Motherload

Well lookie here, this is turning into a sign from the universe. Apparently home schooling IS the way forward. After our son's raucous 7th birthday party on Sunday (007 spy party, held on 07/07, d'you see?), at his school, we headed home, sweaty, laden with parcels almost certainly containing Lego, and thought no Moore of spy parties. Come Monday morning, lo, a burst water main had closed the school ! Out of the blue, on a glorious summer day, the children had NO SCHOOL. Coupled with the planned teacher training day the Friday before, this amounted to an unexpected long weekend, at least from the children's point of view. What luck! Hmmm. What was Mother to do. Options options: 1. Complain to the Council. No point, it's Haringey. 2. Go home and complain to the husband. No point, he's trying to earn our mortgage. 3. Shout at the kids. Tempting, but not really fair. 4. Turn on the television. The weather's too nice. 5. Go to Hampstead Lido. ARE YOU KIDD...

Well, your wish is my command. Do you remember my little daydream about teaching my children at home, with my phd, and my years of teaching experience, and my love of literature, culture and the young? Yesterday, as if by magic, the teachers had a TADS. This is a new educational acronym on me. Apparently it means something like Teacher Absence Day, S'there . Or possibly Training and Detention Summit . Something along those lines. Anyway, what it means is that several times a year, (a) working women have to scrabble about for yet more expensive childcare on a random day; (b) "stay-at-home mums" (those with phds who don't fit into mainstream society) have to Find Something To Do with Their Loved Ones, Instead of Their Writing. Because apparently teachers need to have training days, IN THE MIDDLE OF TERM. EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE TEN WEEKS' HOLIDAY A YEAR. Having mentioned to my daughter the notion of home education, she decided to run with it, reminding me that...