A sponge

Isabella is still soaking so much info in at the moment. I am also learning so much, I am going to try and find a course to go on, it is a shame there isn't a course we can both go on at the same time! Any ideas anyone?

Download please

Please go onto itunes and download Isabellas Christmas hit it is called "Whatevers good at Christmas" featuring Bill Oddie and Jelly. It is really lovely.

Jealousy

I am really sorry to say this but everything is still going really well. We were supposed to be away over the next three days with friends but they have caught the virus which is going round schools etc. Fortunately we have missd this virus, anyway, yesterday we met Charlie for lunch and then walked down South Bank to The Tate. It was such fun and we both recognised styles that we had seen in New York and remembered the artists names. I felt quite cultured!

Can we play now

Isabella surprises me more and more everyday. How do our children know how to use technology? She is able to use an iphone, an ipod our digital camera. She knows how to put on music and download things. She can turn my laptop on and google things or play on the internet. I remember saying when I was younger that as soon as I didn't understand technology then I was old. I believe I am at that stage!

Playdates

After Christmas we are going to try and have regular playdates, I thought this would be easy to arrange but it is amazing how may parents are trying to give their children the best, by doing after school clubs. I think it is wonderful that these parents are so dedicated to their children and are wanting to help them participate in activities that they want to try. As long as children have a happy medium to play and learn then why not. Good luck to all those mums that have more than one child and are doing the best for their children.

Don't let anyone put you off

I have just written another article about "The importance of nursery and early years education in a childs life." There was an article in The Times Educational Supplement also saying this was true. It was maybe even more important than we first thought. The benefits that children get from early years educational support can be seen when they are as old as 12 through their marks and grades at school.

Multiplication etc

We have learnt nearly all our times tables and we do this by singing them to a tune that Isabella is familiar with. We have then moved on to sharing or dividing and learning that this is the inverse way of a times table. We call this technique "magic" It is amazing how much Isabella wants to do "magic!"

What else to say

I really don't know what else to say. Our life has changed dramatically over this last year with Cbeebies and I never thought we would be where we are. I don't want to appear perfect when I talk about our life. But at the moment there is nothing to say except it is going well. We obviously have down times, but in comparison with the down times that occured before by rushing to and from school these are now a lot less. Isabella is happy and that is our main priority.

Time flies when you're having fun

We have had a wonderful couple of weeks again. We were able to visit family and go away for a few days. She has also had lots of playdates and everyone is very excited about Christmas! I am still convinced that the decision we have made is the correct one for now. We are enjoying our winter lie ins. So far our day unfolds like this. In bed reading from 8-9am. Breakfast and then work-maths and english till10.30am, followed by an outing or an activity or a club. We are both relaxing alot more and really enjoying a slower pace of life.

A wonderful experience

Last week we went to a home schooling group. It was filled with mainly boys and a couple of girls varying in age from 5 to 10. It was held in a village hall and the children spent two hours playing and making things. This session was by no means educational in the traditional sense but it was an absolute pleasure to watch all these children interact with children they knew and didn't know. They made things and had a lot of fun. The parents were also very welcoming and we really enjoyed ourselves. Isabella and I had great fun and we will definitely be returning. The social skills that the children had to use in this environment were very different to ones they may use at school. For one, Isabella was at an all girls school, so she astounded me by playing brilliantly with boys!

A friend needs help

A friend came and asked for my advice about their daughter at school. She has just started and is realising that even thought parents say they do nothing with their children before they start school, it is all made up and not true. Every parent works with their child and wants to make sure that they can cope with school. We just all teach them in different ways. So why is everyone so scared to say they do this. Why are the English so worried about being seen as wanting the best for their children or "pushy" as some people call it. Each child needs different help in different ways and I don't believe anyone that says they do nothing. So be proud of what you do for your child and help them.

A wobbly tooth

This is the first time Isabella has had a wobbly tooth. She doesn't like the feeling of it and is finding the thought of it quite difficult. However we have explained that the tooth fairy will visit her and leave something nice. In Richmond however I wonder how generous the tooth fairy really is!


When Isabella first started to cry about it we had to remind ourselves what it must be like and how scary it really is that your teeth might all fall out!

A Catch up

I am currently enjoying a Tuesday morning playing polly pockets, sylvanians and fairies! We have had a very busy weekend seeing friends and family. I have never known a child play so much for so long!

We have had news that a friend of ours has cancer and this has really brought home to us as a family how precious these family times are. So last night whilst putting up the Christmas tree with a very over excited little lady, we thought about how lucky we are and thought about what we hae. Sometime it takes something awful to remind us how lucky we are. It has therefore made me realise even more how priviliged I am to be able to spend such lovely time with my daughter before she grows up and is too cool for me.

Credit Crunch

Due to an amazing opportunity which has been given to me to do with my writing, I am going to have to write a lot less on my blog. So instead of the credit crunch I am having to time crunch. I will be writing a couple of times a month now on the first Monday of every month and the third Monday of every month. I will be writing about our experiences with other home schooling parents and children and offering some insight into how it is all going in our camp. Keep reading.
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Broad shoulders

If you as an individual believe that what you are doing is right and not hurting anyone. If you are able to change your ideas when appropriate and use experiences from life to create a fun and exciting time for you and your family then go for it. Be brave. Don't let anyone stand in your way. You only get one go at this.

Old comments

I have just looked through the blog and noticed the wonderful comments people have written, whether they are positive or negative all is welcome. No-one in this world is an expert in bringing up a child, and as a mother I believe everything we do for our children is a learning curve. I believe that when someone offers advice it is always useful to read it and take it on board and then add it to our experiences. I am surrounded by people from different backgrounds and different workplaces so it is invaluable for me to listen to people older and wiser. Take for example the comments given by the producer in early October. I realised Isabella was doing too much aswell and therefore changed the way we did things. We are not going to get anywhere in this world if we don't listen to other people and learn from them. It would be futile if I was to write this blog and ignore comments. So please feel free to write them. No-one got anywhere in this world by staying quiet!

An open forum

Watch this space, something monumental has happened today. I can't explain what yet. BUT I will be filling you all in as soon as I can.

The early years.

I am currently writing my third article. This time it is discussing the relationship between nursery education and the early years with the decisionto then home school. I am researching lots of articles about how children develop most from 0-6 and this is when they become aware of social skills, interaction skills and behavioural skills that they learn from their peers etc. I am having to be very diplomatic when I write this article and discuss the benfits of attending nursery and not attending nursery. I think the argument boils down to the fact that as long as your child is interacting at some level frequently with other children and other adults then they will develop the skills they need in later life naturally. I believe it is our responsibility as the parent or guardian to put our children in a position where this is able to happen. Nursery then becomes the most obvious choice. What I don't believe in is a child that is taken to full time nursey from 7am until 7pm Monday to Friday. Surely this cannot be good for any child. Please let me know if you disagree with this.

Other peoples influences

I think I am probably more overprotective than other parents but I do find it difficult to let Isabella be looked after by people that may not care as much for her as I do for a whole day. Is this wrong? Should I be letting other people influence her and manage her? I understand teachers have this responsibility but when we work on set she is looked after by a chaperone. We have had various chaperones throughout her working year. This chaperone is responsible for her well being whenever on set. When your child belongs to you, no-one looks after them like you do. So when should you stop this and pass them over. I never had a problem when she was at Nursery, I believed that those adults may have known more about bringing her up than I did, however ever since a couple of years ago I believe I should be there to protect her for as long as I can. I can also speak from experience from the other side having been a teacher and someone in charge of children. When you don't have children and have never experienced your own, you do look after them and treat them in a very different way from when you have had one and experienced it as your own flesh and blood. Basically I am trying to say that as someone who is responsible for a child I believe that until you have your own you do not really understand children and how they work. I am at the moment fairly able to understand most children up to the age of six howvever I have no idea about children older than six.

The next three days

For the next three days we are in the studio and Isabella has a gruelling schedule of filming four episodes from 9am until 5pm. Our day starts at 8am in the taxi and finishes at 6pm when it drops us off. I am so relieved we don't have school as this term would have wiped her out. It has been so intense for me, let alone Isabella, and she is the one that is working. She has the most amazing life at the moment but some people do worry that she misses out on having a weekend and being normal. HOWEVER I strongly believe that life is so long that she has plenty of time to be normal and have weekends at home.

Are children growing up too quickly

My granny surprised me toady by asking me if Isabella still believed in Santa. As far as I'm concerned I don't think Isabella will find out until she is at least 10. Maybe that is unrealistic and as soon as she is around her school friends this will all change because as soon as one finds out,they will all do. Also children will learn from their older siblings as well. I really want Isabella to stay innocent for as long as possible. A friend today however said that this was unfair for Isabella as she would just end up disillusioned by life. But what is wrong with remaining young and innocent for as long as possible especially in the current climate where children can obtain guns as easily as penny sweets.

On location with Bill Oddie

We have spent the last two days with Bill Oddie, a lot of children, Jelly and the Green Balloon Club and Nature Chris filming the Christmas Special song for the programme. We were in a barn on a farm in Essex. It has been so cold but a lot of fun. Isabella has played with Bill and even ended up teaching him some dance moves. He was so kind and sweet with her.

