Preschool

We need a new lunch bag

27/07/2015 by MrsSavageAngel Leave a Comment

Although Oscar only goes to his preschool for the morning session, he’s been taking his own snacks since he started in January. It started partly because he wouldn’t eat what they were offering him (he’ll eat all the apples you like, but if you cut them up he totally refuses. Same with all fruit) and partly because they needed something he would definitely eat to motivate him at certain times of the day. As the year’s gone on, he’s got much better at eating their snacks and even drinks cartons of milk (he started refusing milk at home ages ago, but there you go, I guess I don’t offer it him in cartons!), but He still likes to have the choice of his own snacks and its something I’m happy to keep sending in.

However in the last few weeks of last term his lunch bag has started to become a problem. Not because of what it is or how it works, rather that how it looks. Several of the children have the same Pirate Tyrel Katz bag and a couple even have a very similar one with tractors on it. All the lunch bags get put together at the beginning of the day and to start with that was fine. However recently he’s started to get very upset when he sees, what looks like his bag, being taken by another child. In one respect this is great, because he is registering what his bag looks like, on another hand it’s confusing for all involved. He doesn’t understand and his autism means it’s difficult to explain the situation to him.

Oscar's current Tyrell Katz lunch bag. Too popular for it's own good. — Oscar’s current Tyrrell Katz lunch bag. Too popular for it’s own good.

As we’re now on summer break, I’ve decided to have a look around for a new lunch bag for him to take in September. And this time I’m looking for something more distinctive and less likely to be owned by another child in the nursery. Anything I can do to make his life that little bit easier, I’m happy to do. So I’ve been having a look around and I’ve seen some I really like. Trouble is not all are available in the UK 🙁 . But they might be where you are. So I have put together a list of my faves. Not sure which I’m going to go for yet. Which do you think I should get him?

I love this old school lunch box , but with the briefcase look. It can be personalised with his initials. OFS. So glad we didn't go with the first name Findlay ;) — I love this old school lunch box with the briefcase look. It can also be personalised with his initials. OFS. So glad we didn’t go with the first name Findlay 😉

Now this one isn't cheap GBP39.99! But if you needed to mnake your lunch bag completely unique it's an option. You can personalise with pictures and words. Great if you have a visual understander. — Now this one isn’t cheap £39.99! But if you needed to make your lunch bag completely unique it’s an option. You can personalise with pictures and words on both sides. Amazing if your child has a strong visual understanding.

I love this one by American company Dabbawalla, only I can't find this design in the UK. Boohoo! — I love this one by American company Dabbawalla, only I can’t find this design in the UK. Boohoo!

However I have found this one by the same company available in several UK online stores. I love the shape as much as anything and the fact there no plastic lining to rip!

This insulated US style lunch bag is awesome, and although probably more suited to an adult and their packed lunch, I just love it. Can also be personalised with child's own drawings. Apparently! — This insulated US style lunch bag is awesome, and although probably more suited to an adult and their packed lunch, I just love it. Can also be personalised with child’s own drawings. Apparently!

This cheeky cappy is a proper old fashioned tin lunch box, but with the gorgeous retro look of a robot. What a cheeky chappie! — This is a proper old fashioned tin lunch box, but with the gorgeous retro look of a robot. What a cheeky chappie!

diner_1 — How gorgeous is this Australian made diner bag? I can’t really justify the $40 shipping but if you’re in Oz, postage is much cheaper.

polar-gear-lunch-bag-and-bottle-set--29cm-x-19cm-x-10cm- — If you have a little dino hunter, this lunch bag and bottle combo from Matalan is just GBP8!

I think I know which is my favourite. Any of these appeal to you?

Back to School

03/06/2015 by MrsSavageAngel Leave a Comment

What a shocking start to June hey?! Its blooming awful where we are but I’m pleased to inform you the trampoline is still where we left it, despite the wind. I tell you I’m relieved we had our gutters professionally cleaned yesterday. They’re working over time now!

