Oh, that's the same for me. I really did not want to take this job on because I knew I'd end up doing everything I was already doing, plus working. And that is what has happened - I still do 90% of everything plus work.

All sorts of headlines popped up this week about side effects of the Covid Vaccine, from the usual sorts of newspapers. I finally found a more rational report - they found 2 new side effects from the Astra Zeneca vaccine (which is no longer used in Australia due to previous side effects). They are less than one in a million effects. I can just imagine how this is being trumpeted around the anti-vax world, despite the fact that effects of Covid itself are so much more common and devastating. Two very rare Covid vaccine side-effects detected in global study of 99 million | Health | The Guardian

So I went through this about 8 years ago. Did go to hospital, thought I was having heart issues - actually panic. They were kind but not much use. What ended up making a difference to me was exercise and getting a job. Getting work so you're in the zone for hours at a time - and I'm in the equivalent of a minimum wage job, not doing anything professional, but I help people each day and am appreciated for it (by 99% - there's always that one person).

I see this thread has taken a life of its own overnight (or for me it's overnight). I was going to address points but it doesn't matter now. In short I don't think the principal overreacted, I'm sure there was more than a single 'cringe' involved, I just didn't get the whole picture, and I think it was a good lesson. I'm glad the principal rang me both about the words and the meltdown so we could chat about it at home, and she reassured me she goes through this sort of thing a lot at this age and not to worry, they'll work through it. So while I'm still disappointed and embarrassed, it's one of those things and we will move onto the next crisis (probably the next kid, they tend to take turns).

Thanks everyone, You're right, she's never been in trouble from a teacher before. We had a chat about the fact that making mistakes and getting in trouble at school will happen, and how to deal with it. Her view on the 'mean words' was of course that it was all a joke, that's how they talk - so I tried to chat to her about social cues, sensitive kids and so on - I think this will take a while but she considers the person a friend so hopefully they'll be able to talk it out. I am glad the school rang me so we could talk about this stuff but man it's hard. Ugh! I am exhausted. I worked myself up to tears before picking her up, sure that this would trigger school refusal - nope, one of the first things she said was that she's looking forward to tomorrow!

My daughter has just returned to school from homeschooling a few weeks ago (beginning of our school year). I just got a call from the school principal. She said something mean to another kid, who didn't want to come to school today. I feel terrible. I understand that my daughter was trying to be cool (she said to the other kid that she was 'cringe') and she didn't realise how hurtful it was. But when she was called out, she melted down and was really rude to the teachers. Fortunately the school has a brilliant restorative justice policy and will work through it all with the kids. It's a good lesson to learn but I just feel so ashamed. My plan is to pick her up from school, take her swimming and then chat afterwards about it in the car.

This is what I just don't get. Look at what is happening in the UK in terms of the workforce! It's a disaster.

I have a gifted 13yr old who seems to have hit this stage around 11 and we're still going. If you ask her to do anything at all in a quiet low voice, it's "stop screaming! if you asked NICELY, I might do it, but now I won't until you apologise!"

I would consider anything by the Bronte sisters a classic, really. Anne is underrated!

So I must be getting old as I ended up re-buying a book I already have so I can read it on my e-reader. The original copy's print is just a little too small for comfort, plus pages are falling out. Basically no fun to read in bed. However, at least by buying this e-book the authors get money; I am pretty sure the original was second hand. (Oh, it's Freedom and Necessity by Emma Bull and Steven Brust - a brilliant book written via letters about the Chartist movement in England, also there is magic if I remember correctly).

And just to add another severe storm yesterday, probably the most severe storm I've ever had to drive through with zero visibility, hail, flooding and falling branches - but nowhere to pull off the road safely. Fortunately I was close to home and so knew every twist and turn of the road. Lots of people lost power and lots of fallen trees. So that's at least 3 severe storms within a short period and it's predicted more coming this way.

We got a message from school that someone has Covid, luckily for us in the primary school. I wonder how many schools are still notifying parents when there is a case? Part of the reason I chose this school is that they have air purifiers and still enforce staying at home until testing negative for Covid.

I agree, it's just constant - Queensland had horrific rain and floods at the same time, a woman drowned in her car yesterday. It's floods and fire all at the same time. And the electricity is going to be down for ages in Victoria due to the weather, there's serious damage to the system.

It's Australian from the 90s, so maybe not. I can send you a second hand copy if you like? PM me.