The Blue Men

In America The Blue Man Group have reinvented the idea of how a school should be run. Have you heard of The Blue Man group? They are an entertaining phenomenon. They have opened a private elementary school in the East Village of Manhattan. They have created a school that will stimulate creative thinking, using creative ideas to stimulate the children. It sounds amazing. It instills a sense of creative mischief in the children. I know I have used the word creative alot but that is the schools basic philosophy behind its teaching. It wants the children to be creative!

A dedicated time slot

I have found today that I have spent a lot of time playing with Isabella and working at the same time therefore doing nothing productively. It is hard to try and do everything. So now I am going to try something new. I will focus on one task and one task alone. I will give my complete atention to playing for one hour and then do my work whilst she works. Then hopefully we can still play and I can still work without saying the inevitable "hold on" or "wait a minute."

Puppets

We are obsessed with puppets at the moment. We play new stories and traditional stories and stories in french or made up languages. This is a great way to get your child thinking and using their imagination.

Letter to Father Christmas

When writing the inevitable letter to Santa you can do one of two things. If your child can write then this s a perfect time to practice their writing however if you prefer for a younger child they can cut the pictures out and stick them on to the letter or draw the picture of the item. The best idea is to do all three. Isabella has written a letter that has words and then a picture and then more words and then a drawing. This keeps them interested in this activity for a long time. To take the activity further then write a story about how Santa makes the toys and where they are coming from and what would happen if you didn't get any toys. Let your imagination run wild.

A stressful day.

I am failing miserably at being supermum at the moment. I can't believe the days are so short and there is s much to do. I went to work this morning, leaving Isabella with the granny and returned at 1pm. We then played before heading off to singing and dance. I now have to pack to be away for five days for filming. I am really looking forward to slowing down a tiny bit. When this will happen I will never know. Does everyone else have this feeling at the moment. I am so relieved i don't have school to think about as well.

Create a multiplication wheel

This idea can be used for multiplication or division. It may take some time to make but is great fun. Create an animal or object and colour it in and cut it out. About the size of a hand span. Then create a circle to fit on top and attach it in the middle using a butterfly pin (the one that opens up and allows movement) On the front have numbers from 1-12 for multiplication and then the answers on the back in the corresponding places. You must make the hole to see the answers on the animal or objects body NOT the wheel. At the bottom of the wheel on the static part of your drawing have which ever times table you are doing written down ie X2. Whenever you turn the number on the front next to the X2 there should be the hole at the back which shows the answer. For example move the wheel to 3 above the X2 and turn it over and you will see 6. For division do exactly the same but the answers must be written the other way round, do 1-12 on the back and the answers on the front with a divide and number written on the part of the picture that doesn't move (just like before.) Rember you will need a different animal or object for each times table.

The radio

I didn't realise how powerful the radio can be. Instead of a TV we have a radio. For me it is on in the background, for Isabella it is a source of musical adverts and weather reports and all sorts of information that she brings up thoughout the day. We also listen to story CD's which I will put on for her when she is playing. It is a fact that children will absorb things from the sounds around them even when they don't think they are taking it in or really listening.

A child needs their own time

Isabella really appreciates her toys when she has been away from them. Yesterday she played for almost two hours in her bedroom with her barbies and dolls etc. She invented a tea party as well as repeating a scene from the play we saw on Broadway "The Little Mermaid." I believe this time is crucial for children. They need to learn to play by themselves, they also need to create and have imaginary play. Whenever it is possible, even in the busy lives we lead, children must be give time to just be with their things and play.

Need to slow down

Suddenly coming back from holiday I feel exhausted already. There is something about the way we live in England that is just non-stop. I am actually trying to remove things from the diary as it is getting silly now. I am also experiencing very little time for me. This is crucial when home schooling, otherwise it can become too intense. To rectify this little problem I am up earlier to get my work done, however, I do need to have a social life as well but feel that I am too tired in the evenings and my weekends are taken up with Isabella filming. How can this be resolved? At the moment I am not sure, all I know is that I spend my whole life saying "next week will be different" and it never is. Everyone says the years rush by and they really do. I suppose that is why I like to go away, when we are away from home we don't have to think about all the normal stuff, we can focus on other things. The trouble is I can't spend my whole life on holiday! Unfortunately! Does everyone feel like this. I also only have one child, I can't imagine what it is like with two. I a really going to try and slow down and make more time in my week. I am not sure how yet, but I will let you know when it works out!

Toys out of old toys

At the museum in Manhattan Isabella participated in a wonderful workshop where children made toys out of old toys. Instead of throwing old toys away, take them apart and use lego and glue to fix them together to see what else you can make. Get them to draw their design out and come up with a name for their toy and invent something that it does.

Free idea

Go to a market, even though our markets are getting fewer and fewer. They are still fab places to take a little one. Tell them about prices and weights and diffent foods, their textures and tastes. Have a trying session at home using foods you would not normally buy. Set up your own market stall when you get home and use your weighing scales.

Choose a topic

Instead of worrying about seperating the core subjects, English, Maths etc choose a topic such as The Eiffel Tower, draw it, measure it, write about it, research it, cook french food and speak french. Suddenly they have done a whole weeks work covering every topic.

Non standard measuring. At the moment Isabella is going around measuring everything. Sometimes with a ruler but also with her teddy. So our bed is ten teddies long etc. Measure anything as you are walking along to the supermarket.

Ideas

How about writing on a board on having this up on your fridge: Today I feel.......... and then having a few choice words that your child can choose from e.g. frustrated or happy etc. This will help them to extend their vocabulary and learn to read and recognise new words and also let you know how they might be feeling. You could also do this.

Then you could create a Poet Tree, draw a tree out and add words or sentances to it and to creat your own poems or haikus. ( I think that is how you spell Japanese poetry)

Completely new ideas

I can't believe that my ideas can change so radically. I would never have considered home schooling until six months ago. I am also a true believer in after school activities BUT having been away from them for two and a half weeks. I have not missed them. Isabella has not missed them either. I do think they are important but maybe we all try to do too much after school. If only the children could take part in these activities in the day as well as receiving the educational element.

Weird to be back

I have found it very surreal coming home. I have loved being away, and not seeing the normal day to day running of Richmond has been fine. However coming home and walking through town on my way to Ballet brought back a mixture of feelings again. I know we have had a wonderful time, but seeing everyone and hearing about their normal day to day stuff, school etc does make me question my decision again. I am sure about what we have chosen to do but I can't help but feel like this when I see everyone living a normal life. I have the normal worries about whether Isabella is missing out on seeing her old friends and being in a classroom with everyone doing spelling tests etc. I have to keep reminding myself that she is happy. We are also happy as a family.

Back home

We have arrived home safely. The flight was awful and Isabella had to look after me. It is 1pm and we have just woken up. Anyway, I have lots of ideas which I will write down later. For now, we are glad to be back and have a busy week ahead of us. Isabella is filming Friday through to Wednesday for the Xmas special song. It was going to be wonderfully cheesy!

Going home

Today we watched The Rocketts at the xmas spectacular at Radio City Hall. It was so wonderfully cheesy. The dancers were incredible. Then it was off to the Children's Museum of Manhattan. This was another fantastic museum, so interactive and not expensive. Isabella made a friend called Molly and they are going to be pen friends. We also arranged a playdate for when we return in the summer. Unfortunately we have packed and leave the hotel tomorrow at 6am. YUCK. Then a twelve hour travelling day. Anyway, I have lots of new ideas which I will blog about when I return in a day.

Today

Public Library, Empire State Building, Childrens Museum of Manhattan, MOMA for late night opening. I think we are going to be exhausted later on today.

Childrens Museum of Art

Another amazing place, this museum is a little gem. It was a loft like building with different areas for different activities. Isabella was able to make objects out of clay, make a puppet, create a collage, draw a still life. There were several artists there to help out the children. We spent three hours there. It has given me lots of ideas for my academy. It was filled with children of all ages and they were able to experience different styles of art as well as be part of an art gallery. They had displays of professional work on the walls. It really was an inspiring place.

A wet day

Today was the first wet day in New York. However it didn't prevent us from visiting Ground Zero. This was just as emotional as I thought it might be. Isabella spent the whole time following me, asking me if I needed another tissue. It really is very emotive seeing photos of everyone and imagining how horrific it must have been. They have started rebuilding on the site. We visited the little museum next to it. Isabella obviously couldn't grasp the enormity of what had happened, even for me though I found it difficult to imagine what was once there. A very moving experience.

Change of name

I think I am going to have to change my web address name. Isabella is no longer saying "Can we play now". Instead she is saying " Where are we going now" and "What are we going to do now" We have done so much, I think we will all want to get home for a rest.

President Bush

I am currently sitting in our lobby watching a lot of police setting up the barriers for George Bush to leave his hotel in a couple of hours. He is staying in The Waldorf and Astoria opposite us. There are TV crews and lots of important people running around trying to look busy.

Book Club

I am going to set up a book club for children. I am going to try to get the children to read aloud and then give comments and also write a book review and creat their own stories.

In America every childrens programme is dedicated to reading and I think it would be fun to have a childs book club in England.

A successful day

Today was wonderful watching the Veterans parade. Isabella is turning into an all American girl. We also managed a trip to Grand Central Station and had a go at the whispering gallery. It really worked. Lastly we managed to find out a little bit about acting for children in New York and we have met some very interesting people. But enough about that until I can report something concrete.