Oscar’s had a terrible week or so, with all recent the changes in routine. I think he’s just telling me he’s not happy about it. His return to preschool, which I thought would bring him some relief, actually didn’t seem to be the magic wand I hoped it would be. As soon as we turned into the school’s road, he started squirming and crying and shouting ‘Uh Uh’, ‘Uh Uh’. I eventually talked him into getting out of the buggy, but then he insisted on being held and would not get down or even be passed to his favourite Miss Tasha. I guess a lot of children go through this when they return to school after any sort of break, but it kinda threw me. He’s never, ever been clingy to me the whole time he’s been going there. Not on his first day, not after Easter, never. And I guess I handled it badly. I stayed with him, less for Oscar’s sake (I fully appreciate that children are often fine as soon as their parents leave) but more that I didn’t want the staff to potentially have to deal with a true Autistic melt down first thing on a Monday morning!

So I stayed. I went in the garden with him and told his TA all about how amazing he was on our recent trip to Wales and he calmed right down. So then I tried to leave and he started all over again (see I told you I handled it poorly!) Anyway eventually I managed to leave him, and was grabbed for a quick, impromptu meeting with his EYIA (local authority lady) who was visiting that day. Which was fine, until I heard Oscar screaming outside the room we were in.

I know I should have left it. Let the staff deal with it. But I just couldn’t. I jumped up and practically ran to him. Which, of course, made things worse and worse. Eventually I asked his TA if she just wanted me to stay, but she (quite rightly) said it would be better for me to leave, or he’d expect me to be there every session. She assured me she was prepared to deal with any melt downs and so I left. In a great big mental tizzy. I wasn’t upset, so much as confused and.. well no I was upset.

You see I don’t cope well without the surety of his routine either. I’ve always needed to know we had things planned from his earliest days, but the older he gets the more I need the small amount of time I get without him. Two weeks being ‘on’ with him has been exhausting. I feel the disruption in the rhythm of our lives just as keenly as I suspect he does. By the end of last week neither of us were coping very well.

I was totally focusing on him going back to school, rather selfishly, for my own relief. When it didn’t work out how I expected it threw me kinda sideways, I wont lie to you. So when I finally left him I did what every good 21st Century mama who has an hour to kill does. I headed to a favourite haunt, ordered coffee, a granola bar (granola’s healthy right? 😉 ) and dived into social media. I thought I might write a post, but it turned out having a rant/laugh on Twitter, was much better for the soul that day.

I returned to collect him feeling calmer but actually quite apprehensive as to what I’d find and, more importantly, be left to deal with for the rest of the day. His teachers told me he’d calmed down eventually, although had continued to ask to leave. He was pleased to see me and keen to get in his buggy, which in itself is unusual, but they were right, he was calmer. The tears were gone and he did seem much more relaxed.

So maybe it just took him a while to figure it out. To hear the beat that we usually live our lives by and start to dance in to it again. I don’t know. I’ll probably never know. He’s been much calmer the rest of the week too (despite the filthy weather). Monday left me dreading Friday’s drop off. Now I’m just aware it might hard. And being aware means I can change my expectations and plan to act accordingly.

What’s the betting he runs in without a glance back, like usual?

Hope your back to school’s went well and your children are finding their rhythm this half term.

My MAD Award Nomination

24/05/2015 by MrsSavageAngel Leave a Comment

OK here’s the deal. I started this blog two years ago to give me some head space and to find out what the dickens I was supposed to be doing with my life now I had become a parent. I didn’t go into this for other people to read, they just did. And two years down the line I’m still touched and amazed every day that people still do.

So imagine my utter surprise to find out I’d been nominated for a MAD Blogger Award! Despite sounding like I rant and rave (MAD actually stands for Mum and Dad), what this is is a really big deal in the blogging world. It’s recognition of those who write and share across the parenting blogging spectrum and I am HONOURED to have been nominated in the Pre-School category!!

Wow.

Again

Wow.

I’m actually getting a little teary here! Anyway, I don’t know who nominated me (you can nominate yourself I think, I just couldn’t be so vain glorious), but I am so so grateful that they did. Thank you whoever you are.

So here’s the thing. I never imagined anyone would think enough of my blog to nominate it for an award, and I am under no illusions that I’ll get through to the finals,but I would be doing my nominator (and myself) a disservice if I didn’t ask you to vote for me.

And just so you know, here’s how it works:

Stage 1: Tots100 invite bloggers and their readers to nominate, and share their favourite blogs across a range of categories, covering everything from parenting to food and photography.

Stage 2: Five bloggers in each category with the most nominations, along with one blogger selected by the judging panel, will be shortlisted as finalists.

