Sarah Coyne

My child is about to go up to year 1 in September and there had been rumours for some time about mixed classes. We were informed that out of the 3 reception classes now, who are split by age, 10 pupils from the youngest class of reception now, going up to year 1, would be mixed with 20 of the oldest reception children coming up this year.

The School arranged a meeting a few days before the new class lists were released and advised that the choices of children had been made with friend groups as a priority. We were also assured that it wasn’t on ability and if your child was in a mixed class then it definately wasn’t keeping them back.

So the lists were released last week on Friday, just before the weekend, giving us a long time to stew over it until Monday. I was told by a couple of friends though that usually the class decisions are released on the last day of term, so no one gets a say, so I suppose we were lucky in that respect.

My child is one of the 10 and the uproar started! I was ok about it until my husband started saying it was keeping our child back, and does that mean they were a candidate to be in a mixed group next year? Some of the parents went to see the head teacher who was actually off on the Monday (that really didn’t look good, but it was a genuine reason). I actually went calmly to see Bradley’s teacher, who asked me my concerns and pretty much put my mind at ease then.

She explained that there was a full time teaching assistant with the class teacher and that our year 1′s would actually be in a ration of 10:1 to the teacher and they would constantly be monitoring other schools in the area and look at how they are doing the classes. I did discuss distractions from the reception year, learning through play, where as our year 1′s are more about learning this year but was assured class time would be prepared with everything in mind.

I did keep my appointment with the head however, and again, she did a good job of reassuring me. I explained that I had done some research and was concerned as to the amount of blogs I had found from teachers asking for help as they didn’t know how to teach reception and year 1 mixed. I was assured that the school would be very supportive. I also asked how the teacher felt about taking a mixed class and was told that when the headteacher announced to the teachers about the move, my son’s new teacher offered to take the class as she had done it successfully before, she also has over 10 years teaching experience.

I wanted to know if the teacher would definately be teaching from 2 curriculums and was assured so. Our year 1 class would be doing the same as the other non-mixed year 1 class, although everyone would be doing different work to eachother as everyone is working to their own ability. So that cleared up another issue I had about repeating reception work. The headteacher said she had seen some good results from mixed classes due to the lower ratios.

There had been a parent outside the school in the morning who had an older child in the juniors and said she had witnesses the mixed reception & year 1 class, 7 years back. She said the parents had been the same then worried etc, and it had worked really really well.

So what do you think? I’m very interested to know. Are you a teacher who has done this before and what did you think? Are you a parent who this is happening to, or has? I would really appreciate your comments. Our child’s education is their future and we can’t afford to get this wrong!

I was pleased when my local milk firm said they were going on line. Fabulous, no more scratching around in my purse each week, it meant I could pay by direct debit and I could even alter my orders up to 9pm at night.

So last night I decided to increase my milk order by an extra 2 pints as a one off, since hubby has gone back on the protein shakes with his regular visits to the gym, my two kiddywinks have decided they like milk again, and I’m partial to a nice hot choc at night to help me sleep (I’m not that old really).

So this morning I opened my front door and was greeted to 25 pints of milk, I was only expecting 4! I quickly logged on to discover I had actually typed in 23 instead of 2. I rang milk & more and they were really helpful and understanding, they kept me on the line for a couple of minutes to ring the depot and organised collection straight away, they were fantastic really.

The only thing I didn’t get was why their system didn’t flag up a warning that it was a huge order, or why the milkman who has delivered my milk for the past year didn’t twig it was unusual that a family of 4 would be needing 25 pints of milk that day!

My youngest, Rudy turned 3 last week and as I had done for my eldest Bradley (now 4) I prepared him for months prior to his 3rd birthday that his dummies would be posted to the ‘poor children’ (c/o my parents house!) the fiollowing day after his birthday – a final birthday treat of having a dummy! Of course I had all the questions; “why do they all have to go to the poor children?” so I just explained that the poor children’s mummy and daddy don’t work and have no money to buy the children dummies, and if you keep having dummies your teeth will stick out like a rabbit!

For both children, I tried not to let them have their dummies in the daytime by age 2. It was usually as a last resort by me, if they were playing up, but by age 2 I didn’t give (as hard as it was sometimes!). My theory always was if they only had a dummy at night it might be easier to make the transition to nothing!

