Monthly Archives: July 2011
As Richard Nixon once said…..
…..”I don’t know anything that builds the will to win better than competitive sports” and I tend to believe with him, which may be a little bit controversial these days.
A week or so ago, Little Man came home from preschool full of tales about they had been ‘doing races’ and that he was ‘the green winner’. We know not to take his word as gospel so congratulated him enthusiastically whilst holding off on booking him in for an intensive course at Lea Valley Athletics Centre.
A few days later, he wanted to play race with Big Man and myself so we duly obliged. I won (Oh yes, no mercy here), Little Man was 2nd and his Daddy was 3rd (what a loser!) but Little Man suddenly came out with the gem ‘We’re all winners’. Ahem, no sonny, not in this house we’re not.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not about to suggest that anyone who doesn’t come 1st should have their spirit crushed and I firmly believe in praising everyone who has taken part. However, I think that this can be achieved whilst still enforcing the idea that there is an ultimate winner, and worthy runners-up, and that striving to reach the goal of winning is not a bad thing.
Not long after this, notification came, in the form of a child-like endearing newsletter (Comic Sans font no less!) that there was going to be a Sports Day. Unfortunately, Big Man had unmoveable work appointments that morning, but I was able to reschedule a client so that I could be there to cheer him on.
As the day approached, Big Man and I discussed how we thought the event would run. The newsletter had mentioned ‘a medal and small prize for everyone’ and we were dreading the thought that they were promoting the idea that nobody really ‘won’. We even made plans for how we would try & explain the concept of winning to him at a later date.
Well, the morning came and I was very pleasantly surprised to see that they were quite clearly awarding places of 1st, 2nd and 3rd with respective shiny stickers. (The egg & spoon race was actually particularly competitive with two ‘heats’ before a final race between the top placed 6!)
I got talking to the lady sat next to me (who had a newborn baby with her which was obviously lovely) and she told me that this preschool is more or less the only one locally to do this and that most have the children compete in teams with the result being shared amongst the entire team, no matter the individual success/failure. Personally, I think this is a shame, although I know I may well be in the minority.
True to their word, at the ‘prize-giving ceremony’, after the winners medals had been handed out, everyone else was given a medal and a sticker saying they ran in a race, followed by a yummy rocket ice lolly!
I’m going to include some obligatory pictures because, well, it’s my blog and I want to!
Lined up ready for the 100m Sprint!
Wearing a Fireman Sam helmet for the 'Hat Race'
Just chillin' with ma rocket lolly & ma medal.....innit?
I’m interested to know, what are your thoughts on encouraging a competitive nature (or not!) in your children?
Thanks for reading,
ladyofessex
x
Biological Clock?
I. WANT. ONE.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a Mummy. Now, I realise that I am extremely fortunate in that this wish has come true for me and I have a gorgeous little monkey treasure who is about to turn my entire head of hair grey three.
Unfortunately, for me, we started our family quite a few years later than I would have ideally liked, meaning that my options for more children are now (in my mind at least) cut back a bit. I used to dream of having six (!) children (I know, I know) but now, after experiencing how much hard work goes into parenting and raising a polite, confident and bright little person, I’m happy to settle for three.
I’ve always thought that the ‘ideal gap’ was two years so that’s obviously passed us by. However, after speaking with other parents, both on Twitter and in the flesh, I’ve been reliably informed that there is no such thing as the ‘ideal gap’ and it’s all about how you, as a parent, deal with the situations that can arise from having two or more children, no matter what the age difference.
‘Great!’ I thought, ‘I’m not the best Mother around, but I’m not the worst either. I’m a ‘Work-in-Progress’, learning as I go, and Big Man is a fantastic father, we’ll be grand, let’s crack on!’
So now I’m broody, and I don’t mean looking at babies, coo-ing and thinking ‘How lovely, I’d like another one of those please’. I mean I’m broody to the extent that seeing lickle bubbas on TV or out and about almost brings me to the point of tears. I feel intense jealousy towards ladies announcing they’re pregnant or sharing their scan pictures and I can’t stand the fact that I’ve become that person. Jealousy is not a character trait I like in others and I certainly don’t like to feel it myself.
Hopefully, I’ll be one of those ladies myself before too long, but what can I do in the meantime to stop myself becoming so upset, moody & a horrible envious person? Has anyone else felt this way? Is it just my biological clock ticking louder and louder, reminding me that I shouldn’t be hanging around? Would love your comments.
ladyofessex
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Hello!
*coughs nervously, wipes sweaty palms on backs of trousers* (attractive image!)
Well, hi there, I’m ladyofessex and I’m starting this blog for a few reasons. I want a way of recording funny/important/mundane occurrences in my life, as a work-in-progress Mummy, a self-employed accountant, a lover of shopping, baking, eating, drinking, reading, TV and crafts.
I can’t promise that all the posts will be deeply enlightening or earth-shattering, but I hope that they will at least be moderately interesting/amusing/thought-provoking and that you will want to stop by regularly.
I promise to read and reply to every comment left and I’m looking forward to discovering more of your blogs for my already crammed GReader too!
Thanks for reading!
ladyofessex
x
leopardprintandgin 