Busy Day

This morning we started by heading off to The American Girl Place. This is hell, but a place that everyone will visit if they have a little girl. We bought the doll and the outfit and ate lunch with it! Then we had a little more culture by visiting Central Park and The Rockefeller Centre, finishing off with some ice-skating. All in all a very American day. The diary is filling up and I feel we are both learning so much. I am loving being with my daughter and feel very fortunate to be able to experience such momentus occasions with her.

Financial Support

I couldn't stop dreaming about my idea last night The Academy of Discovery. I believe all I need for this to be a success is a lot of financial support from someone who is willing to help. Any offers? It would be like a university for children. I can see it all so clearly.

An educational experience

Do we think that school is crucial? Does school play an important part in our childrens development? My answers to these questions is yes. However I wish it could be in a different way and not so regimented from the beginning. I worry that when Isabella returns we will all find it too difficult to adapt back into the system. I don't want her to miss out on the school choirs though or school teams. So I shall tell you my answer: In America there is actually a homeschool choir, football team, theatre group. I wish these existed in England. This would be the perfect mix. How can we start this? Would anyone be interested? Is the idea too American? Maybe we could create a building purely for home schoolers, as if it were a school with all the benefits of a school and we joined it like a gym to pay for it. We could have certain lessons that we could participate in if we wanted to. I suppose it would be more like a university of life for children(with parents if they wanted to join in.) The more I think about it, the more I am loving this idea.

Out for supper

We have been out to a brasserie for supper. We all got dressed up and went out quite late. It is amazing the difference that I notice in Isabella when she is expected to eat well and behave in a grown up way in public. Sometimes it is easy to forget how small and young our children still are. We have such high expectations on them at such a young age that I am really enjoying letting her be young and having some fun. I hope this fun never has to end.

American Diary

The american diary is going well. I hope Isabella remembers everything she is experiencing. She already knows so much more about america'a current affairs than I do, that I am sure she will learn something from this trip. I have bought a fantastic time line about the US presidents, I intend to make the same for the English prime ministers when we get home. We will create our own time line not only for important and influential people but also eras, artists and architects. We will create ours through pictures.

Statue of Liberty

We arrived yesterday having taken two flights. Only to arrive at our hotel to be told that our room was not available. We were offered a smaller one and some breakfast vouchers. I was not amused. Today we have been moved into the right room. We have been very busy, visiting the Statue of Liberty, Central Park and Time Square. I can't believe how busy New York was today. Isabella actually fell asleep this afternoon for two hours. We are now waiting for the granny to arrive and then we can work out our schedule for the week. I am sure it will be full of amazing experiences.

I'm not perfect!

It is wonderful that some people feel they can correct me when I spell something wrong or my punctuation isn't right. Please do feel free to let me know. Even though I am home schooling my daughter, I am not perfect. I am teaching her the basics and at the same time hopefully improving my skills in writing etc. I don't profess to being perfect, but believe me I know a lot of teachers who get things wrong as well. All I can say is that I am doing my best.

Fish

We have just finished our three hour fishing trip. It was on the lake at the bottom of the garden. Isabella used her Barbie rod and caught the first fish, I then caught the next two. Then Charlie caught a big Bass and Uncle Dave caught one too. Then Isabella finished off with her last catch of the day before Charlie caught a huge catfish. We are now eating them for lunch. When Isabella caught them we thought she would want to save them and put them back. So we said,"shall we put them back or do you want them to die?" She said "Yes I want to kill them and eat them" Not the response I was expecting from a Green Balloon Club member, but then again, how cool to be able to catch your lunch and eat it!

The point.

I read an article in an american family magazine. It was in the best museum I have ever seen called The Chicago Children's Museum. This museum is all about play and learning as one educational experience. This article just asked very clearly, What is the focus of a parent in a child's life? Is it to help them work towards a career and work on their position in the future? The outcome was one that I agree with completely. It stated that if a child has various experiences throughout life and has this amazingly filled and fruitful childhood then their career and interests will automatically arrive.

ILLINOIS

Wow, we have arrived in Springfield Illinois. It is beautiful. The house we are staying in is on the side of the lake called Lake Springfield. There are wild deer and possums and racoons. I feel like we are in another world. We are going fishing today on the lake. Isabella has been given her own fishing rod, only in America do they sell Barbie fishing rods! Then we are off to see Abraham Lincoln's Museum. I can't believe how much there is to see in America and learn. Even in the smaller areas. Isabella is enjoying herself so much that she is waking at 5am every day. She doesn't want to leave America, I have to say I agree. It is wonderful and we are looking forward to coming back and doing another road trip for longer next year.

TIP

Try this game: What if? add on anything like, you had two pairs of eyes in your head. Think about the benefits, the burdens and any other interesting points.

Isabella really loves this game.

The Mall

Today we are off to a mall. I am very excited! Then we are going back into Chicago to go on a boat trip through the river. Chicago really is beautiful. The Sears Tower was incredible. We are going to work on a project about the famous buildings in the world and we are going to see how many we can visit.

Then we went to The Shedd Aquarium, next to Lake Michigan. This was brilliant as well. The most beautiful fish was the Sand Leaf Dragon, it was like a sea horse only more beautiful.

We are then off to Springfield Illinois for two days before we head to JFK.

Chicago

We actually went to the area where Barack Obama spoke last night when he recieved his presidency. Everyone seemed very happy in Chicago yesterday. We asked a couple of passers by how they felt and they said it was a new America. There are lots of adverts on the TV now about supporting Obama and how it is a new time for everything.

The level of service.

We went out for supper last night. The level of service was incredible. Tim and Al both of our waitors last night couldn't have been kinder and more helpful. I do wonder why our level of service is not the same in England.

5x TIP

When teaching the 5x table, try and teach it with the clock. This means your child will learn how to tell the time and can associate the five times table with quarter past, half past and quarter to and the whole way round. You can also then explain 60 is the number of minutes in an hour etc. Everything coincides. Then you can talk about North, East, South and West. The connections are endless.

Gestures and hand signals.

I have found a technique that really works when teaching Isabella maths. I use gestures.

When teaching division, I put my hands together as if in prayer then split them and this helps Isabella understand dividing. When working through multiplication, I make a circle with my hands when we reach the 12 x of anything to show it is the whole, the end of the table. Half way through when something is x6 I do a gesture that represents half way through. It just gives Isabella an understanding of fractions and division and mulitplication altogether and how they fit.

Going through Chicago tonight

We are about to leave Detroit and travel back to Chicago for the biggest night for most Americans. We voted today with a family member who is American and saw how it all worked. We hopefully have been part of history.

Quite relieved.

I am very relieved, this morning I got Isabella to do some work. We wrote her America diary and then did maths and spellings and reading. Having not worked on it for a week I was very worried that she would have forgotten everything. We started with the times tables and did 2's,3's,5's,9's,10's,11's,12's. She remembered all of them. I have this amazing technique for learning the 9's. I am not sure I can explain it on the blog though. Imagine you hold up both hands facing you. Then put the one little finger on the right hand down and make that 1x9. How many fingers do you have up, hopefully 9. Then put the second finger in down and lifting the first one back up. You will have 1 on your left side of the second finger down and eight on the rest thus making 1 and 8 so 18. carry on with third and fourth etc and you can work out the nine times table until 10x9.

So the outcome of this morning was that I was so impressed with her spelling etc and her writing. I am really pleased with her working three hours on her holiday.

Not much work today.

Although we are experiencing lots of different things, I am concerned that Isabella is not doing any work. I know this isn't a huge problem as we are doing other things but I still feel guilty. It is still a weird feeling knowing that we can do what we want, whenever we want to. At the moment her experiences are a different ball game to being in school. I just hope time will tell and show that what we are doing is really benefitting her.  

The election

It is amazing, everyone is so excited about tomorrow night. The election is taking over everyones life. When we go to Chicago tomorrow we have been told there will be lots of parties ready to start. Today we went to the Henry Ford Museum which was brilliant. We saw the actual car that Kennedy was assasinated in and also Lincolns car. There was the Bat mobile and the Ghost busters car. It was the best museum ever, so large and spacious and hardly anyone there.

Everything is huge!

I am not joking, everything is America is HUGE!!!! The drinks and food and shops are all HUGE. This morning the milk carton was 4 litres and the orange juice was the same. I could barely lift them. Isabella has noticed this as well and is saying bizarre things like " Wow I have never been in a lift this big" The trouble is everything she is commenting on is no different to the things in England!

Presidency

On Tuesday we are going to be in Chicago for the election of Barack Obama! Is this presumptious, not according to the people from Chicago it isn't. There are going to be parties and rallies and all sorts happening and we are going to be in the middle of it. I am really appreciating visiting the countries relevant to our history lessons. I know it is an expensive way to have a history lesson but she is learning so much about America and its culture. We are going to buy lots to help us learn about America, maps and guides etc etc. I am now planning our next road trip to a country that is relevant to our History and Geography lesson. 

We have arrived

We arrived last night in Chicago. We are all shattered but can't believe how lovely it is here. The flight was'nt as bad as I had feared. We played various games. There are a couple of them that I would like to share with you: Try discussing what you would do if you owned your own school. How would you run it etc. Also If you could be a superhero what would you be, what powers would you have and draw your picture. Also think of a story and take it in turns to come up with a line for it. Finally we drew a story board of that story.

We are hoping tonight that we can catch up on our sleep before we go off to the Henry Ford museum.

