I realise I’m in danger of posting for the sake of it at this point, but I want to continue the blog to the end of the school year for two reasons:
1 So when I’m old and decrepit (next year) I can look back and laugh at my worries
2 Because who knows what has yet to happen that is new and unusual and will send me running either round the block in frustration or straight to the wine cellar …. ?
Well, very little to report in terms of our household and anything new with school. Our routine continues busy and at times manic, but hey. I think that’s life with kids.
Two things of note elsewhere in the gemeinde, however.
The first is that a 16 year old girl is shot dead in the car park at the local shopping centre, on a Saturday evening. The most gist I can glean from the paper coverage is that it’s something to do with Balkan drug gangs. Apologies for my ignorance – but the paper’s gone out for recycling now so difficult to check. This is pretty shocking for Switzerland, I know, but before here we lived in Manchester; in broad daylight, I used to drive through certain areas not far from where we lived, as fast as possible and with the car completely locked. It's not like that here.
The second thing is that we have now had 2 or 3 letters about some sort of sexual incident involving a 15 year old girl at the local secondary school. Obviously this is of more immediate concern. The letters are rather complicated, though, and we haven’t seen the neighbours to try to get to the bottom of the story. However, OH has managed to work out that the letters refer to the accused’s nationality (ie not Swiss) and are trying to explain that not everyone of certain nationalities (whatever they are....) should be tarred with the same brush. Seems an intelligent and pragmatic reaction.
And the third thing, on a wider note, is the business about Lucie the au pair from Fribourg who was found dead in Baden. You just don’t hear about these things as often as in the UK, so it’s really shocking – and of course devastating for her family and friends. A stark reminder to tell the kids that they mustn’t talk to strangers. Difficult when they’re taught at school to greet everyone they see with “Gruezi” – I guess it’s a question of teaching them boundaries.
Tuesday 31 March 2009
Weeks 25 & 26 - All as quiet on the western front as it gets with 2 boys
Saturday 14 March 2009
Week 24 - J goes to judo
Little to report this week – everything normal, no major dramas involving falling off play equipment, usual volume of homework, etc etc etc.
But on Wednesday, I take J to the judo club in the village. Luckily this is in his school, otherwise I would be facing the real prospect of becoming a whirling dervish on Wednesdays, what with trying to get C from his English lesson at the WAC and back to the village for 5pm. I’ve just worked out that J is now doing 5 out-of-school activities, and, ever conscious of not wanting to become Alice from May Contain Nuts (or have I already ? am I paranoid or are they after me ?) I am thinking that that is quite enough thank you, given that he’s still learning to cope with being educated in a second language and play with his mates in a third. C is doing 4 activities, and may decide that he also wants to do judo - we’ll see. The problem isn’t the interests they have - or I’ve imposed on them - but the fact that with one exception they’re all at different times, and I don’t want them scooting or cycling round the village on their own in the half light. It’s noticeable that drivers seem to be switched on to be aware of children at crossings at the standard school times (8ish, 12ish, 1.30ish and 3.30ish) but not at others. So yes, I am paranoid about road safety out of school hours, particularly since our neighbour’s son was knocked off his bike last September coming home from football training - he’s OK (the bike was wrecked) but it was a nasty shock.
Anyway, unfortunately OH was away on business on Wednesday, so I took J down to the club – we had made a deal that I would take him but he’d have to do the talking. And I was right - the chap in charge spoke a completely incomprehensible Schweizerdeutsch that left me with the familiar cringing feeling that I wonder if I will ever shake off. My understanding of Hochdeutsch isn’t bad now – but Schwiezerdeutsch is a different kettle of fish altogether.
But no matter: J LOVED it. And I must admit, it looks ideal for him. He has a great deal of physical energy (show me a boy who doesn’t) and it’s a licence to do everything he’s not allowed to do in the house – run round, jump, physically handle people - but all the while teaching him how to control his energy and aggression – and learn some self defence.
So, we will go back next week and hopefully within a couple of weeks time I will be able to leave him there and go and collect him later, rather than sit and watch, twiddling my thumbs and wondering how the hell I’m going to have enough time to get dinner on the table and get myself out to rehearsal at 7pm.
But on Wednesday, I take J to the judo club in the village. Luckily this is in his school, otherwise I would be facing the real prospect of becoming a whirling dervish on Wednesdays, what with trying to get C from his English lesson at the WAC and back to the village for 5pm. I’ve just worked out that J is now doing 5 out-of-school activities, and, ever conscious of not wanting to become Alice from May Contain Nuts (or have I already ? am I paranoid or are they after me ?) I am thinking that that is quite enough thank you, given that he’s still learning to cope with being educated in a second language and play with his mates in a third. C is doing 4 activities, and may decide that he also wants to do judo - we’ll see. The problem isn’t the interests they have - or I’ve imposed on them - but the fact that with one exception they’re all at different times, and I don’t want them scooting or cycling round the village on their own in the half light. It’s noticeable that drivers seem to be switched on to be aware of children at crossings at the standard school times (8ish, 12ish, 1.30ish and 3.30ish) but not at others. So yes, I am paranoid about road safety out of school hours, particularly since our neighbour’s son was knocked off his bike last September coming home from football training - he’s OK (the bike was wrecked) but it was a nasty shock.
