My last day of work for 2008 included some gardening. I guess I can't call it gorilla gardening as Otago Polytechnic's Living Campus is all about interacting with and being a part of the natural environment on campus. Even so it was a good feeling of rebellion when planting tomato plants without 'permission' from someone who might manage this environment. Besides they would have died inside with no one to care for them. So if you're passing H block on Forth St, share some of your water bottle with the two tomato plants bordering the H block sign. That way I'll have fresh tomatos when I return in Jan! Would you email me a photo to accompany this post Leigh?
2009 will bring the inaugural Education for Sustainability staff training course (now complete and ready for review/feedback) and Sustainable Practice 1 and 2 and a busy workload for me at 0.3 of a position. The other 0.7 and some is spent busily loving, educating and meeting the needs of my 18 month old. He will be attending pre-school for 3 1/2 hrs twice a week. I'm a anxious about him going into care, but I'm honest about the fact that I am doing it for myself and not because I believe it's the best thing for him. Sure he might enjoy an hour in a different environment with different people, but after that he would be quite happy in the company of the people he knows and loves. I don't believe in forcing him to become independent at 18 months. I believe in meeting his needs and letting him be dependent for as long as he needs to be. This is often not as long as a child whose needs have not fully been met who continues to demand dependence as a reaction to being forced into independence before they are ready.
Just recently Unicef stated that NZ had the highest rate of care for under 5 year olds and this was not necessarily a good thing. Children from a bad home environment benefit from it and children over 3 benefit from small amounts of care. It was clear on the National program interview that a 'normal' child does not benefit from full time or near full time care. Parents can and will justify the use of childcare for their children any way they can. I will not justify the use of childcare for Eli. It is purely selfish. I want to work as well as be a mother. I want my cake and to eat it too. End of story. Anyway this wasn't meant to be the story.
I'm offically on holiday now. Yeepppeee bring on the long summer days in Nelson, Golden Bay and the West coast, biking and rock climbing with friends and spending time with family. Better get on my bike and home to my boys. See you next year. anna :)
2009 will bring the inaugural Education for Sustainability staff training course (now complete and ready for review/feedback) and Sustainable Practice 1 and 2 and a busy workload for me at 0.3 of a position. The other 0.7 and some is spent busily loving, educating and meeting the needs of my 18 month old. He will be attending pre-school for 3 1/2 hrs twice a week. I'm a anxious about him going into care, but I'm honest about the fact that I am doing it for myself and not because I believe it's the best thing for him. Sure he might enjoy an hour in a different environment with different people, but after that he would be quite happy in the company of the people he knows and loves. I don't believe in forcing him to become independent at 18 months. I believe in meeting his needs and letting him be dependent for as long as he needs to be. This is often not as long as a child whose needs have not fully been met who continues to demand dependence as a reaction to being forced into independence before they are ready.
Just recently Unicef stated that NZ had the highest rate of care for under 5 year olds and this was not necessarily a good thing. Children from a bad home environment benefit from it and children over 3 benefit from small amounts of care. It was clear on the National program interview that a 'normal' child does not benefit from full time or near full time care. Parents can and will justify the use of childcare for their children any way they can. I will not justify the use of childcare for Eli. It is purely selfish. I want to work as well as be a mother. I want my cake and to eat it too. End of story. Anyway this wasn't meant to be the story.
I'm offically on holiday now. Yeepppeee bring on the long summer days in Nelson, Golden Bay and the West coast, biking and rock climbing with friends and spending time with family. Better get on my bike and home to my boys. See you next year. anna :)
