Raising Children Network | Forums / Baby & child forums / School age (5-8 years)

7 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER TALKS ABOUT MARRIAGE PLANS

kmpbp43 — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 20:25:21 GMT

is it too young?

8 year olds at home alone...

mmmmmum — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:25:40 GMT

Just after some opinions...
I'm concerned about a neighbour's daughter who is 8 and seems to be left alone a lot. She often turns up for a play at our house without any parents and won't want to leave. This happened on xmas eve at around 7pm, and she didn't want to go home.
Today she knocked on my door with a bleeding foot and a limp, saying her mum had left her at home for an hour or so while she visited her friend. The friend's little boy (also 8) was there on the door step but he seemed shy and ran away back down the road. I had both my kids and a friend's kid over for a play date so i let him go while i cleaned and dressed her foot.
She had a mobile that her mum had left with her but no credit to call anyone. I got the phone number of her friend from the phone and dialled it but there was no answer.
We walked back to her place, I was thinking her and the little boy could hang out at our place until their parents returned but he really didn't want to.
It worries me! am i over-reacting?
I went back to their place this evening to check that all was okay and to offer my help with babysitting if they get stuck...
What do you think?

growing pains

dad23 — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:25:48 GMT

has anyone else's children suffered from growing pains ?
my partners daughter is suffering from them at the moment , it is usually pain behind her knees or in her calves . it is quite painful and not much we can do for her . just wondering if anyone had experienced this and if they knew of any good ways to help the child . it usually occurs at night or late in the day . cheers for your help [Smile]

appropriate clothing for girls aged 7 years +

my daughter is not a tween — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:53:39 GMT

Hi all I am a mother to two gorgeous girls aged 5 and 7 who has become extremely frustrated at trying to find nice, appropriate clothing for my eldest daughter now that she has entered the dreaded 7 years+ range. Why is it that the major retailers feel that it is appropriate to dress our 7 and 8 year olds in the same clothing as 14 year olds? If you are like me and are sick of short shorts, t-shirts with dreadful slogans and a lack of colours and pretty dresses for our girls then please join my cause by liking my page "My daughter is not a tween" on facebook. I know this is not a new issue but my hope is that if we can get enough people to show their support then maybe just maybe the major retailers will offer a better range of choices for our girls. I am not a perfect mum and I am definitely not a fashion guru, I am just trying to let my girls be girls a little longer and make it easier to find clothing that they are able to play in, is colourful (please no more black) and modest and most importantly makes them look like kids not extras in a music video. Thanks.

6 year old daughter

stevenh008 — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 03:51:55 GMT

My Daughter is 6 years old and likes to talk allot. She asks many questions and talks quite loud she asks things that are not that important.Eg: My husband went to the shop and my daughter says,
Mum where has dad gone. (shop I say)
What is here doing at the shop (buying some food and groceries for home I say)
Why? ( We need them I say)
What kind of things ( bits and pieces I say)

Here is just one example I have for you.
Also could someone tell me why my daughter has to give me around 4-5 kisses and hugs when I leave the house. She ends up crying if I have to tell her thats enough. She then tells my husband Mummy has gone, I miss her cant she stay home. Sometimes I am late to go to work due to the hold back.

If anyone has any information I would greatly appreciate it.

Schooling Information

Prathibac — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:33:59 GMT

Hi all,

For everyone who are new to victoria or are looking to migrate to australia here is the information about schools, kinders or childcares also some visa and immigration stuf if you are looking for.

http://www.liveinvictoria.vic.gov.au/living-in-victoria/education-and-childcare

Feel free to browse for any information and you would find it.

A little bit of Behaviour

Ybehave — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:18:00 GMT

Behaviours are the things we do. We generally agree that everything we say and do is communication. Body language experts will go on about sweaty palms and other 'tells' - go on go and watch Casino Royal again- just for the body language.

The way we speak reflects mostly our emotions and feelings- anxiety, frustration sadness anger Happiness etc.

Managing behaviour and managing challenging behaviour is fundamentally counter intuitive.

