My daughter's 'classroom' on the veranda of our farmhouseAhhhh. School days. I suppose you either loved or loathed them. I fall into the latter category, I’m afraid. My 12 year school career spanned 2 countries, 7 different schools and one boarding school. I was always the “new girl” and envied my fellow pupils who had started Pre School together … continued through Primary School … and were ending their school careers in High School together. The one thing I did do, was to make sure that I studied as hard as I possibly could so that I never, ever failed a year and had to repeat. (An extra year at school would have been too much to bear !) I rejoiced when I finally finished school in 1989 - I flew out of those school gates and never looked back once !
My husband, on the other hand, loved every minute of his school career and has nothing but fond memories of it. He can’t understand why I didn’t embrace my school days and all the freedom that went with them … ?
Tomorrow, our daughter starts Pre School and I am filled with dread for her. Although, obviously I’m not showing it to her. I am making it out to be exciting, wonderful, a new part of her life … all of which it is, of course. But for me, it just brings back stomach turning, nervous memories. Because tomorrow, she will be the new girl, like I was so many times - and I really feel for her.
Our daughter is 3 years old now, and I have home schooled her since birth. Well, by ‘home schooling’ I mean teaching her what she would have been learning at a Pre School in the “real world”. We have a little desk and chair set up on our veranda, and a blackboard. I have Pre School learning books from the UK and she has been taught what other children her age are learning. We also have fun days where we do painting, make play dough, do crafty things with paper and glue. But of course, the time has come for her to mix with other children her own age, this is really important for her development – and so, she must start school.
So, starting from tomorrow (the first day of term) she will go 2 mornings a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) to a little Pre School run by an ex Rhodesian lady and her daughter, which has a total of 23 children (aged 3 to 6), set on the edge of a coffee farm about a 3 hour round trip from our farm.
My daughter is unusual here in that she is one of the few expat kids brought up without a nanny. Yes ! She has been brought up by her parents – I feel that it is my job is to care for her, no one can do that better – I don’t work, I stay on the farm all day so why on earth would I need a nanny ? Well, that makes us stand out here ! Can you imagine ?! So when the school advised that her nanny come to school with her for the first few days until she settles in, I said well I am the “nanny” !
So …. I am going back to school tomorrow – wish me luck - at least I won’t be the “new girl”, I’ll be the “new Mummy” ( errrr … Nanny ?) on the block. And I can handle that. I hope !
My husband, on the other hand, loved every minute of his school career and has nothing but fond memories of it. He can’t understand why I didn’t embrace my school days and all the freedom that went with them … ?
Tomorrow, our daughter starts Pre School and I am filled with dread for her. Although, obviously I’m not showing it to her. I am making it out to be exciting, wonderful, a new part of her life … all of which it is, of course. But for me, it just brings back stomach turning, nervous memories. Because tomorrow, she will be the new girl, like I was so many times - and I really feel for her.
Our daughter is 3 years old now, and I have home schooled her since birth. Well, by ‘home schooling’ I mean teaching her what she would have been learning at a Pre School in the “real world”. We have a little desk and chair set up on our veranda, and a blackboard. I have Pre School learning books from the UK and she has been taught what other children her age are learning. We also have fun days where we do painting, make play dough, do crafty things with paper and glue. But of course, the time has come for her to mix with other children her own age, this is really important for her development – and so, she must start school.
So, starting from tomorrow (the first day of term) she will go 2 mornings a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) to a little Pre School run by an ex Rhodesian lady and her daughter, which has a total of 23 children (aged 3 to 6), set on the edge of a coffee farm about a 3 hour round trip from our farm.
My daughter is unusual here in that she is one of the few expat kids brought up without a nanny. Yes ! She has been brought up by her parents – I feel that it is my job is to care for her, no one can do that better – I don’t work, I stay on the farm all day so why on earth would I need a nanny ? Well, that makes us stand out here ! Can you imagine ?! So when the school advised that her nanny come to school with her for the first few days until she settles in, I said well I am the “nanny” !
So …. I am going back to school tomorrow – wish me luck - at least I won’t be the “new girl”, I’ll be the “new Mummy” ( errrr … Nanny ?) on the block. And I can handle that. I hope !
