Living with Cerebral Palsy 🍋🍋

Sunday 8 March 2015

Litte Red..

Mother said
"Straight Ahead"
Not to delay..or be misled...


World Book Day 2015

So it's pretty obvious who Elin went to school dressed as on World Book Day! She even took a basket of cakes for her teachers (sucker-upper!) and a little story attached- which in the typical spirit of her school was returned with a continuation of the story and a gorgeous photo of her playing with her friends in their costumes!  Too cute. If only everybody could realise a little sense of humour, or imagination, gets you a long way. I was dismayed to hear a phone-in on the radio today with loads of parents complaining about Book Day because it was too much hassle/too expensive for costumes. PLEASE!!! Why has nobody got any imagination anymore? We were lucky as somebody bought Elin this lovely costume for her birthday and I kept it for World Book Day. But seriously, you don't have to buy a costume!! In my class at school one of my pupils came in his black jeans, a black hoody and his black trainers. He was a Dementor, he said, from Harry Potter. He then went on to tell me all about them and write a wonderful descriptive passage about being a Dementor. What did his outfit cost? Nothing. How long did it take to sort out the night before? Two seconds. But his Mum had obviously done the unthinkable and actually had a CONVERSATION with her child and encouraged him to use his brain. Another boy, in a bold and inspired choice (and my favourite I have to say) stuck one of his sisters dresses over his Everton kit and came as 'The Boy In The Dress' by David Walliams. Brilliant! The point of World Book Day is not to order a big fancy costume from the internet or spend days stressing about it, but surely to ignite imagination and inspire children to think about books and reading, and characters and stories?!!!!  There are so many things you could come as just by applying a bit of thought. If this post sounds like I'm going on a teacher rant, I am.  I can't think of many more important things you can teach your child than how to enjoy a good book. My sister and I used to literally love going to Chester  to choose a new book, being in a book shop today still makes me feel a bit giddy. I read the whole of 'Matilda' in one sitting in my wendy house once - that feeling of just not being able to put a book down is like no other. In all honesty, and just to climb down off my high horse for a minute, I can't help but feel our love of books as kids was mostly inspired by the total lack of anything else to do. I guess a lot of kids today have so many more distractions with the internet and whatever.  But surely getting lost in a good book is ultimately more satisfying than anything you can do in cyber space? 
Oh god. I think I'm getting old.
Anyway the moral of this story is- Parents! Stop whinging and join in the fun! Oh and kids- READ. READ. READ SOME MORE.
That is all, rant over :-)
PS Elin is ok. But not herself. Another very mediocre week and I still feel that we haven't seen her firing on all cylinders since Christmas really and truly. It's a lot of work to get a smile and that's really not Elin at her best. My next step is getting her ears syringed as I fear they may be a bit waxy, thus maybe making her feel a bit weird and off balance? Probably clutching at straws. But for now, it's all I've got. G'night Elin fans, have a good week- I'm off to start a new book.... x

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