No one tells us this and that is why we often say calm and nice polite things when we are feeling as frustrated as anything. (Think about when that bloody dog gets out of the yard and you have to call and get him back- the dog doesn't understand what you are saying (sorry for some pet lovers who really think they do) but knows your emotional tone. Your angry that the mutts out and you sound angry- it wont come to you, sound cute and caring and it will warily come back).

If it wasn't counter intuitive, the Super Nannie would still be just a Nannie in London collecting the mail and the kids etc.

So in managing behaviour- get your emotions in check.

Basic understanding is- you get more of what you pay attention to.

So think about and define/ clarify your expectations.

What are your play expectations at home?

That's not hard- we can imagine the word coming out our mouths-"I expect you boys too..."

But here is the real work. Managing and keeping an expectation is about acknowledging and correcting.

This is where the 'You get more of what you pay attention to" comes in.

You need to acknowledge kids when they do what you want them to do.

You also need to correct kids when they get it wrong.

OK, so hold you arms out so you are making an aeroplane. Arms out wide and horizontal. Imagine that the expectation is your head. Then you have an acknowledgement arm and a correction arm extended out.

Your arms are not of equal length or size.

The acknowledgement arm is easily 8 times larger. YES at least 8 times larger. Like some EPO fuelled tennis player with one massive acknowledgement arm.

Why is it 8 times larger- because it needs to be used 8 times more often.

So every time we correct we need to come back with around 8 acknowledgements to get us back to equilibrium.

Over correction and you create resentment.

Don't freak out...

What's an acknowledgement?

smile, hug, thumbs up, touch, comments- well done for.... That's great how you have... ( don't forget to state what they are getting praise for if you're handing it out.)
Then there are rewards like:
making popcorn with dad
call a friend
call nan
make a cake
TV time
extra play...

But remember

You get more of what you pay attention to.

So have a head (expectation)
go 8:1 and build up the acknowledgement arm.

So think about a trip to Woolies.

The trip in the car should be a conversation about what you kids are going to do (expectation). When we get to Woolies you will walk with me and help me by pushing the trolly etc...

At the end you can choose to have either a... or a... (insert reward). But limit reward options so you have control.

Now the shops should be about lots of

thanks for grabbing the trolly...
that's great Kate...
that's good...

not all about- don't touch, stay with me, just leave it alone, stop asking me for... No you can't have.

See I told you it was counter intuitive.

Autistic Children learning a musical instrument or joining a band

CLH — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:45:43 GMT

Hello, I have a 7 year old son, who tried out for the school band (all of 30 seconds). Being Autistic it was not the best process and he didn't understand that he didn't get offered an instrument. All of his friends were excited and asking him "what did you get ..." He was so enthusiastic and excited thinking he was going to be playing in the school band. I went off crying knowing that they didn't include Autistic Children in this activity and that he would never get to be included in such a school activity. When he realises, he will be distraught. My question is, does anyone know of a band in the sydney area that is for Special Needs children? Or a drum, trumpet tutor for Autistic children?

School's attitude to a possible attention problem.

sunshine76 — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 22:15:01 GMT

Hi,

I have a five year old appears to have an attention problem. He has trouble sitting still in many situations, fidgets and has trouble listening to instructions or requests from parents and his teacher. However he sleeps very well at night and is able to focus on tasks that interest him.

After discussions with his teacher we organised for another teacher at the school who is apparently a behaviour expert to observe my son in class. When I spoke to the teacher about what this other teacher said, she told me that he definitely thinks that there's an attention problem and asked if he was on any medication. She told me that he'll be writing a report also.

I was a bit taken aback by this comment as they seem to have gone straight to medication as the solution rather than looking at other measures such as behaviour modification. We have an appointment with a paediatrician in the next couple of weeks to assess my son also. When I approached my GP for a referral, she said that she thought my son was just an "active little boy". I am also looking into getting my son assessed by a child psychologist.

Also I have concerns that if my son is diagnosed with some form of attention disorder, that the school will not handle this properly. His teacher told me she gets "frustrated" with my son's behaviour and after 2 weeks of being on holidays, my son got in trouble the first day back because, as she told me, she has to "get strict" with the kids now because they're going into year one next year. I thought this was a bit over-the-top. There seems to be little, if any focus, on the positive aspects of my son's personality, including his very caring nature, his intelligence, and his ability to make others laugh with his story telling.