Work all day

Today has been very difficult. I have been ill and had to work. I have been running a presentation course for some people in the city. It was a huge success, and I have only just got in. I am now catching up with my daughters day. She has been on a fantastic art course run at Orleans House Gallery. She has made things out of clay and painted and made a mask. She hasn't missed me once. This has made me very happy as a concern of mine is that she becomes too dependant on me. I believe it is crucial to make sure we have time apart and then we can come back together tomorrow to enjoy each others company even more.

Current Affairs

I remember school as if it were yesterday. One thing I wasn't any good at was current affairs. I therefore make it my job to make sure that Isabella is aware of Presidents, Political Parties, Wars, Heads of State, Our Monarchy. Famous figures around the world. All of this information is invaluable, try reading First News to them, you can order it from your local newsagent.

So far we have covered Barack Obama, Robert Mugabe, Our Monarchy and political figures inlcuding our Mayor and Nelson Mandela. All they need is a small bit of information and then drip feed bits all the time.

Using a dictionary

I don't believe a child is ever too young to start using a dictionary or thesaurus. Isabellas spelling and reading have improved so much just from her being able to look thing up and find out more about words. Once children understand patterns of sounds and start to get excited about what they can find out. Suddenly they realise the possibilities.

The only problem we have found from Isabella being able to read so well is "News Headlines." This is when the world becomes more exciting but also much more real. So far the worst I have had to explain is about the war in Iraq but I am not looking forward to headlines such as "rape" or "murder".

A film

Most children love performing, even if it is just to mum and dad. Why not create your own short film. If you don't have a video camera, let them take photos and create a story using a story board. If you can video it, get them to think about their story first, then write a script with a friend or improvise. They will love watching this back.

On this note I have a friend who has started her own company called roohooproductions.com, she makes bespoke films as keepsakes for you of your children. They are amazing, we have just had one done of Isabella. She will take them of your child doing anything or it could be a special occasion. She was with us all day and Isabella had such fun. It really is worth it.

Don't leave everything to the school

If you have time this half term really try and think of something new to do with your children. Set up an activity and workon it with them. It is much more fun to work on something with them rather than leave them to it. I suggest create a witchy wordsearch. Or create a collage using nature. Or go nature spotting and then come home and try and remember everything you saw or play the memory game where you have everything on a tray and then cover it up and try and remember what was on it. Or finally why not have ago at drawing you objects that you have found. Use chalks or pastels or pencils and pens. There are so many wonderful things to try.

A little too much.

We have been very busy these last few days, filming mostly and now I am working solidly for 15 hours tomorrow. Then Friday is a day to fit everything in before we fly on Saturday. We are all feeling pretty shattered and the clocks changing hasn't helped. I love the wintery evenings but it does cut short the day. So I have a suggestion about how to fill those long evenings with the children. Create a word bank around a theme, we are doing spells (halloween etc) Then get them to use those relevant words to make up a story or a play or a poem. It is such fun and will get the children thinking creatively without them feeling that they are working. The idea is to keep everything fun. So start to think of words that describe a witch or what a witch might put into her spell. Then take the lead from the children to where they want to take the idea next.

Isabellas poem: Howling Holly,

Howling Holly went to school,
She learnt to fly so high,
with her witchy ways and happy days,
she waved her wand "Goodbye".

Why?

I know it may seem obvious but when Isabella asks me things I always try and explain them. I thought this was being a good mother and teacher. However it has been proven that instead of explaining everything we should first ask them the question back. If we ask them "Why do you think?" It starts to get them to think and use both sides of the brain. Then if they are not sure we can give them the explanation. I have started to train myself to do this and it does work.

A slight problem.

I have had feedback today from the Director that Isabella isn't concentrating. She knows her lines and is performing well but inbetween shots isn't listening or concentrating. Just a tiny part of me wonders whether she is not used to having to concentrate for long periods of time anymore. However she does have french for 1 1/2 hours non stop and tennis for half an hour etc and most of these require concentration for the whole time. So is it possible that even though I don't agree with many things school has to offer at this stage, it does teach the children how to concentrate in one space for six hours?

Or is it just because this time is different, now we no longer have school. Or is it because she is now 6 and her behaviour is starting to change and she is experimenting with her behaviour?

I don't know, but it is something to keep an eye on.

Negativity.

Yesterday we were practising Isabellas lines and she got them all right. The trouble is I have noticed that she doesn't like to be right all the time. What I mean by this is that even when she has done something right she likes to say "But I nearly forgot it, or I nearly got that wrong" as if she likes to be negative. I am not sure if this has something to do with not wanting any attention for being good or whether she wants attention for being bad. Does anyone have any suggestions. I am trying to get her to understand that she needs to feel proud of herself if she does things right.

The Brain

I have just read an excellent book all about the brain and how it effects children's learning capabilities. It states that if their heart is not in it then they won't learn it so effectively. I can see that this is true. It also states that children learn better through sound, rhythm and song. The best idea so far to help children remember facts is by creating a neural net. You physically create a net and then make the objects and signs to go in it around your chosen subject matter. Start with the big section of writing and then choose the main theme within it and make that your starting point, then choose the ideas around it, it is similar to a spidergram but much more effective for children as it is visual.

A Classic line.

I have always thought of reading as crucial for any childs development and therefore when Isabella could read I was thrilled. However today this was a problem for her, as we sat in the car on a journey, her words were " Mummy I am going to have to close my eyes as I am having to read everything!"

She can't help but read road signs and lorry signs and anything else that might be close to her, it all got a bit much!!!!!!!!

A manic few weeks

We are going to be maxed out over the next few weeks and therefore I am so pleased that we made the decision to home school. We have half term activities, five days of filming and then our trip to Chicago and New York. I can't wait. Isabellas education for the next three weeks will work differently because there won't be the time to sit and do school work at a desk.

This inspires me to find different ways of teaching. We will be learning about our environment and the places we are visiting. We will play games and write a diary etc. I suppose I find that instead of learning how to read and write in the conventional way, we tend to put the ideas of reading and writing into everyday life straight away. So instead of learning how to read and then maybe learn about spelling and then maybe discuss the language, all ideas get put into one and everything is learned about as a whole, not in sections. History becomes, English, Geography and Maths all together instead of thinking of them as seperate subjects.

Spelling

Isabella has also decided to spell in grown up language not phonetically. It is very funny to hear her spell words and a great way to learn how to spell.

Spelling everything out!

Isabella has become obsessed with spelling, not only during reading or our spelling tests but also in everyday speech. Instead of saying " Mummy I will help you today" She says " m u m m y i w i l l h e l p y o u ." Every single word is spelt out. It is great for her spelling but does mean that our conversation can be very slow!

Getting used to the idea

Most people are now used to the idea that we home school Isabella. I was even approached the other day about setting up my own mini school. I was asked whether I would teach their two children and create the home schooling effect for them. I have two lines of thought, one is, doesn't that defeat the whole idea of home schooling for these other children if they are not with their parents? On the other hand would that be lovely for Isabella to have a couple of friends with her during the day.

The outcome is that I believe I want to dedicate my time to my child to enable her to recieve the best. I do however think maybe one day a week schooling with a group could be fun!

Tuesday already.

Where does the time go. I am just not sure. How can it be Tuesday again. I can't believe I was worried about maybe not finding enough to do with Isabella for the year. I have to say I am really looking forward to having some time next year when her filming slows down.

I have been put in touch with a couple of home schooling groups in the area and it seems that more and more people are taking the home schooling route. If you have a group or would like to join one please let me know as I can pass on details.

Self doubt

I am going through a small phase of self doubt. Am I doing the right thing? Have I taken on too much? Am I being a good Mum?

This isn't easy but it is fun. I wouldn't change anything for the world.

I read an interesting article however on "Pressures of modern life driving people over the edge"
I am not saying I feel pressurised as such but I do feel there is more to life than working and money. It states " What we are missing in our society isn't the wealth that we typically crave but meaning."This to me is the crucial part, meaning. What is my meaning? What is Isabellas meaning. Even though we are not at school, I still want her to work hard and achieve certain things.....but Why? Why do I work and try to achieve things? What is my meaning?

I do feel a certain amount of pressure, (completely instigated by me) to find this meaning for both me and Isabella.

This week

We have a lovely relaxed week this week. We have tried not to fill it too much so that we can make sure that we have enough time in the morning to relax and do our work in our pyjamas. This week is also focusing on learning her scripts for this weekend. We are learning about autumn, habitats and squirrels. We are so lucky to be involved in such an interesting programme. This weeks free gift on the Cbeebies magazine was a spotters kit for The Green Balloon Club. Isabella has loved using this and spotting things.

Today

Today was a good day. Isabella has worked very well. I am finding a few things frustrating though, firstly she is not getting the most simple of things and I want to hit my head against a wall. I have to learn to not get so frustrated. Secondly, when do I switch off from teacher to Mummy. It is all merging into one. I have to remember that this has to be fun as well as educational.

We were in the playground and there was a snake with numbers on the floor. We spent about half an hour playing number games on this. Instead of writing the answers to maths problems, she went and stood on a number. So we have decided to chalk out a number line on the path outside and do our maths on this.

Great fun.

A Baby

Isabella has decided she would like a baby sister for Christmas. How this is possible I don't know. Normally I can get things on order for her. This however I just don't think even I can do.