Stage 3: Tots100 invite the public to vote for their winner in each category, with the exception of the Blog of the Year award, which will be judged by the judging panel.

The winners of the awards will be revealed at a red-carpet awards ceremony to be held in London during September, attended by finalists, judges and sponsors, along with a few specially invited guests.

Yeah so – it’s pretty serious!

The nominations are still open, meaning you to can nominate me for the Blog of the Year or to reach the short list in Preschool. If you’d like to do that (it literally takes a minute) you can do here:

http://www.tots100.co.uk/nominate-in-the-2015-mad-blog-awards (Nominations are now closed!)

Should I reach the short list I’ll be sure to get back to you, asking very kindly for you to vote for me, if you should be so inclined.

Thank you so much for all your support, be you someone who found me last week, or someone who has been reading since that first ranty post about Primark I wrote back in 2013! I love what I do, but that anyone chooses to read it has been the most life affirming thing I’ve ever come across and is the reason I keep Mrssavageangel (bless her heart) going.

Time for (Pre)School

13/05/2015 by MrsSavageAngel Leave a Comment

When the girls in my NCT group started to go back to work at the end of their maternity leave, our meet ups were suddenly aflame with the talk of daycare. Who was going where? The benefits of one over another? It got, dare I say, a tad competitive and it was the topic of conversation for weeks. God, it was boring. For me. For no other reason that I couldn’t join in. I wasn’t going back to work. I was one of the “lucky ones” apparently. Not that it felt like it at the time. It wasn’t my first plan to give up work after having my son and it left me feeling thoroughly isolated. For a couple of weeks, then I got over myself!

However, the experience left it’s mark. Despite shocked mothers telling me I needed to get Oscar’s name down for preschool immediately (but what I felt was years in advance) I point blank refused. I’d been given the opportunity not to have to worry about ‘all that’ and I resented now being told I had to. I was such a fool. I had no idea how much he’d need preschool when the time came. Or how much I would.

Eventually I capitulated and began to think about where he might go. There are so many nurseries/preschools in and around Haslemere, we really are spoilt for choice. As he was about 20 months old at the time and wouldn’t be able to start until at least the term after he turned 2 and a half (January 2015) I thought we had bags of time. I was wrong. The wide eyed mothers who’d looked at me in shock had been right. Others did put their children down for preschool during (or even before!) their earliest days. Meaning I was somewhat late to the party with my near two year old and it was something of a kick in the teeth to discover that the school we’d chosen didn’t have any places available until September 2015! So my first tip for finding a preschool, is not to be complacent about getting your child’s name down, particularly if you have somewhere in mind.

Despite the long wait, we went ahead and put his name down. It was suggested we could have him go elsewhere until his place became available. It was a valid suggestion, just not one we felt would work for us. As it happened, several families ‘ahead’ of us on the list, declined their places meaning he was able to start in January 2015. So my second tip is don’t be put off by long waiting lists.

So how do you chose the preschool thats right for you and your child? Everyone’s criteria is different, and that’s good. What was important for us might not be for you and vice versa. Thats why I loved having such a large choice locally. For me, the most important criteria was location. Unfortunately I do not have the luxury of being a driver. I could fall in love with a nursery, but if I simply couldn’t get there, what would be the point? That narrowed the field fairly dramatically.

After location, the school’s ethos really had to be one we agreed with. Everyone assumed Oscar would go to our geographically closest nursery, which happened to be a church run one. We were adamant that as atheists this would be unfair to both Oscar (to be taught one thing at school and another at home) and to another child who might miss out on a place we’d only half heartedly taken. So, close as it was, and lovely as it is, that one was off the list.

So once the short list was drawn up, the best thing I did was visit them. I personally feel there is little of value to be learnt from online research where preschools are concerned. I would highly recommend leaving the ofsted reports and reviews at home and getting yourself into the place you’re interested in. Don’t get me wrong, having a gander online is useful. I wouldn’t have found ours without it, but in my opinion nothing can replace the experience of visiting the school itself. I wanted to be able to see where and how my son would spend his time and (let’s not beat about the bush) our money. I tried looking at preschools with children in and without and would highly recommend visiting when other students are present, if at all possible. It’s hard to see the dynamic of an empty classroom and for me this was really important.