My question is, has anybody else been in a similar situation with their child, and if so, what was the outcome? I am concerned that my son is being labelled before being properly diagnosed and that the negative attitude of his teacher is not helping.

Thanks in advance,

Shontelle

School counsellor says ADHD - what now?

monkeyandbean — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 23:55:59 GMT

My 6 year kindergarten old son was assessed a few weeks ago by the school counsellor as have borderline ADHD, he mentioned that he believes that he is a bit impulsive and inattentive (but not hyperactive on the Conners' Rating Scale they used) however he is smart (according to a picture vocab test, he is too young for anything else). The school said next year they can do more assessments (which I understand are IQ and other ADHD assessments), but didn't recommend a paediatrician.

What do we do now?

I have start working throught the Stop Think Do program at home - really we have just started and while it seems very good, I would love to talk with other people about it. Has anyone experienced this program? Does anyone know of training sessions for parents?

I want to arrrange an appointment with a developmental paediatrician or psychologist, or someone who can investigate this thoroughtly, but I just dont know who. I dont know what to look for, what kinds of approaches do different professionals have? Who did you see and what would you recommend we do?

6 YR OLD BOY WITH BEHAVIOUR ISSUES WHO VERY DIFFERENT TO THE FAMILY

Michelle82 — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:22:37 GMT

I have a 6 year old son who has been a challange since he was about 8 months old. He is very very stubborn, finds it hard to follow rules, doesnt listen properly, doesnt seem to appreciate things or what people do for him, is very controlling and finds it hard to concentrate.

I havent had him tested for ADHD or Aspergers as I dont think hes severve enough to fall into that catagory. Maybe it might be worth my while getting him checked out though?

He goes through phrases.....some days he is fantastic but other days awful. I feel my husband and I are a fantastic parenting team, always uniting with our decisions on decipline and we always stand our ground.

What makes the situation very hard to deal with is both my husband and were very well behaved children(I used to throw tantrums but stopped after I went to school), always showing respect for our parents and we also have a 3 year old who is very well behaved and very much like us.

We try very hard not to compare him to his brother because we know that will not help his confidence. Im starting to think hes just a very stubborn kid that has a very strong will, that needs to be dealt with differently. I am a stubborn person but I was never anything like him and especially at such a young age.

We have tried charts, rewards, pretty much everything that the experts suggest or we can think of but these things only work for a little while then he falls back into old habits. He seems to be doing fine at school and seems to better behaved there then when hes at home.

We have recently moved to another town 4 hours away and my husband has been away with work for the last 10 weeks which my son was brilliant with. Adapted to the new school very well and was very well behaved while my husband was away. Now that my husband has returned he seems to have fallen back into bad habits again.

Does anyone have any advice or have a child with similar traits????

5yo jumping into parents bed

James11 — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:53:24 GMT

I'm a separated dad with a 5yo daughter. She stays overnight a few times a week and has her own bedroom. Occasionally she wakes and is restless and wants to come into my bed which I let her do and she always falls straight to sleep. Her mother however has a major issue with this saying it is wrong and has told our daughter it's wrong. I feel it is very wrong to make our daughter feel that it's wrong and not sure how to handle this? Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated.

5 y/o playing computer games??

boyoboy — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 21:49:27 GMT

My son nags me constantly to play on the computer games when we are at home......how

much do you think is enough?? Does anyone let there kids play as long as they like??

He has no problems interacting with other kids outside of home....a very social boy!!

Building resilience

vicparent2011 — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 02:14:06 GMT

Greetings everyone!!
Today i was playing something like "flies and grounders" with my 8 yr old boy. Hmm, this warrants me to tell a bit about him. He's a very intelligent and talented kid who is ahead of his classroom work and does a huge amount of reading him self. He has a very high IQ level and involved in school extension programs as well.
So, what i was trying with him was to predict how i would throw the ball to him and get catch/adjusted to it. I noticed him getting a bit "upset" when he couldn't catch it always but we continued until one hit his groin, then all tears and some pacifying brought him back to play.
Then we started on counters to see how many each of us are missing/dropping and he lost in numbers.He was crying and complaining that i wanted to beat him in the game and he was really upset about him losing the contest.
Well, we parents always like our kids to win but how do we teach them to be resilient to handle a situation like this. I'm worried over his emotional up bring and need some advice and some recommended books if you folks know.
cheers
vic

Overweight and Obesity: A significant public health concern in the US

deweydoes — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:24:51 GMT

Obesity is a major health concern in many cities but particularly New York City. It is a problem that crosses generations, affecting children, parents, and grandparents. The Dewey Does character is here to help and educate kids about the effects of poor health as well as how to maintain better fitness, health and nutrition. Kids tend to follow a message when delivered by a character that reminds them of themselves.

