Help and advice needed.

[Rob-TinaGabbi]

Hi Skottle, Can pull down beds be left made up so as not to be an extra chore every night? How old is your daughter? Do you have set times for teaching or do you teach as and when? Not sure which route to go down.

[skottle]

The front bed can be left made up all the time (as can the rear) but has to be pushed up again to drive. Our daughter is 8. We are trying to stick close to the national curriculum.Our "school day" is shorter which in turn allows more time for fun things and activities. Many people we have spoken to do not follow the curriculum at all. We are still very much in the experimental stage trying to find an enjoyable routine and a route to follow. Our daughter is already more relaxed and less withdrawn which can only be a good sign.

[Brian Kirby]

Yes, of course it was a tease.  However there was a more serious underlying point, which was this. 

Few children of Gabby's age are identifiably academic, and almost none know their own minds at that age either - which is to say they all know more or less exactly what they want to in the next five minutes, but rather less about what they want to do with the five minutes after that! 

Then, as they mature their interests begin to change - and maturity comes at varying rates and ages.  The happy go lucky 12-13 year old, can sometimes become a surprisingly bookish 15-16 year old (and vice versa!).  It all depends on what they decide they really want to do, and when they discover for themselves what that is.  However, for many children, once they really settle their minds on some future career or activity, the ambition begins to grow, determination sets in, focus sharpens, and that is when you may well see a more academic side emerge. 

It may ony extend just far enough to achieve the chosen objective or, once started, it may just go on developing. 

Adults who missed out on the basics really struggle to get back into education later in life, so that they can catch up and fulfill their real potential.  Most who suffered deficiencies in their education find at some time that this hampers their later development.  They then risk loosing self worth and, through that, they loose satisfaction with their achievements and, eventually, a lot of happiness.

I did lots if totally useless things at school, in my opinion at the time - especially logs and differential equations!  I ended my career managing construction projects.  I'd no idea I might do so, and had no mapped out career path leading in that direction.  It's called life, and it takes you down strange, unexpected paths.  However, without the early grounding in the useless, I'd never have managed to become sufficiently competent with computer spreadsheets to manage projects costs and timescales.  (Not being particularly numerate, without a computer to do the arithmetic, I'd never have done it at all, period!)

I'm not seeking to pre-judge the education Gabby may gain at your hands.  However, do teach her all those useless things as well, you never know what path she may eventually take and how useful she may one day find tham.  After all, even if you never used them yourself, knowing them won't actually have done you harm, whereas not knowing them might, at any time, have proved to be at least a disadvantage.

Sermon over, and good luck whatever you decide to do!

[Dave Newell]

I have to say I totally agree with Brian. when I was at school I could see no useful purpose for trigonometry but when I was 26 I got a job in a fabrication shop and trig became invaluable for calculating angles and dimensions for stairways etc. To be honest I never understood trig at school but if I hadn't done it then I probably wouldn't have got it at all when I was 26. Make sure you teach all the "useless" stuff too. D.

[Supertractorman]

Hi Rob & Tina, I wish you well with your plans and just wish I had the skills to build a van, I have a big enough job putting a shelf up. If I did have the skills I would go for an Ex Mobile Library, as it would have built in heating and ventilation, lighting, plus a good finish along with a low mileage and normally maintained to a high standard and they seem to be all shapes and sizes. David