Jasper Fforde's new book, Red Side Story, came out. This is a sequel to his book Shades of Grey which unfortunately came out at a similar time to the other Shades of Grey and so kind of disappeared from view pretty quickly. If you know Jasper Fforde, you will know his books are bizarre and quirky, but with kind and interesting characters. Usually full of wordplay and clever puns. I enjoyed his new book. Re-read three fantasy favourites, Tam Lin by Pamela Dean, War for the Oaks by Emma Bull, and Lines Upon the Skin by Julie Haydon. All great books, female leads, romance, and big ideas. Just reading a new Laurie King mystery - her series about Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell - this one is about India in the 1800s, very good.

We also had a terrible storm that day, but we're in NSW. It was really localised to the upper mountains - other people got nothing, while we had 2 hours of really severe lightning, hail and heavy rain. And to think we were worried we were going to move into drought this summer. It's been so wet and cold.

He can write, and it's legible - it's just babyish (large and poorly formed). I can't think of a circumstance where I'd advise all caps, except perhaps an adult learner - it really does slow you down, and it doesn't look good. I've seen a few tradies write that way, but not for anything more extended than an address or a label. My boy can write stories and essays, but I feel like his babyish style takes away from what he writes. I think I will definitely focus on decreasing size and remediating the worst letters (generally the ones with curves).

Yeah me too - I was always like, I'll never make MY kid worry about their handwriting! hahaha . . .

thanks, I will take a look today at this! Oh, that's not what I meant. I mean I've looked at a lot of stuff in the field and so much of it is 'remediate this thing and something different will improve'. And there's no evidence that the something different does improve. Anyway, not here to argue about retained reflexes and their effect, but it's not something that I feel is evidence-based. I did look up a massive meta-analysis of all handwriting interventions and the only thing that does seem to work is the daily slog . . . consistency is my greatest challenge.

Yes, he's pretty good at typing and I agree long term that's more important, but he'll need to handwrite for school. I am a sceptic when it comes to retained reflexes - having worked for years in the field of special needs, it brings back memories of a lot of scam courses for families which were pricy but never did much (Doman and Delacato in the 90s, then braingym, then there was another one - they show up, take money, and then crash a few years later). . Retained primitive reflexes: are they real? | Skills for Action Occam's Donkey: Mind Myth 9: Primitive reflexes, a new old fad (occamsdonkey.blogspot.com)

Thanks, good idea. No idea. But really his handwriting story is the same as mine. I used to get hassled all the time too. Low tone, I think, which makes it hard to persist with anything muscle related. Both of us terrible with anything sport related. Interesting, I do think a lot of it is developmental. He's down the bottom of the graph for a lot of stuff - short stature, teeth way delayed, overall growth is slower. Very similar to a lot of people in my family - small and uncoordinated, but very clever with words and language. It makes it hard for me to really push him, because I identify with him so much! I do wonder if a bit of peer pressure once he actually goes to school might make a difference. Regarding OTs, I did enquire with one, but really she couldn't offer anything unique and she admitted it. There may be a brilliant one out there but they've all got year-long waiting lists, and I'm not really interested in paying hundreds of dollars to be given generic advice about letter formation and pencil grip.

Ideas please. I have used handwriting textbooks but it isn't generalising to ordinary writing. He's in year 6, going to high school next year (Jan in Australia) and his handwriting looks babyish. I have very low standards, but legible and not babyish is important.

Well, that is the whole problem with school. The kids don't want to be there, and don't get any choice in the matter. They don't get to choose their subjects till (in Australia) year 9. They don't get to follow their interests or to have their interests valued - at the moment in NSW primary schools they're returning to direct instruction and have thrown out any type of show & tell or similar. They may as well be a cog in the system.

Deep sympathy for you. We call it 'the alarm bird'. We had one for a while too, fortunately not now. They're so mournful and persistent. The other bird like that is the Wonga-Wonga pigeon. I love them, but whenever they're apart, it sounds like the world's ending for them.

Lately we have noticed a bush turkey rummaging around under the trees. They can dig really big holes so fortunately it only pops around occasionally. On a regular basis we see cockatoos (yellow-tailed black cockies, also white cockatoos), rosellas, king parrots, sometimes rainbow lorikeets and occasionally gang-gangs. We see kookaburras, magpies and currawongs regularly. Swamp hens and ducks pop up from the dam. For little birds, we have blue wrens and fire finches, honeyeaters of various types, willie wagtails and fantails. That is very cool. One time I was walking down the paddock and saw a whole lot of passionfruit - I looked up and the tree was full of white cockatoos who were taking turns to fly into the neighbours place, steal a passionfruit and fly back to my house to eat it, as though they were protected once across the border fence! We are in the mountains, far from the sea - for some reason I had imagined you were out west somewhere.