Girl with a curl.....

There once was a girl, who had a little curl, right in the middle of her forehead. When she was good she was very very good but when she was bad she was horrid!


Well of course I would never say Sasha is horrid, she is the most lovable 3 year old I know, but she can be difficult! My worry is that others think she is being difficult in the same way as any other toddler, and that it's my fault for giving in to her... but I think my old school friend and new school mum who visited this week may disagree with that, having seen her in full flow! I've thought several times that it is like having a big baby still at some points. And yet she is so clever, maybe she is just playing us all?! Ah, if only that were true.

It's been a tough week all round, having to write all about Sasha's bad points as support for our Special Needs statement application, and then finishing off today with a meeting at her nursery where they are expressing concern about her being ready to start pre-school 5 mornings a week in January, which has been the plan up until now. If they do take her for the mornings, they have admitted they may not be able to carry on with her afternoon care, down to lack of funding for extra staff, which does kind of imply that they can't cope with her without extra help - surely further evidence that a statement is necessary? The trouble is, as they put it, it really is all down to her moods - on a good day she is more than capable, despite being behind with her speech, of learning at the same pace as the other children. In the wrong mood though, she just shuts down completely and cannot be cajoled out of it. This week's afternoon session went OK, but only because she requested to sleep rather than go out for a walk, and fortunately they were flexible enough to be able to allow that. I know sleep won't be a factor at primary school level, but it could easily be her refusing to go on a coach for a school trip, and then what?!

Now we have our first date - 19 Oct is when the 'panel' hear our request for assessment and decide whether to spend the next 6 months gathering evidence to see if Sasha needs a Statement. Let's hope it doesn't stumble at the first stage! I'm trying not to be optimistic about anything, but I'm not usually a pessimistic person so it's tricky.

I think I have only just begun to realise that it is not the diagnosis that was the hard part, it really is now and what follows - the fight to give her the best future possible, fighting against the general lack of funding and understanding. It's really not very pleasant, I need to grow an extra skin or two overnight, anyone got any ideas?!!

Toilet training is NOT going well so far - Sunday and Monday she was lured in with new 'toilet toys' and persuaded to sit nappy-less on the toilet, but since then she has resolutely refused to go into the toilet room. No fear of it, it really is just a desire to be in control. Could be a long battle this one!!