Overweight and obesity in children are significant public health problems in the United States. The number of adolescents who are overweight has tripled since 1980 and the prevalence among younger children has more than doubled.

As part of the fight against childhood obesity, the Dewey Does Foundation is using the Dewey Does character and friends to get kids to eat right and be active. Much like Popeye got kids to eat spinach, Dewey Does can use inspiration to get kids up, being active and eating healthy foods. Kids tend to follow messages from fictional characters they grow up with.

Dealing with kids the character must not only be entertaining but engaging in order to get parents involved. Kids will identify with a cartoon character initially, but if it doesn’t hold their attention the message will definitely get lost.

Please help us to fight, communicate and create a national dialogue. Your inputs have regional, national and global reach. Visit us at www.deweydoes.org or please follow us on our Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dewey-Does-110/315291233106 and twitter http://twitter.com/DEWEYDOES to stay involved in this cause.

You can say both .org and .com (to be launched soon) meanwhile please visit us on our facebook and follow us.....then give the facebook link.

help with my adhd child

cazz — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 21:18:59 GMT

Hi have a 7yr old son who has been diagnosed with adhd. I was wondering if there was any one out there who can help me out with a few suggestions on how i can get him to contentrate at school as he is very disrubtive in class( his teacher says he is trying to do his best) but he just cant concentrate long enough to do anything that needs to be done with school work. We are going to see someone who can help with medication side of it but would like to know anything else that others have found useful and have helped them. The way he behaviours at home isnt good either and i am trying my hardest to get this under control to no avail. He has started to throw things to get his way( which i dont give into he gets put into his room on time out) but the main problem is he has a 10 month old brother and i really dont want his brother to copy his actions and think it is ok to act this way as it is inapprioriate.

Any suggestions or comments would be very much apprieciated.

cazz

6 YEAR OLD AND HIS PENIS

my2kids — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 07:50:40 GMT

I have a 6 year old boy in kindergarten. He had a friend over about a month to 2 months ago. They were playing his room when I opened the door to check on them and they were in the nude. I was horrified and blew my stack knowing all to well that it is the wrong way to deal with it. My boy has never done this before with any of his other friends. I sat him down on his own and explained to him that he is not to do that kind of thing with his friends. His penis is private other than showing mummy and daddy and the doctor. Since this episode the friend has not been over but my son has started to do it with his other friends at home. Not to the point of undressing but just pulling down his pants. I am really worried and not quiet sure how to discipline the behaviour. Have told him each time that it is not acceptable and that is something he should do on his own. I have asked him why he does it and he tells me he doesn't know why. I know it is a normal part of growing up but I don't want it to become a common thing for him to do at home or at friends houses.

He doesn't touch another boys penis but he shows them his. I am feeling uneasy about it. He has another little boy in his class whom is constantly talking about his penis and nuts. This has never been an issue for my son until the day this other boy came over.

What do I do? I need some advice.

Candlebark School Vic

mycheekyangel — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 19:49:36 GMT

In a strange aberation there may be positions available for preps in 2011, as most years the spots are taken up with siblings of current students. I felt I had to share the information as it's such a lovely school with great philosophies and low student to teacher ratios.

To quote Australian story:
When Australian Story first met teenage fiction author John Marsden in 2002 he was suffering writers block and had given up full-time teaching.

Frustrated with the traditional school system and the obsession for control in the classroom, he began channelling his energy into student writing camps at his vast Victorian property.

Out of the writing camps came a much bigger ambition. As a challenge to the long-held beliefs of what makes good learning, Marsden decided to start his own school.

Candlebark opened in January 2006 and is the antithesis to the concrete schoolyards of Marsden’s childhood. The driving philosophy is that children should be adventurous academically, socially and physically.