So the question arises about a sibling. Do some children thrive from having them? Is it cruel to not let your child have siblings? Do children gain more when they don't have siblings? I cannot answer these questions. I love our little family at the moment just being three but am I being selfish?

Let me know your thoughts, please.

She is still so little.

I keep forgetting that Isabella is still so little. We can all forget that six years on this planet is not very many. I have very high expectations and forget she is only small. Being at home with her is really making me re-evaluate the way I treat her and talk to her. I am having to learn to not worry about keeping up with the school work if one day we don't do any, or worry about whether she has learnt enought that day. The point of being at home is to be a child, play and have that quality time with Mummy or Daddy or if fortunate enough, time with both.

Is everything a possibility?

Just a question, is it possible to do whatever you want to do?

We would love to go travelling and see some amazing sights. Is this possible? Or is this how life is supposed to be, jobs, earning money and working. I am sure there must be more. We only have one go at this and it is already speeding past us too quickly. I am feeling very frustrated this weekend. I find myself getting caught up with silly worries and thoughts that are trivial. When actually I should be remembering the wonderful opportunities out there.

I ran Sunday school this morning and I find going to church is always a very good leveller if I am feeling down. It makes me realise how much I have and how lucky we are. Today though, I have been thinking more than ever about jacking it all in and just going around the world travelling.

I am not unhappy with my lot. I feel more than ever very settled knowing that Isabella is at home with me and we do not have to rush here, there and everywhere. I just have this feeling that something bigger is out there for us, I just don't know what yet. Does anyone else ever feel like this or is it just me?

A Nature Table

We are going to go and collect nature. We will take it home and place it on a table, we will label the items, then draw the items and then research them. The nature today is amazing, the colours of the leaves are so gorgeous, inorder to keep the leaves fresh, try and laminate them, then hang them up.

A beautiful day

Today we are at the stables where Isabella has her riding lessons. It is the most beautiful day and the sun is shining. We are here for a couple of hours and will then go off for lunch and do our school work. I can't stress enough about the importance of having that time away as a parent. This morning wasn't rushed and we are both feeling very positive about the day.

Most children are either on half term this week or next and I really thought I would notice this term dragging, but when you start to forget about term times, the year becomes one long open time with a huge amount of possibilites.

Isabella won't have a half term as such because we are not exhausted or stressed out from the term. There was an article in the paper this morning about children having holidays that are too long. It stated that the long holidays mean the children go back to school having forgotten everything. The books that I have written would stop this from happening but I also feel the holidays are too long and the children are subjected to too much in too short a time during the term.

Good News

I am nearing the end of writing my other childrens home education books, yippee. I am thinking that I will have managed them by Half term, for those of us not following the school calendar that is two weeks.

I am so excited!!!!!!!!!

A childrens party

I have been asked to direct a childrens party. I will direct a piece of theatre for 18 children and they will put a show on at the end of the two hours. How much fun does that sound! I can't wait. The trouble is Isabella wants to come and also wants me to do this for her birthday party. Oh dear I think I am building a rod for my own back.

The day got better

After a rough start my day got better. We went to swimming and then just came back home and played with playdough. She then went to Gymnastics and we had time out for an hour. This is so important for both of us. Then this evening I have been able to go to the theatre to watch my friend in Oedipus at The National. It was brilliant and although I will be tired tomorrow, it was lovely to be out and have that time away doing something different.

Tomorrow will be a better day and I can't wait to get my morning hug from Isabella.

Frustration

I am officially the worst mummy in the world. Today I lost the plot. I was working on some maths and Isabella didn't understand the easiest of problems. I got so frustrated and shouted and made her cry. I am so embarrassed by my behaviour. I spent the rest of the day saying sorry to her and she spent the rest of the day saying "Its alright mummy, I forgive you." I have called lots of friends telling them how horrible I am.

I have spoken to a fellow home schooler and the advice I have been given is to close the book and do something completely different. So I am going to listen to this advice tomorrow.

It can be very difficult being calm all the time and understanding. It is a huge lesson to learn. I asked her which school she would like to go back to when she returns into education and she said "But you are homeschooling me until I am 14" At least she can't hate me that much!

Science made easy

I am not one for science, so when I noticed an article in Isabellas newspaper about the human heart, I thought I would talk to her about it. It was all about how stem cells are being used to recreate a human heart etc. I asked her " How do you think a heart is made?" I was ready to talk about the science when she said " a heart is made with love." How can I argue with that!

Spider dreams

Does anyone out their understand dreams?

I have been dreaming alot about spiders and creepy crawlies and I wake up and try to get them out of my bed, the other night I also got up and walked around the kitchen, after about four minutes I got back into bed as if nothing had happened.

What does this mean?

Slowing down

I have had to relook at our diary as I am trying to do too much. The weeks are flying by so quickly and each morning since we got back from Spain we have been going somewhere. So today I am changing this. I am making sure that each morning we stay inside until at least 11am without having to rush off.

I am also going to have a day off on Saturday which will be hard as I am so used to being with Isabella but will enable me to do my work and get sorted for the week. It is also important that Isabella gets to spend some quality time with her Daddy.

Another home schooling family

Yesterday we met another family that homeschool. They invited us into their home and Isabella and I experienced an alternative way of home schooling. Even though we do things very differently to them we both homeschool for the same reasons: The feeling of freedom, the benefits of being with your children and also to remove day to day stress of running around.

The main difference with this family is that the father and mother share responsibilites for home schooling. So even though some people think it should be the mother that stays at home it shows that it can be any loving parent.

A very busy weekend

This is ridiculous. I don't know where the time goes. My lists are getting bigger!
Isabella has filmed this weekend and therefore we have missed out on the amazing weather. So on Sunday evening I felt slightly depressed as we made our way home. Isabella suddenly told us that she didn't want to go home, so we asked her what she wanted to do. It was the usual "Embankment."So at 5 O'clock we found ourselves scootering around The South Bank. We popped into galleries and St Pauls Cathedral and had supper. It was the amazing feeling of freedom that made the evening so enjoyable. She went to bed at 9 O'clock having had a wonderful time.

Back to school

A programme called wife swap was on the other day, it was about two families, one that had children in school and one that homeschooled children. When they swapped the mothers, the homeschooled children were sent to school by the mother of the schooled children. Three things arose from this experience. The homeschooled children became very bored at school, they didn’t want to work all day in a classroom and finally they weren’t used to having to work to a strict timeframe, as they could normally spend all day working on something if they wished. I think this is very important as in the real world there are time restraints as well as office environments.

The positive lesson that became apparent from this experiment was that the homeschooled children were a very close family and loved being together and spending time together, they had two loving role models.

This then makes me question the role models for our children and who they should be, teachers or parents or both?

Routines are important

My daughter has taken this idea to its limit. A year ago it used to be that I would tell my daughter a story and give her some warm milk and she would fall asleep. Oh no, not anymore. Gradually each grandma has kindly donated another idea to our bedtime routine. So it then went from two ideas to three, tickling her back, then adding a fourth idea, singing a song whilst tickling her back. Now she has added a fifth idea, I have to kiss Rabbit and hug him before she goes to sleep (rabbit is her favourite toy and goes everywhere with us.) Then she added in the words “you are the best mama in the world and tell dada he is the best dada in the world.” To top it all off we now have another question, “what time shall I wake up in the morning and what time shall I ask for a drink.” So all in all our routine consists of seven ideas and bedtime now takes up to half an hour. I draw the line at anything else being added!

Education at a young age

Catherine, Isabellas dance teacher, said that she couldn’t tell Isabella was being home schooled as she was so sociable. I believe this is because of the lead up to homeschooling that Isabella has had. When she was 2 I had to work in a school and we decided to put her into the nursery part of a prep school. I believe this was the making of her. She had the most wonderful Headteacher called Mrs Warner. At 2 years old Isabella would come home and discuss metamorphosis. Children are sponges at this age and I believe the best education Isabella has received was in these former years. She then left there at 3 and went to a nursery in London and spent two years there, followed by reception year at her first school. These formative years taught her social skills and the basic skills needed to start reading and writing.

It surprised me then how my feelings changed towards education having had such positive experiences so far. I felt school became too institutionalised too quickly. Don’t get me wrong I love school and when Isabella returns she will gain as much from it as I did. Friendships, team games and school trips. But when we choose that school it will be the one for her whole educational experience as too much change is not good. Before she settles into that way though I am sure that there is so much of the world to see. Once Isabella leaves school and starts UNI or a job then time is so constrained. My husband gets 25 days off a year. What is that all about? All he gets is 1/12th of a year off (not including weekends) to be with his family. How is he ever going to see the world. Unless you are a travel journalist!

School competition

My friend commented on the competitive nature of school, she said that "competition was a good thing as this was what it was like in the real world." She also reminded me that I have put my daughter into the most competitive field out there, acting. I have to say I agree, but is it right to have this competition at school, if we do what we’ve always done we will always get what we’ve always got! Isn’t it time for a change. Maybe the competition does not need to start at such a young age. I am playing devils advocate as I think competition is healthy and I am the first one on the side of the sports day line shouting for my daughter to win. The best competitive experience we have had was when we entered a drama festival, Isabella learnt in the space of one hour that you only get one go at her section, you don’t always win and you need to realise that some people are better at certain things than you.

By homeschooling Isabella am I removing the knowledge of where Isabella fits within the class ranking. At the moment Isabella will always be good at things because there are no children to compare her to. When is it healthy that activities stop being fun and start becoming competitive.? I really am not sure. A last thought, is it the parents that make everything competitive and not the children?

