Early, because I am impatient and wanted to share this with you before I move!
Strangely this video also spans the month we move last time 
I hope you all enjoy our little life episode.
See you when we’re all settled
xo G
Hi Friends!
This week we are moving house so things will be a little quiet here on the blog until we settle in and get internet connected at our new place. This will be our EIGHTH move in the last four years so we’re very hopeful that our new home will be our last for a while.
I have mixed feelings about moving. I thought I’d be ecstatically happy to have our ‘own’ place again since living with Errol’s parents since April but the truth is – I think I’m really going to miss them. We’ve lived with both of our sets of parents since we wed (my parents the first year, Errol’s parents this year) and unlike many predictions that living with in laws is a recipe for disaster – both these periods have come to and end with no regret – only an element of sadness that things must change. `
I have loved living here.
I love when my children wake and ask for their ‘lola’ (and continue asking for the next two hours until she wakes). I love it when my little boy calls out for his ‘lolo’ when he’s sick and walks around the house like a bleating lamb until he finds his hero, his ‘lolo’. I love the sense of family and absolutely believe my children belong close to their grandparents. It has made my heart swell to see them fall so in love with their Lolo & Lola. I am beyond blessed that along with my darling husband came his generous and kind family. I am one of the lucky ones as far as in-laws, I know.
I feel very sad that our children won’t be able to enjoy so much time with these people they love, I don’t know if they really understand what moving means.
I have pre-programmed the Film Friday to post itself this Friday and I will be back as soon as we’re all settled.
Until then; have you thought about doing the 365 2012? I think you should all do it with me! I know that’s a daunting number ~THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE~ but *I* was able to manage it and that leads me to believe anyone can (I have NEVER ‘stuck’ to anything… ever).
I will post about this as soon as I am back online but have a think about it until then, okay?
xo Georgia
I thought I’d share the Christmas presents I’ve made for my children this year.
We have a rule of handmade or preloved presents only in our family. I love this tradition because we a) don’t spend lots of money buying people things they don’t really want and b) make an effort to put a lot of thought and love into our gifts.
I will share with you the presents I’ve made for my children only because the other presents are going to be people who read this blog (or who have parents that do!).
For Peach & Theo Bear I made them each a ‘beach robe’ which is – as you can see – very much like a bathrobe but a little more fun. They swim SO much and we go through a lot of beach towels. This means they have their own little towel to get dry after a swim and they don’t have to hold it up. They can just snuggle into this and enjoy a snack between paddling or wear it home from the pool. These were so simple to sew and took me about 2 hours each. I used a pattern I bought from Made. You can buy it here (I have never in my life sewn to a pattern but it was so cheap and I thought I’d like to support a work at home mama by buying it – it also proved helpful as I would never would have thought to sew with the nap of the towel in mind!).
All you need to sew one of these is a bath sheet (very large towel) and some bias and hood fabric. These cost me around $8 each (I already had the bias).
Above is P’s
Below is Theo’s
The kids are getting two presents each this year. A beach robe & a toy. I really try and keep the gift giving minimal so they can appreciate what they are given. Plus I can’t get this image out of my head :(
Buuuut… it’s so tempting to buy them so many things this time of year, isn’t it?
For Theo’s toy he is getting a wooden kicthen but I didn’t make it so I won’t share the photos here.
For Peach’s toy she is getting a ‘mini midwife’ kit.
I have had this in mind for her since Theo was in my tummy! There is nothing she loves more than an evening of coaching me through ‘labour’ and delivering my breech twins while chatting to another client on the phone. She loves playing midwife and I love listening to her play. She demands to know how many ‘tractions’ I’ve had and shows me how to breastfeed a newborn baby.
I thought it’s about time my girl had her own ‘mini midwife’ it. As it is she’s been using whatever we have on hand (socks to take blood pressure and a wooden block to take my temp).
So here it is. A little kit for the budding midwife.
The medical toys were given to me by Theo’s midwife Michelle and thus this was very inexpensive to make. The pink polka dot fabric is one of P’s receiving blankets. The velvet my parents old curtain. The felt was $1.50. The cord was an old curtain tie-back. It took two evenings in front of United States of Tara to complete. Involving P in the process we will add to the kit with cord clamps, blankets and little odds and ends as we find them.
The ‘mini midwife’ piece is a felt note book for all her medical notes The bag is reversible as required
Now… lets be honest. When it all comes down to it – it may be ideal to keep our children at home but many of us are actually looking forward to the day we can pack them off for 6-8 hours a day, am I right?
Not only that, many of us are looking forward to the day when we can focus on our career or actually getting to spend a good 10 minutes alone in the shower. The idea of having your child home with you 24 hours a day 365 days a year might sound like a death sentence to some people.
When I tell people this is what I am planning to do I can see them mentally putting those shackles on.
“God… that’s a lotta time with your kids, isn’t it?” they say while staring beyond my shoulder trying to imagine being tied down to their kids for the next 12 years.
And I am being honest – I sometimes have felt that way too (most frequently at 6 am when they are bouncing on my back). It would be most convenient to have my children somewhere else most of the working week. Imagine all the sewing I could get done!
But the truth is – I see keeping my children at home as actually the most freeing decision we’ve made as parents (well, besides babywearing!).
Those hours school would provide me child free do seem enticing until I think about what they cost me.