6 year old has a girlfriend

my2kids — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:46:42 GMT

I am just concerned about my 6 year old son who has recently started talking about a girl in his class whom he really likes. The girls mother told me that my son doesn't play with the boys anymore just wants to be with her daughter and friends at lunchtime. Should I be worried that he is wanting to be with her and not his MALE friends, is this just a cute little phase or will it cause bullying from his male peers for not playing with them. He is a caring and sensitive little boy.

Advice please.

To Smack or Not to Smack?

canofworms — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:38:26 GMT

Can of Worms, the Channel Ten TV series is looking for people with strong opinions and personal stories on the topic of ‘smacking’ to be part of our studio audience for the recording of next week’s show on SUNDAY 4th SEPT in SYDNEY.

Are you a parent who thinks the occasional smack doesn't do a child any harm? Perhaps you have found other ways to discipline your kids? What effect did smacking have on you when you were young?

Please contact aruse@cowzapruder.com.au asap with your phone number and a brief outline of your experience.

Can of Worms is a studio-based discussion show where, each week, three guests tackle life’s interesting questions and moral dilemmas.

Stealing money from parents wallet - What to do?

Son8 — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 11:14:14 GMT

My 6 3/4 year old has started to take money out of our wallet/purse and hide it in her bedroom. We have also recently started giving her coins for extra jobs she occasionally does at home if she wants to save up for something special - I suspect the two are linked! Does anyone have any advice or techniques about approaching the topic of stealing? Many thanks in advance, Son

Avoiding Headlice!?

Brooke84 — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 08:58:26 GMT

I have just finished dealing with my daughter's first bout of head lice! She brought them home from school and I got some treatments from the chemist (which seems to have killed them off!) I noticed when I was in the chemist that there were some prevention head lice sprays that you can spray to avoid getting them. I didn't pick one up but I am tempted to go back and get one. Has anyone used any of these? Do they work? are they worth the $$?

ADHD - to medicate or not?

redleaves — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 08:48:18 GMT

I'm interested in people's views on medicating a 5 year old for ADHD.

What other 'natural' treatments and therapies have worked for your child with ADHD?

Thanks

5 yo regularly hurting brother and getting into trouble at school

fivezerofivezero — Thu, 26 May 2011 21:22:41 GMT

Hi all,

We have a 5yo son who started Primary School this year. He is a bright, loving little guy who at times just takes things too far.

We have another Son who is three, a daughter who is 9 and a new baby boy a week old.

The 5yo is regularly hurting the 3yo. They go outside to play and it doesn't take too long before the younger one is crying after being hit, kicked, or something thrown at him. Sometimes it is accidental and sometimes intentional. I have witnessed both.

Now we have been approached by the 5yo's teacher saying he makes stupid "immature" noises in class which of course is disruptive, doesn't listen and is hurting people in the playground.

We are at our wit's end.

We try talking and explaining, setting boundaries, keeping the house as calm and relaxed as we can, different types of discipline, but to no avail. Some days he is perfect, others he just "snaps" into a little "monster" that is difficult to reason and deal with. He always seems too busy to listen, too.

Not sure if this is related, but he also has a history of pooing his pants, but he is getting control of that and if I don't get him up to go to the toilet twice of a night, he will wet the bed.

We have had to cut him a bit of slack because our daughter is with us only 50% of the time due to a split-family situation and I think that affects him in some ways as I know he misses her terribly when she is gone.

But it is all getting a bit long in the tooth and I feel it is time to get some advice on what to do from others who have dealt with this kind of thing before. I am thinking perhaps it is his diet.

Thanks in advance for any advice you could give.

How do u survive School Holidays?

NESS10 — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:59:42 GMT

Hi there- just wondering on tips from others how they survive school holidays........

MY 6YO Son drives me crazy- fights with his sister non stop, fights with anyone else who comes over for a play.

No wonder we NEVER get invited to anyones house, birthdays, bbq's, parties, etc.

It is such an isolating experience being a mum with kids on ASD. Even your own families and inlaws act weird towards us............. NO UNDERSTANDING..............

So how do you survive the school holidays- what fight free activities do you do, where do you go????//

THANKS

can I get a child into a nearby but officially out of area public school in Sydney?