Living in London

I would love to hear from other people about their homeschooling experiences in different areas other than London. I believe we have everything on our doorstep in London, we have lots on offer but it does come at a cost. What is it like homeschooling in a village?

Have help!!

We have returned from our holiday slightly refreshed considering our six hour delay yesterday. We arrived home last night at 1am. This morning I awoke to the usual, a house that needed the womens touch! I have also been to work for two hours, unpacked, tidied and put on several washes. Now Isabella is playing with toys that she has not seen for ten days.

My point is that I am not wondermum but I did arrange for her to have a lesson this morning for two hours enabling me to keep my sanity. So my point is that you do not have to do everything yourself. Get help in when it is necessary and also if you can pay for someone to assist with the specialised subjects it helps you get some time back and helps your child to see a different face.

Miserable Mummy

Today I have felt miserable. It took my daughter to turn to me and say " Your not smiling much today Mummy" to snap me out of it. I suppose I should be grateful that it wasn't the other wa round " Your smiling today Mummy!" I think I have been feeling funny knowing that we are going home tomorrow. It is a shame because the weather is so wonderful, you can't help but wake up with a smile on your face.

My passion is my job

I am lucky that I have been able to turn my passion into a job, my drama, my writing and acting. All I can hope is that Isabella ends up going to work and loving it as much as I do.

Going back into the norm!

This doesn’t mean to say that we are abnormal in homeschooling but the fact is, it is not the norm. So when Isabella does return to school, will she find this transition difficult. Is she not going to be trendy enough, know the right music, or wear the right clothes in order to fit in. I think being different and independent is important but when you are at school it is hard if you can’t fit in. I am hoping because we are young parents this won’t be a problem, I remember school as if it were yesterday. We have to take this responsibility seriously.

Ten days

We have been able to work so hard all week due to no other distractions. It will be different when we come back to England as I have work and Isabella has all her activities. I think the year is going by too quickly. We are looking forward to going home and seeing Charlie for lunch during the week as he has not seen Isabella for ten days. I also have my mother coming to stay whilst I work for a charity. My mother is brilliant with Isabella and will have already planned some amazing art activities. There is also the education event on at Olympia on Friday which we will pop along to. Then Isabella is filming this weekend. So back to a very busy week.

Rhymes and songs

Rhymes and songs.

Just a tip to help children learn how to spell. If you create a rhythm for words like RIGHT sounded out as R-I-G-H-T phonetically and spoken quite fast, it means they will pick it up quicker, you can then do the same with doubt D-O-U-B-T, Ought O-U-G-H-T and could C-O-U-L-D.

Also “because” is spelt using big elephants can always understand small elephants. Also beautiful is Mr b Mr e Mr a u t Mr I Mr f u l and difficulty is Mrs d Mrs I Mrs ffi Mrs c Mrs u Mrs lty.

Experiences before the age of 7.

What is it that makes a person who they are? I think for women and men it’s a very different journey. So I wonder if I had a boy would I have home schooled him? I can’t answer the question because I don’t have a son, but if the circumstances had been the same then maybe we would have chosen home schooling.

So far Isabellas experiences have been phenomenal and she is a very lucky lady. Which makes me then question what my point of being on this planet is? Was it to reproduce and have my daughter and show her everything that is available to her using all the experiences I had and didn’t have. The path of life is a funny thing. Is Isabella going to end up being a mum, if yes then I hope she will have experienced a huge amount that she can pass on to her children. If not and she wants a career, then I hope it might be a career in something that she has experienced from her childhood and been able to continue as her passion. Whichever journey she chooses, I know it will be based on her experiences from her childhood.

Thinking too much!

I think my problem at the moment is that I am thinking too much! This may shock some people who know me! It’s true, I am spending so much time worrying about whether home schooling is right or whether this is actually our ideas being forced on Isabella, (when she was perfectly happy at school.) Then I keep remembering why we made this decision in the first place and all the positive effects it is already having on her. I think I will need to take the signs from Isabella, if she is unhappy or becoming socially quiet then we need to relook at our decision. For now I have full belief in what we’re doing. (In two years time I will let you know whether it was the right decision)

Have I actually done anything.

I watched The Pride of Britain Awards last night on holiday and cried throughout. I don't think I could have felt more inadequate than I did at the end of it. I can't believe people can go through so much and still come out being so positive. It made me realise even more how I must enjoy my daughter and not get stressed by the little things like, we have not done enough work today or she didn't do something first time. Our time together is so precious because you never know what is around the corner.

Yesterday.

Yesterday I was a horrible mummy! I lost the plot and got very cross because my daughter wouldn't do what I wanted her to do. I wanted her to play in the sea and take photos with her underwater camera. She wouldn't get in because she said it was too cold ( it was bloody freezing!) But I told her she had too. What right do I have to force my daughter to do something when she has made a fair choice not to. This was a huge lesson for me in understanding that she is developing into her own person with her own character and her own choices.

WOW!

A light bulb moment!

We have had a wonderful day today and I wanted to share it, but then I thought why would you be interested in the following: She got in the very cold swimming pool and swam, also she has played tennis with a group of spanish children all speaking Spanish and no English for one hour. This is only interesting to me as her mother. So it made me realise why I get so excited about things she does and why I want to share them. It is not because I think she is any better than any other child or more capable, it is just that that moment is so precious to me as a mother. Do you remember the first time your child walked or talked, were you there? This is the same, instead of her being at school and the teachers seeing the firsts of everything, I get to be there and see her firsts!

For the moment I want to be there for as much as I can when she does things, so that I can be part of that memory, sooner or later she won't want me there any more, so I am going to grab those moments whilst I can.

A radical idea.

The more and more I think about homeschooling versus school, an issue that keeps reappearing is the freedom that it gives you. How long has school been from 8.30am until 3.30pm or later and been set out in a three term structure. The winter term being the longest and hardest, and believe me I know this from experience having been a teacher. The seasons are changing and peoples work life balance is changing.

Do you think it might be that homeschooling is not the only answer but maybe a more flexible school day and term set up. How about school being for the same number of weeks in a year but set out differently. School could start in late January, giving everyone much more time to enjoy the Christmas and New Year period and enabling everyone to go away for some of those January blues. Then having two weeks in March off, two weeks in May off, two weeks in July off and then all of September off which does now seem to be our summer. Returning to school in October and having a week off at the end of November and then finishing a week before Christmas. The children will then not get overtired, parents do not have to find activities for eight weeks of the summer. Everything just seems a little easier and more spread out.
Or how about having part time school either a four day week or a shorter day. I know the shorter day will cause problems with people that work etc so I think it should be part time school and lets all have a longer weekend. Is life for working or living. I do love my bubble that I live in I wish everyone else could join me!

Let me know your thoughts?

Is this right?

Having just had a conversation with a fellow mum back in England a couple of questions have arisen. Today Isabella asked me what day it was. I told her it was Tuesday and she said “ I wonder what everyone at school is doing” This is the first time she has asked me this. To fuel her curiosity and mine and I called a fellow mum. The children are having school photos today. This then got me thinking again about have we made the right decision.

A very simple day.

This morning Isabella found a friend, a little girl from year three who has been taken out of school for ten days to go on holiday. Isabella has immediately befriended her and is playing building dens. My daughter ran past me saying, "you be the rabbit and I will be the dog"the game is completely beyond me but the two children that have never met until now, who are from different backgrounds and different ages are mixing and having fun!

Now at 6pm whilst sitting having a drink a little boy aged two has come over and now Isabella is being his teacher, teaching him how to use her scooter. She is saying "Now Tom I will teach you something else!" and"after you have learnt this Tom you must have a break"I feel like I am Jekyll and have created a frankenstein.

Monday Morning

It is very early and we have a busy day ahead of us. The object for today is to make sure that Isabella can spell all her key words. I am finding such a difference doing work one to one. She's able to pick things up so much quicker. I know this may sound obvious but having a smaller number of children in a class must make such a huge difference. My only concern is that at the moment she is learning things one way, that is my way.

I keep having to remind myself that she is happy and we are happy. The guilt can sometimes be in the back of my mind about whether she is missing out on seeing her friends like she would be this morning (Monday). I have been so brain washed into thinking school is the right and only way to do things. I musn't forget the other experiences she is getting are also invaluable and at this age I believe experiences are hugely important.

Other ideas

Other really useful ideas which my daughter loves are wordsearches and crosswords. This extends her vocabulary and is also fun. The books we are using at the moment are Horrid Henry fun books. They don't feel like work, yet are helping to develop all sorts of important techniques. We completed one today and had lots of fun doing so.

I used to teach at a school that came up with the words "thinking outside of the box" and I think this is such a wonderful phrase. I think it can apply to everything that a child needs to learn. Whatever you do, your child can learn from it. Count balls when playing a sport game or count lamposts on a walk. All it takes is time, make sure you give yourself extra time whenever leaving the house or going off on an adventure. The trip that used to take you ten minutes could now easily take half an hour!

Useful ideas.

I have found the most useful tools for teaching are the old fashioned games that I used to play. I started playing these with Isabella when she was only three.

Hangman
Noughts and Crosses
The square game ( this is where you draw an even number of dots ............
............
............

almost like I have shown you. Then you take it in turns to draw one line at a time to make squares. Whoever draws the last line to make the square wins it and puts there name in it, the winner is the person with the most squares at the end.)

