Ella is not always as independent as I would allow her to be. So when I told her at the start of the school year that I would not walk her to her classroom anymore every morning, she wasn't very impressed. And there have been numerous mornings when she got a bit teary because I insisted on leaving her at the school gate. I've explained that she is older now and does not need me to accompany her (even if the school rules say I should, bah humbug), but she doesn't seem willing to accept it yet.
This morning at the school gate she asked me to come in as usual and complained bitterly when I said no. Then she suddenly said:
Ella - Mum, can we go and talk to my friends Chrissy and Riley? They're over there!
Me - Well, you can go see them, but I have to go.
Ella starts running off.
Me - Hey wait, your schoolbag.
Ella comes back and hurriedly hooks her backpack on one arm and runs off again.
Me [yelling after her] - Bye sweetie! Have a great day! I'll see you at 3!
Ella [shouting over her shoulder while she runs] - I'm not 5 anymore, you know.
And she was gone...
I chuckled about it all the way home.
24 February 2011
14 January 2011
Dancing with dogs, the senior version
Back in October 2007, when Ella was just 2 years and 8 months old, she taught our dog a trick all by herself.
Ever since then she has regularly been made responsible for feeding the dog and she has always consistently enforced the 'sit' routine. Something I have never bothered with as our dog is/has always been very well behaved when waiting for her food.
But yesterday Ella mentioned that the dog sometimes takes quite a while to sit down as if she's forgotten what to do and that maybe I should start doing this routine too.
So tonight, as Ella is on a houseboat on the Clyde river somewhere, I filled up the dog's bowl and for the first time ever I stood up and held the bowl up until the dog sat down before I put it down for her to start eating. It was strange to make the dog do a 'trick' that Ella taught her. Strangely moving even. And it's quite a beautiful trick because not a sound is made or order given.
I must add that the dog was still - and most likely will always be - very reluctant to sit. I sense that she finds it patronising or even humiliating to have to sit for her dinner. Something you'd make a puppy do, but not a 10yo dog with the potential to win best behaved dog of the year award!
Ever since then she has regularly been made responsible for feeding the dog and she has always consistently enforced the 'sit' routine. Something I have never bothered with as our dog is/has always been very well behaved when waiting for her food.
But yesterday Ella mentioned that the dog sometimes takes quite a while to sit down as if she's forgotten what to do and that maybe I should start doing this routine too.
So tonight, as Ella is on a houseboat on the Clyde river somewhere, I filled up the dog's bowl and for the first time ever I stood up and held the bowl up until the dog sat down before I put it down for her to start eating. It was strange to make the dog do a 'trick' that Ella taught her. Strangely moving even. And it's quite a beautiful trick because not a sound is made or order given.
I must add that the dog was still - and most likely will always be - very reluctant to sit. I sense that she finds it patronising or even humiliating to have to sit for her dinner. Something you'd make a puppy do, but not a 10yo dog with the potential to win best behaved dog of the year award!
16 December 2010
Humility
I just put a Tetris game on my Nintendo. When I played it for the first time I told Ella:
Me - Wow, this takes me back. This game was around when I was a child. That's really old, isn't it?
Ella - I don't know, mum. Because I'm just a child. I know nothing!
Me - Wow, this takes me back. This game was around when I was a child. That's really old, isn't it?
Ella - I don't know, mum. Because I'm just a child. I know nothing!
Thankyou
I got this note after:
- I got a shock when I saw Ella had left the mice cage wide open and spilled mice food all over her bedroom floor
- I told her that I was too dissapointed in her to even talk to her and ignored her until she cleaned up the mess without prompting
- I acknowledged that she'd made up for her mistake
- I helped her with the spelling of most of the words
- I got a shock when I saw Ella had left the mice cage wide open and spilled mice food all over her bedroom floor
- I told her that I was too dissapointed in her to even talk to her and ignored her until she cleaned up the mess without prompting
- I acknowledged that she'd made up for her mistake
- I helped her with the spelling of most of the words
-
After she gave me her "card", she told me that I should keep it just in case we would ever leave eachother after all.
09 December 2010
Kindergarten Semester 2 report
I am so very pleased with Ella's report. Not the "academic" stuff,
though I am very glad to hear she is above the expected range in all areas
of literacy. She's only average for maths apparently, so maybe I did
just imagine that she is good with numbers.
But the things that please me most are her being described as a "courteous listener", that she follows instructions carefully, shows empathy and helps others and - probably my favourite - participates enthusiastically and confidently in a variety of activities.