Ken2011 — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:24:13 GMT

The girl is due to start school in 2012 and wants to go to a nearby public school that her sisters went to and her friends go to but it is officially 'out of area' and they say that they can't take her except on religious grounds. The girl has a slight spasticity but no mental impairment.

Ken 2011.

Orthodontics - No Brace Centre

nzchiefs — Thu, 06 May 2010 11:32:17 GMT

My 5 year old daughter is a thumb sucker and in addition she has a narrow mouth and hence we were expecting to have some orthodonitic work required for her when she was older. On the advise of a friend I took her for a consultantation at the No Brace Centre in Melbourne. They took X-Rays (to see where the adult teeth were) and basically said that we had too options - either go through their method (ie plates to expand the jaw etc) or otherwise the traditional method and she would probably need extractions and braces once her adult teeth came in.

I am quite keen on the no brace (and no extraction) method, however would like some feed back with whether 5 is too young for a plate. Also any comments (position or negative) about the no brace method would be appreciated.

Concerned my 8 year old son not playing with friends at lunchtime

becstar21 — Sun, 08 May 2011 09:59:00 GMT

I have recently discovered that my 8 year old son is not playing with his classmates at recess and lunchtimes at school. Instead, he is playing with his little brother who has just started prep this year.

My son has always been a quiet, shy type at school, but he has still managed to make some good friends that he always played with in prep & grade 1, but it seems this year things have changed.

At the start of this school year, he seemed to have made friends with a group of about 5 boys in his class that he seemed to play with at recess & lunch as he would tell me about the things they would do. This made me very happy to know he was happy & had made some new friends.

Towards the end of last term, he was spending most of his time with one of the boys in particular (which was fine) BUT, unfortunately that boy has now left the school to go on a trip around Australia with his family..............he will return in term 4.

So it seems that once this term 2 started he has been spending his recess & lunchtimes playing with my youngest son who is in Prep.

I have asked him why he does not play with his classmates & he tells me that it is because he does not like doing the things they are doing - 3 of them play footy & 1 plays with pokemon cards.

Normally my son likes playing footy with us at home & goes to Auskick & loves to follow his team with the AFL. And last year he used to play footy at school with his friends all the time, but an "incident" with one of his so called friends at the time seems to have put him off.
(the incident involving his "overly competitive football obsessed" friend continuosly roughly tackling him all the time which ended in tears for both of them many times & teacher intervention).

I do visit his classroom regulary & participate in class reading & other class activities & from what I see he does interact & play with his friends in class. His teacher tells me that he is a lovely boy which makes me proud.

My concern now is that he is starting to lose the contact that he needs with his peers & might risk losing his friends if he does not play with them at lunchtime. And this is making me sad for him because I don't know how to fix it??

Anyone got some practical advice from their experiences would be great please??!!

5/6 year old Kindergarten Boy talking during class - should I be worried?

bm592 — Tue, 31 May 2011 17:41:53 GMT

Hi I am a mum of an almost 6 year old boy, who has started kindergarten this year. He has settled in to school really well, and absolutely loves being there. However, whenever I speak to his teacher to see how he is going (informal chat in the playground) she always criticises him for talking in class. This has happened a number of times, and I NEVER hear any praise for how he is going.

Should I be concerned, or is this normal behaviour for a boy who has just started school this year?

My concern is that possibly she does not have the class' full attention, nor does she command any authority of the children, as my son is not the only child in the class that is displaying unsettled behaviour.

Whenever I go in to do reading, there are many many other children in the class who are rude, don't listen, and talk over the top of whatever I am saying during reading sessions.

Does anyone out there have any suggestions on this one? Or should I just ignore her and assume that my son is a normal little boy?

What do PARENTS really want from TEACHERS?

susand — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:51:40 GMT

My name is Susan and I am in my final year of studying teaching - nearly ready to be launched upon a gaggle of unsuspecting children! As you know, the Australian curriculum and learning outcomes are getting a big shake up now, and whatever our opinions on it, I think this provides teachers with a great opportunity to review not only what they teach, but how they teach.