Rudy was actually not too bad on the first night. He’d had a lovely party and we’d been reminding him throught the day that it was his last night with the dummy. The next night came and he kept asking for it, he did get a little upset (no where near as bad as Bradley had who cried himself to sleep the first night!) but I stuck to my guns, I had to treat them equally. His little gorgeous face though “but I ‘need’ it mummy” and how easy would it have been for me! We hadn’t posted them yet as it had been torrentially raining all day! I could have just nipped downstairs and opened the envelope! But I didn’t thankfully. After several more stories than usual, he was happy to settle down. Rudy did come into our room at 2am asking for his dummy, he did accept he wasn’t getting it, so settled into our bed and started fidgeting, so I went into Bradley’s room and slept in the bottom bunk.

The next night, again, an extra two hours to get to sleep, one attempt at asking me for his dummy, but admitted defeat straight away. A solid sleep through. And the same again last night, only three hours extra to get him to sleep – arrrgh, not good! I think the dummy was definately a coaxer to get into bed and get to sleep, now it’s faffing about with toys in his room, and asking me for extra stories which he never used to do. Tonight, he’s asleep for 9.30pm! So we’ve gone from originally 7pm-7.30pm to 9.30pm/10pm, what is going on!?

Apart from having lost my evenings, Rudy seems to be sleeping through better than he has been. Usually when he comes through to our room in the night, he’d be asking us to find his dummy. Perhaps now, he has woken up, but knows there’s no dummy so just goes back to sleep. Or is he just worn out because he is going to sleep much later? Who knows, probably the latter, but whatever it is, I just hope after a week of playschool and work routine, he’ll tire himself out and start going to sleep at a reasonable hour.

So, when is the right time to remove the ‘beloved dummy’ from your child? For me, age 3. All children are different so whatever’s best for you. One of my friends let her little boy have it until he was 4, just at night and like me did the birthday thing. Another took it away at Easter just before a 3rd birthday as the easter bunny took it and swapped it for a toy. Another friend did it at Christmas (although can’t remember age) but the reason being there were lots of toys to side track the transition! Another friend, around the age 3 mark, kept cutting the end of the dummy a little bit (saying it was broken) until there was just a stump and then the little boy threw it away himself.

I think the key is preparing your child and youself for ‘dummy loss’. Picking land mark times to do it, like birthdays, easter or christmas, or even the start of nursery if you dare do it at age 2! We told both our son’s for months before just to get the idea in their head, that their dummy friend wouldn’t always be there.

Whatever you do, good luck, hopefully you may have picked up some ideas if you’re stuggling!

I was talked into buying a new HD TV for the world cup by my husband. I’m not really that into football, but I will support my country and do like the buzz of the world cup, plus it’s a good excuse for a party! I was thinking a new TV might be nice for watching fashion TV and films I guess. Our old TV was ancient, about as deep as it was wide, a lardy heavy block of a thing. We’re not that bothered about having up to the minute technology, a TV is a TV right? Well, I’ve actually changed my tune now we have this Regza LV6**D Digital Series 40 inch HD one! What on earth were we doing for all those years letting our old ‘Thompson’ (who!?) TV sit in our living room for so long!? Even when there were credits at the end of films, half the writing wouldn’t fit on the 28 inch screen. Anyway, this one is fab, looks the business, sleek black and crystal clear picture, and if England win – it’s FREE!! Yay! We bought it from Sainsbury’s for £400 (down from £550 I believe) and registered the purchase on line, fingers crossed!

Have the meltingly tasty tangy cheese snacks been on a diet!? I swear they have halved in size! I’m only talking a couple of months ago, they were fat and pretty straight, now their skinnyand have a distinct bend in them!!!

I know they just happen to be 95 calories per bag with no artificial colours or flavours, but have they been working out or what!?

Are you a cruncher or a melter, a nibbler or a biter? I’m a cruncher. How do you snaffle yours?

We regularly visit Derby’s infamous fish & chip shop in Belper, the food is freshly cooked and is delicious, the fish always perfect and non greasy. Bradley (4.5) and Rudy (2.5) love going there too and particularly like the free ice-cream (part of the kids meal deal) with choc/strawberry/toffee sauces and sprinkles at the end of the meal.