As soon as possible create a diary, use pictures if they can't write and then add simple words later on. Or collect things from your adventures. This starts to teach them the basics of time and language.

The other thing which I did with Isabella as soon as I could was take her to theatre performances. Any sort is good. Musicals to local Am Drams or even concerts. This allows them to build an interest in performing. Which results in confidence being built up. LAMDA exams and local drama festivals are my first choice. See http://www.lamda.org.uk/

I also have tips on how to teach reading and maths at a young age. I have followed these ideas with Isabella even though they are quite different to the way school did it. I do think sometimes the old ways are the best. I cannot stress enough though that if these ideas do not suit your child then try other ways. Also if your child seems unhappy at any stage then stop. My ideas are supposed to be fun without them feeling that they are working.

See my blogs over the next week for reading tips and maths tips.

Now I am six

Now I am six I think it is very fun but I would like to still be five! years old. I love my Mummy because she works hard with me.

Thats Isabella xx

The Outcome and outlook

I am feeling slightly confused today. My whole outlook has changed.

When Isabella was at school I wanted her to be top in everything and work hard and be ahead of the game. Leaving school in my mind was going to make this easier and more possible with the schedule we had. However having been with Isabella now for three months without school. I have become more relaxed and not so uptight about the levels she should be achieveing. This does not mean we will not be working towards targets etc but it means that the self fulfilling need that parents have to make sure their child is at the top of the class due to what other parents say, is no longer there for me, as I am not surrounded by other mothers all day long. Is this a good thing? I am not sure. I know this world is a difficult one and if we want our children to succeed then they need to work very hard. But then the question of success arises. What is success for the individual? For me at the moment I just want Isabella to be happy and safe and enjoy life. I know we will have to fit back into school in a year or so, so I will have to make sure we keep up with standards in schools. I do however feel life would be so much easier if everyone slowed down and didn´t worry so much about what everybody else thinks. I definitely need to listen to my own advice in future.

I wonder if I should have been born on a desert island away from everyone else!

Time for bed

I have written a whole set of books for parents to work on with their children and I am trying to get them published as we speak. (I have an article coming out again in Families upon Thames next month so please watch out for that.) However going back to my books for parents, these are an excellent source for anyone wanting to do something slightly different with their children yet don't always have the know how. My books can help you to have fun and educate at the same time.

Anyway if you are interested let me know and I can send you an email version of one of them. They are applicable to children from 0-8 years.

Now I really must go to bed as I have to clear up from the last two days of me not being in the house. It is not a pretty sight!

The supermarket lady

Everyone has an opinion. I was buying my weekly shop on Wednesday when the checkout lady asked Isabella why she wasn't in school. She explained she was taught by Mummy at home. The lady did not respond until I was about to pay whereby she suddenly said " Doesn't she miss out"

It is an immediate response from everyone. I feel I have to justify myself.

My only comment on what I am doing is "I am not saying that this is the only way to do things". You have to have the certain type of child that wants to be home schooled and can cope with it. This suits us at the moment due to all the experiences we have had and will have in the future.

My main point and vision if you like is more personal to the individual rather than the large topic surrounding home schooling. Home schooling is just a byproduct of my strong beliefs. I believe everything is good in moderation. Every child is different. Every child should be treated with respect and every child is unique and special in their own way. Therefore I believe that if our children are to have any morals from a positive upbringing then this needs to start at home. Even if this is half an hour of quality time in the day with Mummy or Daddy. We as parents need to start taking some responsibility for our children's actions and not blame everyone else for the things they do wrong.

I may be speaking to the minority as I believe everyone has the potential to be great parents. We just need to educate ourselves more. We need a licence for a cat or dog but not a child!

I am not Wonder Woman

It is official I am not Wonder Woman, the reason I know this, is because if I were, my feet would not be as painful as they are now. The last two days have not gone as well on the homeschooling front as I would have liked. Firstly as stated before I am human not Wonder Woman therefore can only do one thing at a time!

I have worked solidly from 9am until 6pm for two days travelling around London running presentation skills training and then going out networking both nights. This has meant that Isabella has not been taught for two days. This is quite a weird feeling as I feel guilty that she is missing out on me and also her education. Then reality takes over and I have to confess to not being perfect and that this will happen from time to time as I have to work occasionally and I enjoy my work.

My friend Gemma called me up the other day and made me promise to have time out for me. This is difficult when I believe my role as mother and teacher is full time. What I have learned from these two days however is that it is just as important to have this time away. Firstly so your child can experience other peoples ways and secondly so I can come back into the situation with a fresh approach and maybe some new ideas from my experiences in the last two days. Otherwise we would both stagnate.

The most important thing I have learnt is to not wear these shoes for longer than four hours!

No TV

Did you know, we don't own a television! This is very bizarre especially as we have a daughter who appears on a TV programme three time a week. We made this decision three years ago and we haven't looked back. We have iplayer which means we can choose to watch something if we want to or watch DVD's. My only thought on this is not to preach but to comment: Every morning Isabella's first thought is to play or make something, NOT watch TV. I can't tell you the difference it has made to our lives as a family. I know there is an "off" button but I could never find it! My mother is very good at calling me up and telling me if there is something we should be watching and we will watch it on iplayer like the Olympics or Last Night of the Proms. It means we find alternative entertainment. We play cards or a board game or read and talk. I cannot express how amazing it is to have a daughter that doesn't rely on TV.

The only problem is that I don't want her to be abnormal, her friends commenting on her being different or Isabella not being able to join in with a conversation. There is a fine line between being accepted by your peers and being strong enough not to follow the crowd and be a sheep.

I hope I am giving Isabella the skills to make her own decisions and be different if she wants to be.

A six year old.

My daughter is officially getting older and making me feel much older. Time is going so quickly. She had her birthday at the weekend and is very proud to tell everyone that she is now six. There is so much to do. How are we going to fit it in to our lifetime? We want to experience so much as individuals, as parents and as our little family unit of three.

My point is to let people know that if they think that they can't home school, this is not the case. Everything is available on the internet, all National Curriculum objectives are available for any aged child. All you need is love, time, patience and an interest to learn new things. If you want to learn new things then learn them together with your child. I am expanding my knowledge about Romans, different countries and improving my maths. If you have the attitude of learning with your child this will help much more than the attitude that you are teaching your child.

Good luck

Money

I am slightly concerned that when people read my blog they may think that it's only possible to home school and do interesting things if you can afford it. I wanted to give two opinions about this.

When I work I am fortunate enough to use my earnings for extra curricular activities for Isabella such as private violin lessons and private tennis lessons and so on and so forth. These are all helping Isabella in becoming a well rounded individual. It is however not necessary to do all these things that cost money in order to achieve a well rounded child.

There are so many wonderful activities that are free. Today we have had a making day. We have decorated mugs, made coloured sand pictures, used all our loo rolls and pipe cleaners to make different objects. We have played a couple of board games and at the moment my daughter is playing with her various toys and playing a wonderful imaginative game that is way beyond me!

Today was our weekend as she has been filming all weekend and Monday. Also we went to the Puffin Post launch at Kensington Roof Gardens last night which was for children and we met some childrens authors such as Jeremy Strong. We left at 9pm and got home at 10pm. I cannot describe the feeling of relief knowing she could take part in this with me and not be worrying about the time we went to bed. the feeling of freedom is amazing.

Anyway more ideas for free activities in my next blog.

Everyone is teaching her!

Neighbours, friends, families and parents. Everyone is participating in helping and teaching Isabella new things. Our lovely neighbour Julia asked her if she knew what a certain flower was. Our friends are asking her questions instead of telling her things. Everyone is taking an active role in teaching her. It's bizarre. It's as if people are responding in a different way to her, everyone wants to be part of this higher education of life. It's brilliant.

The Highs!

I know I seem to go on about it, but today really was a good day. We did all our work this morning and then went off for another adventure to celebrate Isabellas birthday. We had lunch at the Ritz as we do every year for a special treat. This wasn't even the best bit, we then walked through Green Park to visit Buckingham Palace. A lovely police guard came over to chat and showed us his gun! He told us the queen was away for two weeks.

It was a wonderful September day and I really just can't describe how happy I was. Isabella has experienced soooo much today and to top it off she saw a very special lady called Alex.

What a birthday!

The South Bank

Today was wonderful. After a very busy day doing French, Maths, English and Reading we went into central London on an adventure!

It was 6 o'clock and we had finished our jobs in London and were heading home when Isabella said she wanted to go on an adventure. My immediate reaction was to say "NO, we have to go home to go to bed". BUT then reality hit me.We do not have to get up early tomorrow. So we went to the South Bank which is our favourite place. We sat in the South Bank Centre and had a drink and then went for pizza. Charlie joined us after work which again was a real treat. We got home at 9.10pm. Isabella was tired but had had a wonderful day.

She has become very emotional today due to speaking french. We had a lot of "NON" and "OUI and "MAMAN" or "OOHH" and lovely little french phrases.

Also a fun idea was to buy postcards that you put photos in. We decided to draw our own pictures of something from a country and then on the back write where it is, what food they eat, what language they speak and some interesting facts. These will then be put up on a map. It is a lovely way to learn Geography.

It was a lovely day.

What a morning!

