School shoes. Flipping hate them – hated them when they were on my feet and I hate them even more now I have to pay for them. I know they’re necessary. Children need something to put on their feet, after all. And uniform is a good idea. Black, everywhere. Like my mood as we sit […]
Talking about autism: an agenda for mirth
The number of children diagnosed with Aspergers or other autism spectrum disorders seems to be growing. A primary teacher friend told me she had two such kids in her class this year, but that one was about average. When Boy One was first noticed for his differences, it was still a scary prospect – no […]
The back to school (not very) blues
Exam result day – managing the stress…
Not the children’s stress, of course. Mine. All day Facebook was bulging with proud parents telling everyone exactly how well their offspring had done. Which is great. Marvellous, in fact. I’m delighted for them. And, then it was time for the photo of shiny-haired teenagers jumping for joy. You know the one. Well you should, […]
Cardboard castles and the battlements of doom
Time is precious. We know that. At any moment – tick tock – the proverbial bus of metaphorical fate could come hurtling along the hypothetical highway of life squashing you into a puddle before you can get out of the way, damp and indignant. I’m not saying time shouldn’t be squandered, sometimes a moochy, meaningless, […]