Small steps

Carrie's War by Nina Bawden.

7th May 2015 by Jax Blunt 5 Comments

A little while ago, I set Small a project – to explore the Second World War primarily through fiction. To get him started, I dug around our shelves and our many secondhand bookshops, and I found a few good titles. The first one he started was Carrie’s War.

Carrie’s War (A Puffin Book) at Amazon

Oddly, I’d not actually read this one. Small read it today, in a hurry to get back to screens 😉 and then declared it boring. I suppose it is very different to the sort of thing he reads for himself, but to be sure, I picked it up and read it this evening.

If I compare it to the sort of thing Small chooses – Wimpy Kid, Alex Rider, the pacing is completely different. He complained that nothing really happened – for all it’s set during the war, the action is all at a personal level. Carrie’s war is a story of families and strangers, and how they are brought together and torn apart.

I can quite see why Small didn’t go for it. He didn’t notice the undercurrents of conversations, the small happiness and sadness of day to day life. He also didn’t really notice any of the details like children sliding on trays down the slag heap, or parents dying in accidents in the mine. He doesn’t read a book at that kind of level, and that’s not so surprising, given that we’ve not talked about books the way I do with Big.

I’m hoping to change that now, by starting to read alongside him. I listened to the first 6 Alex Riders on trips to and from Scotland over the years, but I’m a bit behind with them, and I’ve never read any Wimpy Kid. We did try out having a family book club a little while ago, and read Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and Wonder. Wonder was a rather more popular choice – Small still hasn’t really forgiven me for Boy. There have been other books he has enjoyed – perhaps I’ll like the Pendragon Girl series, as he certainly did.

When I suggested the world war II project to him, my ulterior motives were to broaden his general knowledge, and his reading horizons. Now my motivation is to share the fictional journey with him, which I think is a rather better starting point. I daresay he’ll learn stuff along the way, but it probably won’t be the things I might expect, and I’m sure that I’ll learn a few things too.

Do I recommend Carrie’s War? On my admittedly quick read tonight, perhaps it has a stronger appeal to adults in some ways, although a quick search online tells me it’s often used at KS2 – you can get resource books (like Carrie’s War: KS2 (Read & Respond)) and everything. (Hint, I haven’t. But if you’d like to use any of the affiliate links in this post, do feel free 😉 .) I have to say, I really rather enjoyed it. It is a quick and easy read for an adult, and there’s nothing overly traumatic in it, particularly given it’s a war story, and it’s very nicely put together, with good characterisation, and lots of evocative moments.

I’d love to hear the opinion of someone who lived through those experiences on it.

Tomorrow I might build a page with a booklist on it, we’ve a few titles kicking about already. Do feel free to drop suggestions in the comments through, always looking for more books to read 🙂

After the silence

28th July 2014 by Jax Blunt 12 Comments

the words.

At the weekend I said that I thought Tigerboy was heading for a developmental leap. Today he took it.

This morning it was the usual signing, pointing and grunting to decipher the breakfast requirements. He’s happy with it, mostly, although we have been having a few tantrums recently. Maybe the frustration has built up enough to push through whatever was stopping him trying?

Because later today, they were playing Reading Eggs. He’s been making sounds to go with these games for a while – he can read letters on the letter jigsaws, he points out letters all sorts of places. So he was Rrrrring along with the lion. And Small started playing along with them (he really is ever so good with them).

Next I had Small come running in to tell me that Tigerboy was talking. Repeating words. And he was. Car. Floor. Door. Window, truck. Adding with the up, down, in, out we already had. And the words kept piling on. He was so pleased with himself, and Small was pretty thrilled too.

They went outside to hang the washing out. And started a new game. This one involved Tigerboy shouting “come here!” and Small coming, then “go there” and he went. It took a very long time to hang the washing out, but it was worth every minute.

So, from near silence to sentences in a day. I said I was going to write a post that listed the words he had – I’ve lost count today. Wheel was another good one. And he’s got names. I’ve moved from Mom to Mummy. Tim is now a fully vocalised Daddy. Big is the only one he hasn’t cracked, but her’s is a three syllable name. Oh, and there was cat. Each word is performed, a bit like when Small writes, each letter is drawn individually. I think there’s a desire for precision there – perhaps an anxiety that holds them back a little? A perfectionism?

I’m guessing communication group may be a little redundant now, but we’ll see how we’re going in September. He doesn’t do the joining in that they’re working on as well, or the moving from activity to activity – but he doesn’t really need to, as he won’t be going to nursery or school, so won’t be being processed and time limited in that way. He can focus on a task, and often does, for much longer than the 15 minutes allotted to each part of the group, and I think being moved on is actually quite a problem for him. It takes him a little while to warm up to what is going on, and just as he’s getting into it, it gets whipped away. Not surprising that he’d rather just explore the room and the toys. I don’t really worry about the social side of it either, I’ve seen him with lots of children of various ages, and he manages just fine.

What he’s going to do when Small stops coming here when commanded will be another interesting experience. It has been wonderful watching them together today. Brothers.

Happy 40th Playmobil – a fun day at the Pirate Castle, Camden

1st May 2014 by Jax Blunt Leave a Comment

Yesterday was a very long day. I got up at 4.10 to work out what the alarm noise was, but it shut off before I could find it. (Don’t you love that?) Then I lay in bed afraid that I would sleep through the alarm, so just dozed until 6. Great start!

