Just the latest update... new year new start...

Things are moving on. Changes afoot. All good I hope! Since we got the confirmation the council will asses it's definitely not been quiet here, what with Christmas and New Year. Sasha did her last day at the old nursery just before Christmas and it was a funny feeling leaving the place for the last time. I'm now more convinced than ever that this is actually a brilliant move for her, one which was kind of forced upon us but will hopefully work out for the best. It will be a big change for her starting at the school nursery, especially as the staff/child ratio is not as 'good'. In her old nursery it was about 6 children to 1 member of staff I think, whereas now in a class of 30 children there is one teacher, one nursery nurse and one assistant... so more like 10 to 1. Sasha had a very good key worker at the old nursery, who knew her well and worked very closely with her, and whilst one has been assigned at the new nursery, I'm not sure she will have the time to concentrate on Sasha so much. I'm trying to be optimistic and hoping she just doesn't need it.... But she definitely will for the first few weeks of settling in, so I guess I'm really just hoping there's not another child who also needs it!!

We had a settling session for the 10 new nursery starters this week and all the children behaved very well and enjoyed playing whilst the parents were talked to (in the same room). I was very impressed that Sasha only came back to me once or twice, not even as often as some of the others - she was definitely in a good mood! Until it came to the time she wanted to go of course... but even then she was very well-behaved, helping me to tidy up the play food she had been playing with. However when another girl (who Sasha actually knows quite well!) had the audacity to take back out some of this play food, Sasha spotted it whilst trying to get her coat on and flew back across the room to screech no at her! Quite funny, if you knew what had gone on - to me it was obvious Sasha was trying to be good and thought the other girl was being naughty (even though she wasn't). It's just a worry that to others, who were not constantly observing, it would seem unreasonable behaviour from Sasha (which of course she will also show at other times) and they may be tempted to remonstrate with her in some way... which would obviously not go down well!

Today we had an unusual occurrence (not generally a good thing) in that there was a talk for all parents of year 1 (Tamsin's year) about maths, directly after school drop off. This meant Sasha being with me, sitting in a classroom with c. 40 other mums and a few younger children, whilst we all had to be quiet and listen to information. A recipe for disaster really, and a situation I'd usually try and avoid, but I was feeling brave so we went along. Sasha was actually amazingly well behaved, thanks to a bit of distraction from a colouring program on the school computer, then chocolate buttons, followed by being able to play with my iphone. However the latter caused a problem when she realised I couldn't have the sound switched on, and lots of her favourite games involve music of course. So at the point when I was refusing to 'fix it' (i.e. switch the sound on), she began to get agitated and wanted to go home. As it was nearing the end of the talk I did agree to take her and slipped out as quietly as I could; all along thinking that other mums would just think I was 'pandering' to her and that she was a spoilt child getting her own way. That's when it's sometimes most difficult, when you have to accept that others will form their own opinions of my parenting - no-one else really knows her like I do, and for me it's natural now to know when to push it (like I have been doing with her food lately!) or when to avoid that meltdown - if she'd had one there, believe me, no-one else would have been able to hear a word the teachers said from that point on!! But of course no-one else understands because I don't really let them see her get to that point. Sure my old school friend who witnessed it over lunch one day would back me up though...! It's so difficult to describe how it's not just her being naughty and having a tantrum because she wants her own way - she generally doesn't understand why things are not possible. Another mum with a slightly younger child than Sasha was quite surprised today when I explained something Sasha would not understand, and it is difficult to grasp because in many ways she seems so 'bright'.



Today I got a call from our newly assigned 'Educational Psychologist'. She is a lady who works for the council but is supposed to provide an independent report for the statement assessment for them. So we now have a date for her to observe Sasha for the first time, and it will be interesting to see what conclusions she draws. We are still working towards have extra care in place for September when she starts reception (gulp). And so for now on to next Thursday, when she starts school nursery properly and I'm due to leave her there for the first time. Fingers crossed everybody!