As it turned out the preschool I fell in love with and knew I wanted him to go to as soon as I walked through the door, was the one I felt most calm in. It wasn’t the newest or the most snazzy but I just knew it was ‘the one’. Kind of like your wedding dress, I guess. You may want to make your judgement based on more than just a gut instinct and that’s no bad thing. But for me, I just knew.

He’s been going there for five months now and I’ve yet to question that gut instinct. The staff have been as proactive and supportive as I could have hoped for and Oscar has already shown huge improvement in language, communication and socialisation. But mostly he’s happy to go. And Dylan’s Ice Cream are happy for the business they get out of me every Monday morning when I drop Oscar off and head there to drink coffee and use the excellent free WiFi to write my posts.

Yes, when the time came, I really did need preschool, as much as he did.

A truncated version of this article first appeared in the January 2015 Haslemere and Midhurst NCT Magazine.

The Boy Makes…..Cut Out Biscuits

23/04/2015 by MrsSavageAngel Leave a Comment

Like most nurseries (I guess), Oscar’s preschool celebrates each and every birthday in their midst. They invite the parents of the birthday child to come in and watch their child’s special day be celebrated by their friends (my guy’s school also carries out something of a rather abstract birthday ritual. The child carries a globe round a circle of children as many times as they are years old, whilst they all sing a song about the world. Yeah I’m not sure either, but the kids seem to like it). Said parents are also invited to provide a little treat for the children. I was so excited when I heard about this. What a lovely thing to be able to do and it was definitely something Oscar and I could prepare together. However, as is to be expected, the nursery have pupils with all kinds of specific dietary requirements. Oscar himself eats gluten free and he has a little pal who has a serious broad spectrum nut allergy. Meaning anything we chose to make had to be pretty well thought through. To the Googles!

As Oscar got so many lovely cookie cutters for his birthday, I decided it would be fun to let him try them out. That’s when I found a great biscuit recipe on the American site Momables.com. It was written to be purely gluten free however, I checked with Oscar’s pal’s mum and found the recipe was also completely free of nut contaminants too. Perfect.

I followed the original recipe, which being American, was measured in cups. However, because I’m nice like that, I have converted it to grams here for the baker who favours the scales.

200g sugar
115g unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk (or water)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your flour already has it, mine didn’t)
250g gluten-free plain flour

I use Dove Farm Gluten Free Plain Flour and Xanthan Gum to great effect. You could also add spice such as cinnamon, if you were making these near Christmas

I used my Kitchenaid mixer, but you could do this by hand

Cream the sugar and butter together
Add egg, milk, vanilla extract and salt mixing well
Add flour and xanthan gum if using. Mix at a low speed until well combined. Dough should come together well and not be too sticky.
Wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour
Preheat the oven to 180c or Gas Mark 5 and cover two baking sheets with baking paper
Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, as thick as you want. Mine were about 0.25cm.
Cut out the dough with cookie cutters, and place the biscuits on the baking sheets. Ensure the cookies are not touching.
Re-roll and re-cut dough until it’s all used
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before removing them to a cooling rack.
Cool completely before decorating. If you’re so inclined. They’re lovely with or without decoration

Using his birthday cutters from his Aunty & Uncle

In the end I chose to make all heart biscuits as I reckoned they were a decent size. I got 24 out of this recipe, plus a handful of the smaller shapes you can see Oscar cutting above.

I decided to “decorate” them with a simple water icing. Unfortunately I had to do this when Oscar was in bed, but I totally plan to let him have a go next time! I think I used around 60g of icing sugar and a couple of tablespoons of water mixed to make a smooth paste, runny enough to drizzle. I used a couple of drops of Wilton colouring to get the amazing blue, then just drizzled the icing from the end of a spoon onto the biscuits at an angle. It did take a while to dry though so be factor this in when planning timings.

Lay the biscuits on baking paper before drizzling the icing over the biscuits. Leave until they are totally dry. — Lay the biscuits on baking paper before drizzling the icing over the biscuits. Leave until they are totally dry then lift them off and throw the paper away. No messy clean up!

They went down a treat with Oscar and all his pals. As one of his little friends told her mum “they had blue on them and they were yum”. What more could you ask for?!

Gluten Free Biscuits – Happy Birthday Oscar