Today we sat in front of a Mother and her son (3), and it emerged that they knew a little boy in Bradley’s class at School. On her way out, through fits of giggles, she managed to tell me that her 3 year old had whispered to her ” Mummy… is that Peter Andre sitting there?”

The little boy was actually referring to my dark haired husband, not exactly pumped up like Peter Andre (ok he is nicely toned & good looking, I’ll give him that), I guess he could take it as a compliment. As long as that doesn’t make me Katie Price meaning we have to add another one to the brood!

I woke up the other morning to find I was sharing my pillow with a plastic rhynosaris. Then my 2 year old son, Rudy announced “he wants you Mummy” meaning that I had to cuddle the thing! We’ve also acquired a fantastic remote control replica giant tarantula spider (The National History Museum) which has been steered into my toes at every given opportunity! Sometimes I know when the spiders on it’s way over to me as I can hear peels of laughter & giggling from the boys. We actually bought it from Rudy’s playschool car boot sale at the weekend for a meer fiver! Almost new and still boxed, it was labelled up for £25 on the original packaging (NEXT). It’s great for all ages, Bradley (4.5) and Rudy (2.5) are both good at steering it around, although it is quite sensitive and you can hear the mechanics working. It’s given them more fun than any remote control car they’ve ever had and they’ve even managed to scare everyone at the local shopping centre (well some got into character nicely and gone along with the tarantula invasion). Bradley particularly loved whizzing it under the shelves at Wilkos. It’s my fave toy of theirs – it’s cool!

Whenever the weather is nice and I have to do the School run, although I go past Rudy’s playschool before home, I try to park the car at home after work, dash back to playschool (7 minute walk), then walk round to get Bradley from School, another 10 minute walk from playschool.

As Bradley’s a bit obsessed with the Wii at the moment I jumped at the chance to go to the rec on his suggestion for the last couple of warm sunny days (anything to beat square eyes!). We spent an hour there and it was great. The boys burning off energy, me catching up with the other mums and everyone just enjoying the sunshine and fresh air.

On our way home Rudy was in the pushchair and Bradley was cadging ‘a lift’ as we call it, standing on the back of the pushchair frame. Bradley suddenly announced ‘wait a minute Mummy, I have a present for you’. What could it be!? I was already thrilled he had thought about me at School, he dug deep into his trouser pocket…

A stone.

I was still touched that he’d thought of me when he had found it! Then he announced he had another present for Daddy, into the trouser pocket again… and produced the middle of a flower head, then still in the flow of generosity, dismounted the pushchair, wandered onto someones drive before I had time to protest, and plucked a handful of beautiful purple flowers saying ‘these are also for you Mummy’. Love them, you can trespass anytime honey.

It never ceases to amaze me how much a child’s brain can absorb! Their brains are like sponges. Out of nowhere Bradley (4 1/2) announced to my family on our recent holiday that “butterflies come from a chrysalis” and then went on to explain the process. A what Bradley? Oh bless him he really has been listening at School – reception year are currently studying mini-beasts. And Bradley’s not the only clever one, yesterday whilst driving back from holiday we’d deliberately not put the in car DVD player on (not sure if that was a good idea or not for a 2.5 hour journey as we were driven crazy) but at least it made the boys look around, think a bit, and not get square eyes! Rudy (3 in a couple of weeks) was getting slightly bored to say the least and started counting under his breath from 0-21. Bless him he looked embarrasingly pleased with himself as we started clapping & congratulating him on his cleverness, he didn’t know we were listening (well Daddy wasn’t really clapping as he was driving).

Bradley really suprised me this morning saying he could remember Mummy’s tummy with Rudy in it when I was pregnant! Bradley was almost 2 when Rudy was born, and Rudy’s almost 3 now. The only thing that shocked me even more was how the conversation started… I bent down to cuddle Bradley and he pointed at my tummy and asked “you have another baby in there Mummy?”
Charming. No Bradley there isn’t, it’s just a bit of baby belly overhang, the result of housing you and you’re brother in there for 18 months between you! Actually looking at it like that it’s not suprising that for some of us mums, our bodies have taken a battering from pregnancy and breast feeding. Still, it’s a small sacrifise to pay for our little cherubs…. south our skin shall go.