February Update. 2020

It's February! Thank goodness!. Many of us absolutely loath January and so it's with great relief we are now into the shortest month of the year. This months post is very honest and I was wondering if I should release it altogether. But, this is our home ed life and this is what's going on. This is us as a family trying to get through what life throws at us, so as described, here it is.

January, for us, has been quite busy and rather stressful. I hope this isn't an indication of how the rest of the year will pan out. As you all know I love a plan and love it when a plan comes together. We (the hubs and I) are in the last leg of the plan for the "year 2 stage" right now and year 3 stage is almost upon us. More details will be given when the time is right. I can safely say that the last 2 years have been the most stressful of my entire life. Not the saddest time of my life but definitely stressful. It has affected all of us in some way or another but when it affects your health to the point of needing medication you know it's not ok to be living this way. Unfortunately, you can't always just walk away from parts of your life and you have no choice but to work through it and hope for the best and that is what we have done.

Life as a mature student for my hubs has been nothing but hassle and stress. The college he has had to attend is supposed to be the best out of the 3 linked colleges for the course he is on but can be compared to nothing other than hell. The stress and anxiety it has caused resulted in him being rushed to hospital thinking he was going to have a heart attack and now he is on medication for high blood pressure for that of a 65-year-old (he's only 40). So he's being monitored and hopefully with the meds and with the first 2 years of the plan almost over things should now begin to progress much more positively.

As for me, I've had to bring my relationship with my Dad to an end. As you hope a bad situation will one day get better you have to accept that it probably won't. Lessons will not be learnt and people don't always change. Your expectations do not meet reality and when that happens it's time to let go. It was sad but there was a wave of relief knowing that I don't have to put myself through disappointment and anger anymore. I always say that just because someone is family it does not give them the right to treat you badly. So, like Craig David, I'm Walking Away.

With all the stress, the kids have been affected in different ways and anyone who home educates knows how hard it is to keep adult problems hidden from them when they are there all the time and Mum and Dad have no private time for adult conversations. As much as you try to assure them they will always worry, even when there is no need to. So I have been making it a priority to reassure them that there is a plan and it is working, even if unexpected bubbles of stress pop up, we can get through it. I hope it is working. But I really need to work on the amount of moaning I do. It's not healthy.....but I do love a good moan!

Our oldest daughter has started an education programme which I'm so excited about and so proud of her for doing. I thought she would have to wait until she was 16 but they've taken her on early which means she can do all the footwork before the start of the new school year. This programme will give her access to academic qualifications without her having to sit exams unless she chooses (working her way through levels that are equivalent to GCSE's). This can lead on to an apprenticeship - or further education if she wants to go down that route. It's really great and the people there seem friendly and helpful. She has made a few friends there already and the programme focuses on building confidence and teamwork. I'm so pleased for her and although she doubts herself a lot, I totally believe in her abilities to make this work for her.

The programme has inspired our middle girl to start some academic work again, she plans on going to college at 14 for hair and beauty. I'm very proud of her for taking the initiative and making a life plan for herself. She can't wait to go and practices with her hairdressing styling head during the week. I've explained that it's good to have a skill that you can make money from where ever you are in the world. Even if she decides that hairdressing isn't for her after the course she has learnt a skill for life. Or if she decides she hates it at some point in the course I'll be proud of her for trying.

Our boy is a crazy good gamer and if any of you have kids who play Fortnite, you'll know just how addictive it is. But he is good, and I mean REALLY good. He is now working on playing in the big leagues and I don't care what people say about it, the way I see it, he is safe at home and not causing havoc in the streets and not hurting anyone. So anyone with a negative opinion can live with the knowledge that I don't care about their views. He is a visual learner and he loves computers and unless you have been living under a rock we all know (like it or not) technology is the future so he may as well get a head start on it. Also, we live quite near a world-leading gaming design company and so all this computer experience and learning could lead to him to working there in the future.

So, that's my February update. By next month we should be onto stage 3 and hopefully, I will have some fantastic news to share with you all. Take care, bye for now. xx