There were some less positive things in there which were all about how she deals/dealt with conflict with friends ("she often requires teacher assistance to resolve social issues in the playground") and being bossy ("she is reminded to allow others to assist in the decision making process"). The first one will hopefully not be an issue anymore next year when she is in a class with different kids (and a different teacher).
The bossiness... only child, what else can I say. Hopefully she'll grow out of it one day.
But apart from those little issues, I felt very proud indeed when I read the report. And some of the things that were mentioned are so "Ella". Like "She has demonstrated an extensive general knowledge and regularly shares information with the class, especially concerning animals".
But the things that please me most are her being described as a "courteous listener", that she follows instructions carefully, shows empathy and helps others and - probably my favourite - participates enthusiastically and confidently in a variety of activities.
There were some less positive things in there which were all about how she deals/dealt with conflict with friends ("she often requires teacher assistance to resolve social issues in the playground") and being bossy ("she is reminded to allow others to assist in the decision making process"). The first one will hopefully not be an issue anymore next year when she is in a class with different kids (and a different teacher).
The bossiness... only child, what else can I say. Hopefully she'll grow out of it one day.
But apart from those little issues, I felt very proud indeed when I read the report. And some of the things that were mentioned are so "Ella". Like "She has demonstrated an extensive general knowledge and regularly shares information with the class, especially concerning animals".
Grumpy toys
It was way past Ella's bedtime and she was still getting ready.
Ella [sad]: Mum, I put Whitie* in the bush outside, and now he's not there. (*Whitie is a stuffed white tiger toy)
Me - You must have taken him out and put him somewhere else. Think! Noone would've stolen him from the bush.
Ella - Because he looks so grumpy?
Me - No, because there are no people bad enough here to steal a child's toy from their front yard.
She looked so terribly sad at the prospect of going to bed without Whitie, that I decided to forget about the whole learning through consequences thing and offer my help. But not for free.
Me - I'll tell you what, I bet you that I can find him in 5 minutes or less. How much?
Ella - How much do you want?
Me - Well, I always prefer if you do something for me instead of give me something. So what will you do for me if I find Whitie in less than 5 minutes?
Ella - Help you make dinner for a whole week.
Me - I think that's a bit much. Make it one day.
Ella - No, a whole week.
Me - One day.
Ella - A week.
Me - If you're going to help me make dinner for a whole week, I'll have to find him in 1 minute! If it takes me 5 minutes, you'll help me with dinner tomorrow. Deal?
Ella - Deal!
By then she was laughing through her tears and I send her off to bed while I got up to start the search. I think it took me 30 seconds to walk from the bedroom to the kitchen where the first thing I saw on the messy kitchen table was Whitie. Looking grumpy.
Ella [sad]: Mum, I put Whitie* in the bush outside, and now he's not there. (*Whitie is a stuffed white tiger toy)
Me - You must have taken him out and put him somewhere else. Think! Noone would've stolen him from the bush.
Ella - Because he looks so grumpy?
Me - No, because there are no people bad enough here to steal a child's toy from their front yard.
She looked so terribly sad at the prospect of going to bed without Whitie, that I decided to forget about the whole learning through consequences thing and offer my help. But not for free.
Me - I'll tell you what, I bet you that I can find him in 5 minutes or less. How much?
Ella - How much do you want?
Me - Well, I always prefer if you do something for me instead of give me something. So what will you do for me if I find Whitie in less than 5 minutes?
Ella - Help you make dinner for a whole week.
Me - I think that's a bit much. Make it one day.
Ella - No, a whole week.
Me - One day.
Ella - A week.
Me - If you're going to help me make dinner for a whole week, I'll have to find him in 1 minute! If it takes me 5 minutes, you'll help me with dinner tomorrow. Deal?
Ella - Deal!
By then she was laughing through her tears and I send her off to bed while I got up to start the search. I think it took me 30 seconds to walk from the bedroom to the kitchen where the first thing I saw on the messy kitchen table was Whitie. Looking grumpy.
03 December 2010
Weirdo
We had Tai, the neighbour's girl, over for a play today. They were busy blowing bubbles outside while I was cutting the hedge and commenting loudly on my handiwork.
Tai - Ella, is your mum weird?
Ella [very hesitantly] - Er... no.
Me - But of course I'm weird! I've always been weird. Mots of my friends are weird. In fact, I think that if you're not weird, you're probably boring. Don't you agree?
Tai and Ella - Um... yeah.
Tai - Ella, is your mum weird?
Ella [very hesitantly] - Er... no.
Me - But of course I'm weird! I've always been weird. Mots of my friends are weird. In fact, I think that if you're not weird, you're probably boring. Don't you agree?
Tai and Ella - Um... yeah.
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