Category: Motherhood

Homeschooling, Happy or in hell?

Leave a comment

So in light of what is happening in the world, I’ve decided to start writing again. I was sat on the couch yesterday, looking through amazon for a “hobby” I’m really not that creative, I hate mess (although please don’t look in my living room right now), I was always shit at knitting as a kid. So this morning it dawned on me, I could go back to the blog. Are written blogs a thing of the past now? Is it all vlogs? To be honest I don’t care , I need something to stop me watching programmes like “Love is Blind” on Netflix. You see, here in Dubai the schools have closed down until April 5th. So here I am in uncharted territory of homeschooling, no job (I’m a shadow teacher) and trying to keep a low profile due to the Covid-19 virus . 

I’ve actually seriously considered offering to buy my sons teacher a brand new car if he comes to our house for the next 4 weeks as I’m seriously loosing my freaking mind trying to get him to do reading comprehension. Pulling teeth would be easier and probably a lot more fun. While people have gone mad stock piling I have made sure I’ve enough prosecco and Brew dog in my fridge for the purpose of homeschooling. I do take my hat off to those parents who do this on a full time basis, I find it’s extremely hard to get motivated when the couch is calling you. I taken to having “homeschool naps” most afternoons which in turn keep me up late, going back to work is going to be hard.

All jokes aside though, we have to just accept the situation for what it is, there’s no point being angry, upset (yesterday this was me when my beloved gym closed) it’s a situation we’re all dealing with, some at different extremes than others too. So what are you doing to cope? besides copious amounts of alcohol.

We are…………..

  • Being organised, plan what you will do with the children, even if it doesn’t go accordingly and lets face it, it probably won’t, you’ll feel better for planning.
  • Walk everyday, I’m dragging them out kicking at at screaming every morning and thats just the dog,  as far as I know fresh air hasn’t killed anyone yet.
  • Exercise, yes easier said than done, however most people are home schooling, so don’t just bark orders at the kids during a PE session, do it yourself, there are plenty of family HIIT sessions on You tube
  • Chores, get these kids learning life skills, fold the washing, wash the dishes, ok maybe not polishing Grandma’s antique tea set but you know what I mean
  • Tackle that To Do thats been getting bigger everyday
  • Screen time, ok controversial I know but why be a martyr, they can have it everyday but just limit it. Mine are having to earn it.
  • Have a supply of paper, I’d love to be arts and crafts Mammy but even writing it makes me want to be sick in my mouth. So we draw and paint, thats my limit!

You can find loads of useful thing on the internet, simple but fun. We experimented making rainbows with Skittles and water. Things don’t have to cost a fortune.

Happy lockdown

 

 

 

Advertisement

Making small changes

Leave a comment
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has”
                                                            Margaret Mead

Now I don’t usually get all tree huggy on the blog, I feel strongly that what you believe in is your choice and I for one HATE having others opinions and beliefs shoved down my throat via their SM platforms. However after staying at Flying Duck farm (another post to come) and seeing how environmentally aware our fantastic host was, it inspired me to start making some changes in our own home. I have often worried about the effects of the cleaning products have on us as a family. So recently I’ve started making small changes to the products that we buy. Slowly I am replacing my chemical laced cleaning products with environmentally friendly ones. Like I said its only starting with small changes so for now its just washing up liquid, surface cleaner and dishwasher tablets.  I’d love to use the same brand for everything but with Dubai being so inconsistent with its imports its difficult. Also these products do cost more, especially out here, so depending on shopping budget that week depends on what I can buy. Although I do find the Earth choice range a lot more value for money. I feel a bit safer in the knowledge that although its only a small difference the kitchen surfaces are being sprayed with less chemicals, when the bottle is thrown it’s biodegradable. As a family we’ve also flung ourselves into recycling a lot more. Truth be told we’ve been terrible at it but now we are making a conscious effort, as really there is no excuse not to do it. Moving forward I’d love to eventually be able to compost left over food but at the moment my irrational fear of cockroaches takes over! The children go to a very environmentally friendly school, which will soon be purchasing machine to recycle waste into school items such as pencils etc. This last term they have been learning about sustainability  and LPV was on the lookout for fair trade signs all over Sydney. 
I really want this planet to be in one piece for my children and their children to come, so if I can help with one small thing then I’ll try.
See you soon.x
Oh and PS this is not a sponsored post, I’m boring you from my own free will!!

For shits and no giggles

1 Comment

There was a lot of the first but not many of the giggles for that matter! I was on an absolutely sausage roll with my writing then a plague hit the expat estate!! We had the most horrible D&V bug ever which resulted in both the children in hospital requiring IV fluids. Miss C was only in for a few hours and about 20 minutes after the IV infusion started she was bouncing around like a cocker spaniel. LPV on the other hand wasn’t quite so lucky. He had the same the treatment but didn’t respond as well as she did. Now I don’t tell hospital staff I’m a nurse as our Peadiatrician knows and doesn’t treat me like a normal Mammy, he treats me like a colleague and whilst I respect him for respecting me as a professional I am a Mammy first and I haven’t practiced for 10 years! Now I don’t believe I will ever lose all my skills, they’re etched in my brain, I KNOW for a fact I haven’t lost my instincts and I trust them both the Mammy & nursing ones 100%. After a 6 hour infusion and me nagging them constantly to check this and check that. They come to discharge my lethargic  baby boy. I laugh in their face and pretty much tell them they are bat shit crazy if they think I’m taking my child home. After me throwing my toys out of the pram they take a full set of observations and he is admitted overnight and that is where he stayed for the next 3 days.

People who have access to  the NHS do not know how lucky they are, yes I may have had a room which looked like a hotel room but it’s all flounce and no substance. I would have given all of that up for a team of medical staff that understand the term holistic care, that actually have a bed side manner. At one point I was up to my eyes in shit unpleasantries waiting for help, waiting for wipes, waiting for clean sheets. I found the care to be right up there with my poor baby’s symptoms……..I lost my shit, excuse the pun!  on the day before discharge when I had to ask them to recheck his blood sugar, two nurses stabbing him with a needle, he is crying and instead of comfort they tell him, stop crying don’t be a baby, you’re a big boy!! Well…….red rag to a very exhausted bull, before I told them to get out my room, I offered up a little tit-bit on the fact he is only 7 he’s allowed to cry when someone shoves a needle in your arm and I still hate it at the age of 42 so please DO NOT tell not to cry, he’s allowed to cry if he wants too and it DOES NOT mean he is a big baby. After this ordeal, my saviour messages me and tells me to meet her by the lift. I take one look at my bestie holding a cup of tea and the most epic ham sandwich (they hadn’t fed me at all) and burst into floods of tears.

Things picked up slowly and he’s bloods came back normal, we were told we could go home the next day. It’s not an ordeal I want to ever go through again, Cara was my angel, picking up flossy and taking her on playdates etc. The ham sandwich was amazing but it was the love and concern that got me/us through it! It’s very difficult being away from our support network, don’t get me wrong lots of people send love and well wishes and  offered to help that meant so much but it’s the one’s that see through your “I’m ok I don’t need anything” that stick with you!!