I have some excellent and not so excellent memories of my school days. The positives I'll take with me into the classroom, such as: never giving up on my students; encourage students to learn through active participation in creativity and context rich activities; never speak down to them; realise that every child is different and how they really feel is not necessarily the facade we see. The negatives I'll try to avoid at all costs: lecturing at children about content that does not provide any relevance to their lives; and shouting at or belittling children. We don't need that rubbish in our classrooms. So what do we need?

I think sometimes there might be a communication hump between parents and teachers, but ultimately we want the same thing - for your child to gain deep learning and become a wonderful person. It's time to pull down the wall and voice it!

What do parents want from teachers? From big things like ' to little things like 'remembering my childs name' or peripheral things like 'provide a classroom refrigerator so my child actually eats their lunch instead of bring home hot, soggy sandwiches'! Open the floodgates! :-)

Aspergers and schools

fireflyforest — Mon, 30 May 2011 16:42:17 GMT

I am pretty sure my 6 yr old daughter has high functioning Aspergers. I am waiting for the medical appointments to start the diagnosis process.

My daughter is incredibly good at masking her issues, and nothing has not been picked up through Kindy, Prep, or Yr 1. It was only when I started asking her targeted questions (after reading a great article by a free-ranging Asperger and recognising my daughter's behaviour in it) about people and emotions and her thoughts on relationships with people that I realise she has NO idea about how to read people or feelings. I have had many conversations with all her teachers about helping her at lunchtimes, when I know she is often on her own, but she seems to be fine in the classroom and the teachers don't recognise a problem.

I read another post here from a parent who believes the school is trying to get the ASD child out of the school.

To parents and carers, please share your experiences:
What are the benefits/pitfalls of being labelled 'Asperger' through the school system?
Is there a benefit in identifying my daughter as having Asperger's through the school, if she seems to be functioning OK and the teachers do not recognise a problem?

What's cool for 7-8 year old boys?

Mummaz — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:08:12 GMT

My DS1 is on the autism spectrum. He is high functioning and intergrates fairly well at school as there is a support program that assists him in making friends and being accepted. Being holidays though, he is attending vacation care (along with his younger brother). My DS2 is a social butterfly who has no problems with friendships at all. My DS1 came home today obsessed with wanting to be like the "cool" kids he saw at vacation care. He has even convinced himself one of the kids he wants to be like was Justin Beiber! I have been told by his various specialists that "keeping up with the trends" will help DS1 integrate with others.

My big question to you all is "What is cool for 7-8 year old boys". Where is the most popular places to shop for clothes. I usually get most of my boys clothes from Target or Big W.

Any suggestions of online shops, websites would be helpful.

Mom new to Kangaroo Point

Sunnymarie — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 11:01:03 GMT

I am a sole parent looking to meet other moms/dads in inner North or inner South/West suburbs these June/July holidays. We have just moved to Kangaroo Point, my son Benjamin is just turned six and our two pet cats.

Would love to hear from you!

Sonia Hathaway 0404950123 or soniamariehathaway@hotmail.com:hehe:

Changing schools mid year for a Kindergarten kid -5 year old

rek — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 21:00:29 GMT

hi. we are moving and i'm thinking it would be nice for our daughter to go to the local school so she can meet other local kids. She is in Kindy, she's 5. Do you have any thoughts on whether she should see out the year at her current school, or start the new school after the mid year holidays? or should we even wait a couple fo years? thanks

The Drama's of Getting Dressed.

Ange75 — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:20:05 GMT

Can anyone offer some advice?

My daughter started prep this year, and all is going well accept drama's surrounding getting dressed in her school uniform. She hates it. She hates that she cannot wear what she wants and the drama's that take place in our house every single school day morning are starting to take a real toll on my husband and I.

We have tried everything from reward charts to taking TV off her, but nothing works. In the afternoon when I pick her up from school it is as though nothing has happened, and she has no recollection of the mornings events. I have spoken to her teacher about it, who was very very surprised, because she is showing no signs of any negative behaviour at school, socialises well and seems to really enjoy her day.

I have tried talking to her and she say's she understands that she cannot act that way, but then the next day it starts all over again. I am thinking I should change the morning routine, but to tell you the truth I am clutching at straws - I am running out of ideas and am feeling pretty stressed about the whole thing.

