - it's important not to pressurise your child. If you're making your child in the least bit anxious, stop talking about it quite so much.

Humour tickling your fancy.

Humour what tickles your fancy  nether regions what gets you going ?

Weeping to you say NO NO more ?


Is it funny cat pictures ?

Is it endless pictures of only  a face a mother would love cute babies with bowls of spaghetti on their heads ?


Humour is either individual or collective ....


So go on what floats your boat I promise to laugh .... maybe .

Familarity in Reception

Soon in Reception everything will hopefully become familiar to your child though they will have to be reminded on how to do things every so often as even us adults forget things.

Having a child can be a confusing time for a parent !.

So basically within the England (UK) they are under EYFS I know that the world is drowning in acronyms but you will soon get your head round them hopefully.

What does the Early Years Foundation Stage do?

Basically:

• Your children learn through play indoor and outdoor.

• The education providers work closely with parents
• you are kept up to date on your child’s progress
• The welfare, learning and all-round development of children with different backgrounds and levels of ability, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.

Your school obviously will have provided you with an information pack prior to starting reception where probably your teachers and helpers pictures will be in the booklets. This is very useful and reassuring to both the parent as child because as soon as they reach school they will see a familiar face and this will help ease them into their school routine.

As a parent you can help settle your child into
school by going over what will happen in a basic school day. Even though you will have a booklet from school what will happen there is no harm as a parent making a little scrap book about what will happen in their school day. Reassurance and guidance is key to them settling in and the more familiar they can become with their surrounding the better. And familiarity will the routine with help them get on and lean as they will have less to worry about.

Have a treat!

And do make sure you treat them once in a while after a long day at school!.

Ryvita Sun, Sea , Sand And Crunch review.

I know its September but I am still clinging onto summer by my finger nails there's no reason why it can't be summer time all year long really.

Ryvita has joined forces with talented mark sargeant , owner of celebrated Rocksalt in Folkstone, to create a series of fresh and Zingy toppings, inspired by the British Summertime, to perfectly accompany your favourite Yyvita Crispbread.

For a light lunch on a hot summer's day, why not treat yourself to subtly spiced crayfish tales and peppery watercress on tops the new Ryvira Hint of Chillicrispbread. Ideally partnered with a cold crisp glass of Pinot Grgio for a long leisurely lunch. Or, as a temptingly tasty canape for an outside, candle lit soiree, why not serve succulent salt beef, peppery water cress and a dollop of dill pickle on Ryvita Dark crispbread.

A wonderful base for seasonal ingredients and great to share with family and friends. Ryvita is a must-have for summer get- togethers. With a wide selection of differant variants including Ryvita Dark Rye Crispbread and new Ryvita Hint of Chilli crispbread, there is something available for everyone.

So dispels all your thoughts of Ryvita as something that is boring as it most defiantly is not !

So take your Ryvita from the ordinary to the  extraordinary !!

A Ryvita deserves more than chocolate spread and strawberries on it.

Here are some Ryvita recipes:

Ryvita Hint of Chilli Crispbread with Spiced potted crayfish tales and water cress

serves 3-4 for a light lunch

Ingredients 8 Hint of chilli Crispbreads

75 g Butter
1/2/ tspn of  cayenne pepper
1/2/ tspn of ground nutmeg
1/2 tpsn of ground mace
250g Crayfish tails, peeled and cooked
2 Drops of Tobasco
Salt and black pepper

Method

Placw the butter in a pan to melt with the pepper, mace and Tabasco. Once melted, add the crayfish tails. Stir well over the heat and season. Place the crayfish tails into a large bowl and chill in the fridge for a hour. Remove from the fridge and allow to come up to room tempertature, then mix to incorporate the spice butter. Serve on Ryvita with water cress and a lemon wedge.




Disclosure ( I was kindly sent some Ryvita for review the recipe has been reproduced here thanks to kind premission from Ryvita )