I was busy learning...
One of the major things I learned is that I would be carp at wrangling 4 kids! One I tend to do okay with, cause she and I have sort of taught each other - but add a 5 1/2 year old girl, a 5 year old boy and a 2 1/2 year old girl and I managed - but man, exhaustion I now have a definition for you.
Its not that they were naughty, but - well, here is an excerpt from one morning encounter with just the elder 3.
[Cast]'Salina - 7 year old hostess; Lila, 5 1/2 year old niece ; and Jake, 5 year old nephew.
[Scene] Kitchen - me attempting to make porridge and keep the 3 self-amused as quietly as possible. They are garbed in pj's, my socks and my wraps (which double as wings). Sleeping is the youngest niece and attempting to get a few more minutes sleep is my Sister and Brother-in-Law.
'Salina: Okay, I am the mother bird and you are my babies. The daddy bird is dead.
Jake: No, I am the daddy bird.
'Salina: Okay, you were the daddy bird, but an eagle got you and you have come back as my baby son. You are the youngest and you can't fly yet. I am going off now to get you something to eat. Daughter, make sure son doesn't try to fly because he is the youngest and may fall out of the nest. ('Salina exits)
(Jake attempts to go out the back door)
Lila: No, no baby brother. (shepherds him back in) ('Salina returns) Mama, baby brother tried to fly but I saved him.
'Salina: Here are a million worms each. (Imitates bird regurgitating worms into beaks) Now, baby son, you are TOO LITTLE to fly.
Me: 'Salina, maybe Jake is old enough to learn how to fly. (trying to stop the babying on one who is not that little but the girls have a habit of babying)
'Salina: Okay, we will teach you how to fly.
(They all fly off. Minutes later they return.)
Jake: Okay, an eagle got me so now I have come back as an eagle and I am going to get you. RRrrrrroooaaaRRRRRRRRRRR!!!
On another note, straw poll.
You have the opportunity to send your child on a school camp. All the school is set to go - about 20 students aged 5 to 13 plus several teachers. The camp involves travelling by bus over 1000km for a week. Would you send your child?
I am of the no way view - even after 'Salina has had a weekend at Guides Camp and went quite well I would say no way - but I an overprotective mother of one who sees too many risks. What do you think?
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
I think that anything under 8 is too young for a week. Many schools send their younger classes on overnight adventures but a week is too long IMO. I wouldn't be worried about the supervision etc if it is a school camp...they are usually well supervised....but the length is a concern.
I thought there was some kind of rule about kids having to be a certain age before going on a school camp - or is that a Victorian thing? Depending on the age of my child, no I wouldn't send them. 1000 k's is a long way to travel on the bus if anything!
5 to 13 is too wide a range of ages to be managing on one school camp.
the youngest are too young for such a long trip, the oldest won't want to hang around the littlies.
what kind of activities could they do together that would keep all of them entertained?
i wouldn't send my littley until she was i the older age bracket but I would hope that the camp was for kids of similar ages rather than this camp idea.
Parents going on school camp with young kids wouldn't be so bad
I am impressed with the imaginary play the kids undertook - very interesting.
As for the camp. I woudln't be sending my kids to that. I agree with Shish, the age bracket is very wide. If they were all 10 year olds then perhaps, and it depends on what it is for.
We had class camps from grade two, we had a sleepover at school in grade one, whcih was fun. I wasn't allowed to go on the first camp, it was two nights in the riverland. I was really disappointed to miss out; all my class mates going, but I would be apprehensive abotu sending my child at that age too. I have never gone to anything which had such a wide age bracket, we were always about the same age.
I agree re the age range. And, for her age, the length of time for a first camp. (And so far away!)
I think our school has it right. Year 3 (turning 8 in first half of year, or 9 in second half) - they go on a one-night camp towards the end of the year - to an environmental centre about an hour and a bit away. Year 4 is one or two nights - down at Port Macquarie, usually, which is two and a bit hours away. Year 5 they do the 4 nights at a Sport & Recreation camp about 2 and a half hours away, and Year 6 they do the big trip (4 nights) to Sydney.
Post a Comment