Our routine at the moment is: Out of Bed, Have Breakfast, Get Dressed - Hair, Teeth & Shoes. Then if there is time she can watch TV until we leave the house. Sometimes there is no drama until the shoes have to go on, sometimes there is drama from the outset. We have literally been dragging her to school in tears - it's terrible.

Any guidance and wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading!

How do I combat children obesity

thegamenaire — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 00:18:45 GMT

It’s amazing how these days’ kids don’t even play sport due to the increase of activities such as the internet and video games, and the consumption of high fat foods. My child is overweight and I noticed that his friends are all the same. They play video games and go on the internet constantly!

I would be interested if others are finding similar characteristics in their kids.

It seems that our kids are becoming one of the fattest in the world!

I am so feed up with this that I am looking to start with another mother clinic programs that incorporate unique sport activities and access to a nutritionist. I would be interested in your feedback and suggestions.

I would really like to combat children obesity!

Thanks

Diana

Highly Emotional Daughter (I feel helpless)

angelgoddess — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 23:06:13 GMT

Ill give you some examples......
Tonight before bed I gave my daughter a beautiful pink scarfe I never wore as a special gift.She became very emotional.She was weeping and telling me "mummy thats yours,its not mine,your beautiful mummy dont give your things away." I tried to explain that it was a gift for her but she refused and wouldnt stop crying and wanted me to have it.So I gave up.

Her dad gave her a chocolate frog and she started crying,"Daddy what about little mummy, she has to have one too,please daddy poor mummy needs one too'" Dad came straight oer to me and gave me a chocolate frog too so she would calm down.She did slowely.

My daughter gets uptight and emotional over alot of things.She loves her teacher and asks him if he wants to come over and "play with her toys at her house and come for tea" Both me and the teacher have explained many times why he cant.Shes so sweet my little girl.

She likes to hug and give everyone a kiss on the cheek.But as I know not every child likes this and has to have their own boundries.She gets upset when they wont hug her and thinks she is a bad person.

She gets very confused about alot.She over heard that her teacher had children.She didnt get upset but questioned why he has kids.She said "Mr......... you are a teacher arent you? not a daddy? She defiantly takes things literally I guess the same as believing a police mans a police man,a shop lady is a shop lady and that is that.Im assuming that this narrow thinking is common under the Autism Umbrella.

I feel hopeless at times and do my absolute best to explain to her whats right incorrect and correct.But only sees it one way.

I would like to also ask if anyone has a child with Aspergers and possible ADD or ADHD.Her assessment diagnosis came up with High Intelligence although because her mind is always so scattered she cant focus,pay attention for long at all.Even at MAT time she isnt listening she is either fiddling with her toy she bought to school or circling her head in circles or lying on the floor like a starfish dreaming in her own world.She also likes to "parrot" what people say.She also talks alot but at innapropriate times..lol and off subject and answers a question with an answer that doesnt relate to the original question.

My daughter is so sweet,kind,gentle and precious and has such potential but her attention is stopping her from succeeding in her studies over the whole curriculum.Its such a pity because her intelligence is very high, but her concentration is very poor Has anyone been through similar or has some advice? Thankyou

only child support groups...?

mum12 — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 22:34:09 GMT

I was just wondering whether there are any support groups for parents with only children. Would be great to meet people in a similar situation and to open opportunites for playmates for their only children.

5 Year old that wont Eat food if it touches

elimatmum — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 19:20:08 GMT

My 5 Year old daughter will not Eat food on her plate if it is touching for example if her mash potato which she loves is touching her Chops which she loves she has a complete freak out and wont eat it. Tonight I made a Meat pie she loves pastry she loves meat but wouldn't eat it. And also i dont know if this is normal when i made spaghetti bolognaise she will only eat plain past and cheese she wont even try it with sauce, yet she has eaten my sister in laws.

Would really appreciate some feed back........ Both me and my husband are at a loss, is it an OCD thing or just fussy eater?

After School Care options

eileenmc — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 14:21:38 GMT

I am looking for a good after school program for a 5 year old. I just visited a local centre and was a bit surprised that all age groups of children were together (up to early teens) and that security seemed a bit carefree. I am in the westren suburbs of WA. All ideas appreciated.