So then, getting up and getting three children out of the house by 6.40. I did it. And we set off on a journey to Camden.

It took a long time. A tube strike meant we changed at Stratford and took the (packed) overground. And then my ineptness and lack of any sense of direction meant we set off the wrong way down the canal tow path. But eventually we made it.

It was worth the journey. There were these people.

And you could actually go up to them and cuddle them.

And play with their swords.

Even if their swords are bigger than you are.

I think it’s plain to see which one was Smallest’s favourite though.

And I loved Small having conversations with a cowboy.

The kids were featured in all sorts of media. This press association video cropped up all over the place.

(although they aren’t just passing children it has to be said 😉 )

There were articles and pictures on all sorts of sites and in at least two newspapers.

Highlights: BBC News (day in pictures), Mirror Online and Huffington Post

And of course, they’re at the top of the Playmobil UK facebook page 🙂

Those fabulous figures were getting up to mischief throughout the day too. Isn’t this just brilliant? (I suggest you bring your children over to watch.)

It was a wonderful event to be involved with. Although the children were a little sad we didn’t get to bring a figure (or even a sword) home with us. If there are any needing homes at the end of the celebrations, they’d be very welcome here!

(I did get interviewed about our role as Playmobil playologists. I don’t think any media outlet has found me anywhere near as interesting as they’ve found my children!)

Ravensburger Prehistoric Expedition Science Kit

12th March 2014 by Jax Blunt 4 Comments

Buy at Amazon

When we were offered the Ravensburger Prehistoric Expedition Science Kit for review, I glanced at the covering release, thought Small would enjoy it a bit, and expected something with a fossil kit in maybe an A4 sized box.

Then it arrived. And it’s huge. And it has loads of activities in it – we’ve had several days worth out so far, and we’re nowhere near done. And that’s without doing anything related to triops, which Small remembers doing once, years ago, and not liking, so apparently we’re not doing that again. (I’ll have to try to find someone to give that part of the kit too, because it is really rather splendid.)

So instead, we’ve done making plaster of paris to do an archaeoptyrix cast, built a dinosaur skeleton, and we’re halfway through making a meganeura? (No, I’ve no idea either.)

We’ve examined the ammonite with the supplied magnifying glass, and there’s still plenty of plaster of paris to do the rest of the moulds, and Small and I have a *plan* for the fossil block. (Coming to a youtube channel near you, one day soon. Ish.) Tip with regard to the plaster of paris. Go steady on the water, make sure you really stir it thoroughly. We ended up with thick bits that weren’t quite stirred in, and it took much, much longer than the advised 24 hours to dry thoroughly. Granted this was while it was raining outside like it had forgotten how to do anything different, so everywhere just felt damp.

Honestly, I’ve seen a lot of science kits over the last ten years or so of home education. And quite a lot of dinosaur related stuff too. And I have to say that I think this one is really well put together, and excellent value for money. If you’ve a dinosaur mad offspring or two to entertain, and maybe a holiday coming up, I’d seriously consider this. Particulary if you do have a large space to keep a triops tank with a light rigged over it. (There are 5 I think triops related activities, so not doing them does detract a bit. But the tank/bowl is going on for A3 size, so you are going to need a big space to keep it, and here it would just have turned into a toddler paddling pool.)

Score out of 10? I’d give this kit a 9. And that’s high praise.

This is my child.

19th August 2013 by Jax Blunt 6 Comments

This is my child.

My beautiful boy. Who didn’t speak until he was over three – we signed and he had speech therapy, and it’s just the way he is.

He has always trodden his own path. I’ve just been reading his fifth birthday post, which makes it very clear. (Wish I hadn’t stopped doing those.) We have been very fortunate that when we’ve wanted additional support, we’ve found it – Sarah the speech therapist all those years ago in Derbyshire was a wonderful help. And all the hearing technicians who have tested his (perfectly adequate) hearing over the years, they’ve been great too. There haven’t been that many people who criticised him for speaking with his hands – perhaps they were too busy raising their eyebrows at our extended breastfeeding, or home educating, or Montessori flexi schooling 😉

Sadly, it isn’t the same for every child with additional needs. Some families have to fight for the resources they need. Some children have to deal with suspicion and prejudice out and about, and their parents are told that they aren’t capable, that they aren’t doing it right.

This Is My Child is a myth-busting and awareness-raising campaign on Mumsnet, launched in response to requests from members and supported by input from some of the leading charities in the field.

Its aim is to support parents of children with additional needs, inform everyone else, and open up a conversation about how we can all act to make life easier for everyone caring for children with additional needs.

In the past I’ve donated to ICan, the children’s communication charity. (We even won a teddy bear from them once 😉 ) In a few weeks time, I’d be holding a Something Special twitter party at home – I think it’s a fabulous program, and when Small was little, it was the only one that dealt with signing – I recommended it all over the place.

Right now I have another little boy who seems to think talking is for other people. I’m ten years further on down the parenting path, and I’m a little more relaxed this time. All the same, I’m watching him carefully, and we sign. (He doesn’t, apart from the milk sign, but we do.) If he doesn’t start with words reasonably soon, I’ll be tracking down our health visitor and seeing if I can get a referral to a speech therapist, and we’ll be doing the merry dance again.

I’m hoping that won’t be necessary. But if it is, he’ll still be my beautiful child.

Small steps

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