Anyway, unfortunately OH was away on business on Wednesday, so I took J down to the club – we had made a deal that I would take him but he’d have to do the talking. And I was right - the chap in charge spoke a completely incomprehensible Schweizerdeutsch that left me with the familiar cringing feeling that I wonder if I will ever shake off. My understanding of Hochdeutsch isn’t bad now – but Schwiezerdeutsch is a different kettle of fish altogether.
But no matter: J LOVED it. And I must admit, it looks ideal for him. He has a great deal of physical energy (show me a boy who doesn’t) and it’s a licence to do everything he’s not allowed to do in the house – run round, jump, physically handle people - but all the while teaching him how to control his energy and aggression – and learn some self defence.
So, we will go back next week and hopefully within a couple of weeks time I will be able to leave him there and go and collect him later, rather than sit and watch, twiddling my thumbs and wondering how the hell I’m going to have enough time to get dinner on the table and get myself out to rehearsal at 7pm.
Monday 9 March 2009
Week 23 - bullying on the way home
Week 23 sees J bring home another beautiful piece of handarbeit – a sewn notebook and pencil case. At this rate, I’m going to be putting him on the street selling home made craftwork – he’d make more than I would selling anything.
The Thursday sees C have another little friend round to play in the afternoon - good !
On Friday J is bullied on the way home at lunchtime by the two lads who approached C a few weeks ago. They seem to be following classic bully behaviour – there are two of them, they wait until they are not in sight of anyone, and are a good distance from school. They try to block his path, make fun of him for needing to go to extra German lessons, push him off his scooter and refuse to believe that he’s in Grade 4, because of his size.
J is very upset – understandably. So after lunch we look on the CBBC website and search for “bullying” and how to cope with bullies. http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/specials/bullying/default.stm
Bullying behaviour is outlined, along with strategies for dealing with it. So the boys have some ideas now, and understand why I want them to walk to and from school together wherever possible – they are less likely to be approached if they are together. J also wants to join the local judo club, so we’ll be doing that next week. I send him back to school, asking him to tell his teacher and ask her what he should do, so that he gets the Swiss “take” on what his next step should be rather than just mine. Luckily she says the same as me – get their names and what class they’re in (we know they are at the school next door rather than ours).
We need to keep practising what they need to say to bullies if this happens again. OH and I are both of the view that you can’t protect kids from bullies – bullies are everywhere, school, the workplace, you name it. But we want to help them learn to deal with it, not become victimised. Luckily we seem to have supportive teaching staff at school – and at least we know that the kids involved are not at the same school as ours, though that could potentially make the situation more complicated to handle. I hope not.
The Thursday sees C have another little friend round to play in the afternoon - good !
On Friday J is bullied on the way home at lunchtime by the two lads who approached C a few weeks ago. They seem to be following classic bully behaviour – there are two of them, they wait until they are not in sight of anyone, and are a good distance from school. They try to block his path, make fun of him for needing to go to extra German lessons, push him off his scooter and refuse to believe that he’s in Grade 4, because of his size.
J is very upset – understandably. So after lunch we look on the CBBC website and search for “bullying” and how to cope with bullies. http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/specials/bullying/default.stm
Bullying behaviour is outlined, along with strategies for dealing with it. So the boys have some ideas now, and understand why I want them to walk to and from school together wherever possible – they are less likely to be approached if they are together. J also wants to join the local judo club, so we’ll be doing that next week. I send him back to school, asking him to tell his teacher and ask her what he should do, so that he gets the Swiss “take” on what his next step should be rather than just mine. Luckily she says the same as me – get their names and what class they’re in (we know they are at the school next door rather than ours).
We need to keep practising what they need to say to bullies if this happens again. OH and I are both of the view that you can’t protect kids from bullies – bullies are everywhere, school, the workplace, you name it. But we want to help them learn to deal with it, not become victimised. Luckily we seem to have supportive teaching staff at school – and at least we know that the kids involved are not at the same school as ours, though that could potentially make the situation more complicated to handle. I hope not.
Sportferien
Sportferien passes, seeing us in Austria for a week with friends, which is fantastic. Almost too much snow – if that’s possible. The transition between last year, when the boys were terrified of ski school and were dragged there almost kicking and screaming every day (very relaxing, I must say) because “we don’t understand German” and this year, when they leap out of bed and can’t wait to get started every day, is remarkable. Of course it helps that we are on holiday with their best chums, but they are not in the same ski school groups together. They are no longer frightened of an “all German” situation. And in any case, all the ski instructors speak English. In fact at one point J lapses into Schweizerdeutsch, to his Austrian ski instructor’s utter confusion.
The second week of sportferien sees an argument with J about his German homework for the holidays. He’s convinced it’s a huge piece of work. However, we break it down into small steps and all of a sudden, it’s finished, and he is no longer in an argumentative mood about it. Funny, that.
The second week of sportferien sees an argument with J about his German homework for the holidays. He’s convinced it’s a huge piece of work. However, we break it down into small steps and all of a sudden, it’s finished, and he is no longer in an argumentative mood about it. Funny, that.
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