The idea of having to structure my weekdays from now until 2026 (and even later if we have more kids 0_0 ) with 8 am drop offs and 3pm pick ups seems almost like a death sentence to me. Structuring the kids entire childhood and adolescence around when they’re not in the classroom makes me incredibly sad. The idea of giving that time and giving my role to raise my children to someone else? Not a price I am willing to pay.
Those spontaneous afternoons to Byron Bay, the freedom to spark an interest in tadpoles and spend the entire afternoon up to our knees in creeks and mud, the ability to travel whenever we please for as long as we please?
All gone (or… at least severely narrowed down to weekends and four times year when everyone else is out cramming those beaches too).
Not having my children in a structured school system allows me room to run a business to the hours that are convenient for me and be with our children when I want to be. Being able to dictate the hours I work around what’s best for our family – I don’t think there is anything more convenient than that.
My children can roll out of their beds into their ‘classrooms’. We can travel for weeks or years and never worry about missing school. If I notice that Theo really wants to know more about dinosaurs – we can pursue that for as long as he wants to. We have the freedom to cater education to his interests. If I notice Peach needs time just with me – I can spend afternoons out having hot chocolates and just being with her – for as long as she needs. This is my freedom – the freedom to be where I really want to be – with my children.
When I think about our years to come while our children are growing I see lazy afternoons, adventures in the gallery, swimming, kisses, good music, good books, knowing (really knowing!) my children, laughing, traveling, mornings free for cups of teas with grandmas, little business ideas, my children working alongside me, me learning alongside my children – I see the greatest adventure I’ve ever been handed and I feel beyond freed by this decision.
And all I can think is – how wonderful is that?
This is the final post in our series.
If you missed the previous posts they are What is an Education?, Natural Learning, Why school isn’t the best place for my child & Socialisation
A while back I was waiting in the ER with Theo to see the on-call nurse. It was a long wait and I struck up a friendly conversation with a lovely lady who happened to live in the suburb next to mine. We were laughing and chatting over our similarities, talking about our children and delighting in the interaction to pass the hours. The topic somehow turned to schooling and the fact that our children would be learning at home. My new friend became silent and then almost angry. “Oh honey, you CAN’T do THAT to your kids, you just can’t, they’ll grow up to be freaks who can’t socialise with anyone”.
I laughed and asked her if she’d had any problem socialising with me – someone who’d been homeschooled?
She was reluctant to answer “Well no, but you’re just one person, most kids turn out to be freaks when they don’t grow up with a peer group – you just HAVE to send them to school”.
When I smiled and said that was not a concern of ours the conversation turned cold. This lady was genuinely upset that I was apparently ‘intent to ruin my children’s social abilities forever’ (While I might add this lady was unable to continue the conversation with someone who had differing beliefs to her and yet she was worried about MY kids social skills? Ha).
I’ve actually found that socialisation has been the main concern and the sole arguement I have had from anyone against our children not going to school. It amuses me to some extent because you would think, from the way people go on, that the one purpose of schooling is to socialise our children. Not a single person I’ve spoken to in real life has suggested our children wouldn’t be educated well at home – no… they just won’t know how to make friends at the park.
It seems to be an accepted fact that attending school and being grouped by age with peers constitutes the normal socialisation of a child.
When I think about the standard ‘age grouped’ school socialisation historically and outside schooling – this seems anything BUT normal.
Humans are not designed to be grouped exclusively by age for the most part. Unlike many mammals we do not have our children in litters. They are designed to have a year or more gap between them. Mixed age groupings have been shown to enhance learning and productivity. When matched with children their own age kids are neither encourged to be mentors or to learn from an older child’s maturity.
Just looking at my own children Priya is constantly amazing me with her maturity and compassion for her little brothers needs. Theo is constantly suprising me by how far advanced he is compared to Priya at the same age. They work to bring out the best in each other in this way.
It is my greatest resource to have friends of varying ages and abilities. I have friends in their 50′s and friends who have just left school. When I am with people younger than me I tend to take a mothering role. When I am with people older than me I am encouraged by their maturity and act accordingly. When I am grouped with a whole bunch of people my own age and maturity we goad each other on until we’re stealing street signs from the corner (I am sadly not joking).
When I think about my children’s socialisation I want them to have friends their age but I do not want this to be their main source of interaction. I do not believe that is a healthy socialisation for a child. Children learn how to be confidant, mature adults from (surprise!) confidant, mature adults.
Errol and I would also like to to have some influence in the company our children keep. In a school system children’s peers have an incredible influence over them. Until my child is at an age where they can exercise discernment over who is a good influence for them – I’d like to have some guidance over who they spend their days with. I don’t think this is fearful parenting, I think this is my job as their parent – to provide my kids healthy interaction wherever I can. While my children are in my care – I would like to know their friends.
We want to give our children a rich socialistion with all ages, races and experience. I can’t think of a better way to do this than to keep them out of school! This leaves us free to give them access to lots of activities with other children of varying ages (through sports, art classes or musical groups etc), to let them have lots of unstructured time with their friends and siblings and to let them be involved fully in our lives and normal social interactions of society outside school.
This is the fourth post in a five part series.
If you missed the others you can find them here: What is an Education?, Natural Learning, Why school isn’t the best place for my child & Convenience & freedom