I know it is only the beginning, but what a morning. This morning we have collected conkers. Maybe this does not sound interesting but it is amazing what you can do with 30 conkers!

We then went and sat in a cafe and drank hot chocolate whilst eating pain aux chocolate.
In the cafe we then did multiplication, division and fractions all with conkers. She then paid for the drinks etc and we came home and played shops to learn about money. If that is not a perfect day then I don't know what is. It is a shame I have to work tomorrow! My mother however is coming up and her plan is to play shops and do lots of money exercises. This is learning through play at its best! Then on Friday we are going to a fantastic place called Borough Market where we will put all our learning about money into practice.

So far so good.

Never be presumptuous.

I have travelled back from Spain today and realised something important.

Never presume to know how someone is bringing up their child. I will explain further. After a very long day of travelling my five year old was watching a DVD on a portable DVD player. This was as we arrived back from Clapham Junction on the train and made our way through Tescos to stock up for supper and breakfast and then back home. A woman passed me in the street and said loudly " How appalling to let my child watch DVDs in the street."

Little did she know that
1. We do not have a TV at home.
2. We have just spent seven hours travelling
3. It was a way for my daughter to be entertained for the last twenty minutes of our journey.


I have the same problem though, being presumptuous. I see children on Nintendos and PlayStation's or playing with their phones and I think terrible parents!

There are therefore two thoughts to take away from this experience: Firstly you never know what that child has done in the day and is allowed to do as a result of that day. Secondly that I do not condone this technology. Even in my situation at the end of a long journey when I had been entertaining her for six hours solidly, reading, colouring, making and playing I still chose the easy option. However if that easy option is to give the parents a few moments rest then that is a good enough reason for me. If however it is used as a substitute then I do question what our future generations are going to be like.

I know this is fiery but I felt wronged. I just hope I do not wrong others.

Coming home

I have had a vision. I know I will have a lot of people responding to my vision in a good way but also in a bad way. The vision is one I will be working on over the next year to see if it works. My daughter and I will be the guinea pigs!

More about that as time goes on.

For now we have a busy week ahead of us. Coming back to England means I have to work and also arrange my daughters activities. I have set out a timetable of activities as well as my teaching for her. She also has a birthday coming up and this has to be arranged. I am looking forward to making her birthday cake with her, I think we are going to go for a train that we saw on Big Cook Little Cook.

My thought for the day is: try spending at least half an hour talking to your child. Don't ask questions. Let them ask you things and discuss things. For that half an hour let them have opinions and have a fun discussion.

Enjoy.

A Difficult Day

Today has been a very weird day. Everyone has gone back to school and we have not. We are still away and are not yet affected by the start of term. I feel slightly light headed thinking that this is it. There is no going back now, I don't want to, but, this is now real. Her class have all gone back in their uniform to their new teacher to sit at new desks in a new classroom. I know I have made the right decision but it still feels weird. Isabella is not aware what has started as she is busy snokelling in the sea looking at different types of fish and getting very excited realising she can breathe underwater with a snorkel on.

I know this year will go quickly and I am filled with excitement and trepidation at what is around the corner. I just have tiny flashes of playground banter by the mums and the coffee mornings I won't be part of. I don't think I will miss these as we will do other things.

I had a lovely text message from a mother as she returned to school sending her love and hoping the girls can play soon. She still has invites to lots of birthday parties and I know we will have lots of playdates. I think the hardest thing is knowing everyone has gone back to the day to day school life. I just hope we have done the right thing. So far so good (but it is only one day) I will start to let you know what techniques I pick up as I teach her and hopefully these will be useful to other parents out there.

Adios

Sunny Spain

We have managed to get away from the awful weather of England. We are in very sunny Spain and everything is just lovely. Isabella is working hard and playing very hard. It is the most relaxing holiday as she has found two friends and plays with them from 12 till 7pm everyday. (I have read three books.)

I can't help but feel relieved that in three days everyone returns to school and we do not have to. I do not know where the summer holidays have gone. There is still so much to do!

We are really working on Isabellas numeracy at the moment and I am finding that little and often is the key. When it is one on one I can slip in work without her realising. We do spellings throughout the day and maths when we are in the car. The key to learning is making everything an educational experience without the children necessarily realising it.

I used to joke when my mother would make her day to day things into a learning experience but now I can see that everything is there to learn from. Spain has been the perfect place to sit by the pool and do lots of water experiments. Also we have looked at Flamingos in the salt marshes and discussed their natural habitat. I can't describe the pleasure I get from teaching my daughter and from learning with her. I didn't know there was so much to learn all over again.

The Dreaded feeling

Each morning I wake up with the dreaded feeling of impending gloom, summer is over and we will have to start the rush of the term. Then I realise we no longer have to feel like this. It is the most bizarre feeling. I do not have to say "hurry up" or " come on we are late" I can't explain what it does to your way of thinking but it is almost surreal.

I was told today by a lovely lady that I was a control freak. I think I am and therefore have to be aware of this when Isabella has to think for herself. I think it is a positive thing to notice your own traits and to be aware of them. I must make sure I let Isabella make her own decisions and not be ruled by me. This is all such a wonderful learning curve.

Brilliant Ideas

I thought I would start to write out a few ideas for teaching:

The first and my most favourite is WOW words.
We have a notice board and on it we put new, big and exciting words and we have to try and use them in our everyday chat.

Words for this week are treacherous, indigenous, congregating and exhilarating.

Each week we will add new ones to the board so our vocabulary becomes extended. It is such fun trying to use these words and becomes a game.

Is this the right thing to do?

I want everyone to know that I am always questioning whether this is the right thing to do, I am always wondering whether this will work out.

I am not trying to tell anyone else how to bring up their child. I only know what suits me and us at this time. All I want to do is to be able to give people an honest account of the ups and downs that this next year may bring.

I read an article the other day saying that supermums are a thing of the past. I believe in a perfect world that if you have children then you should want to be with them and teach them and enjoy their company. I do know this is not a perfect world and I have a wonderful little girl who each night says that her father and I are the best parents in the world. I hope she still feels this strongly in ten years time as a terrible teenager! Things may have been very different if i had a child that didn't behave and didn't want to work etc. But then I also believe that that can come down to the nature nurture question.

I worry about this world and the kind of place it is becoming, I want to keep my child's innocence for as long as possible and hope that she will not grow up sheltered but just wise about the world around her.

But when does she play?

If I hear this one more time I might crack up completely. What is play? As far as I can tell when Isabella gets up every morning and the first words she speaks are "Can we play now" and I end up in her bedroom playing barbies and schools and polly pockets, this then also takes place through out the day and in the evening, most weekends we end up playing good old fashioned games in the garden...therefore I believe my daughter plays.

It actually came apparent to me how many children don't play properly. Leaving children to their own imagination is imperative but also helping them learn through play is crucial. Put it this way, Isabella keeps saying to me, "Mummy when are you going to start teaching me" little does she know that it has already started.

Without her knowing it, she has learnt about platelets and the different types of blood we all have. She also writes each day when writing my shopping list or writing her blog and emails. Little does she know that she has understood money and weights etc because she comes shopping with me to Borough Market ( which by the way is amazing)

So to end my rant I can honestly say we are playing lots together and with her other friends and equally by herself!

Holidays

I am very excited today as last night I booked flights to Chicago and New York. We are off to see family in Chicago and then we will spend a week in New York. I can't wait.

Things to do

To do:

• Buy isabella her own camera to record everything.
• Arrange the classroom area
• Buy useful materials, pens and pads etc
• Arrange day trips
• Arrange holidays
• Sort out a timetable
• Arrange extra curricular stuff
• Arrange a social life full of playdates
• Decide on the curriculum

The routine is the most important thing to put in place.

The audition

I thought I would tell you a little bit about her audition. I know there will be quite a lot of mums out there wanting to know!

I was an actress and therefore it was inevitable that she would try it. I got her an agent, she is a lovely lady in North London. Isabella had been on her books for about half a year and we had heard nothing. Then I was just considering taking her off the books because maybe she was too young when we had a phone call about a new programme on Cbeebies. We were asked whether Isabella would like to attend. I of course immediately said yes. This meant a change of our weekend plans but I didn't care. We turned up to a place in North London with a lot of other children of all ages, sizes, nationalities and a variety of pushy parents. This was actually our turning point to say that we wouldn't be doing this again as the aura in the room was frighteningly competitive! She went in to the room by herself and disappeared for about 10 minutes and then we left and that was it.


We just kept saying what a good experience that had been and did not expect to hear anything. So when we did we were very shocked. We were asked to go back for another audition with only 48 chosen children. She had to do a show and tell and learn a song and dance. This was even more competitive. We were able to watch their dance at the end and I couldn't believe how Isabella performed. She just kept watching the other children. I knew we wouldn't get it but again it had been a day off school and a good experience. So you can imagine my surprise when we got a phone call asking her back again. This time we went to Cbeebies at the BBC and she spent the afternoon there. There were only ten children left now and we were all very nervous. She came out and didn't really tell me much so all we had to do was wait.

and wait




and wait


and wait



It felt like an eternity but I think it was four weeks and we got the phone call that changed our lives forever. She had been given the job of presenting the show with three other older children. I cried and called everyone. She has been given the most amazing opportunity and now I am going with it and hoping that if this is what she wants to do she will carry on being successful and happy.

All I want for my daughter is for her to be happy and have a passion. At the moment she wants to be a polo playing pilot!