Wednesday 24 July 2013

Independence

Once upon a time there was a little girl of five. Her mother had died and she lived with her father in a little flat in north London.

Every morning she would get herself up and dressed for school, she'd make her own breakfast. She was very independent. She was always ready to leave for school when the neighbours called round to pick her up.

Her father would sleep through all her preparations, he got up in the afternoon in time to pick her up from school, make her supper and spend time with her before she went to bed and he started work... going to bed himself before his little girls morning routine began again.

That little girl is my older sister.

Makes you think doesn't it? Maybe a little bit of independance goes a long way?
All the chivying and shouting and imploring that I do in the mornings to try to get Coco to school, maybe if I just left her to it then she'd take responsibility.
Or maybe not.


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It's Coco's first day of the holidays today - so no more school run for 42 days - and lots of independant breakfasts for Coco and Henry just like the one pictured above.

2 comments:

  1. Gosh what a brave and independent little girl she is/was. My 2 have been getting their own breakfast for a couple of years now. We have tried to follow the Montessori way of thinking... if you put things within easy reach of children, they will become indpendent to help themselves and try. So all bowls are in low drawers in the kitchen, cereal on a shelf in the pantry which they can reach, milk always in the fridge at their level. Hooks in the cupboard at their height to hand up their coats and bags. Shoes go into the drawer of our sideboard. I find life easier for me and they like to do it too. I just need to work on the 'making mummy a cuppa tea' - maybe next year! x lou p.s. have a lush summer xxx

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  2. I was similar. My mum used to have to phone the school to see if i'd got there alright because she was always asleep when I left (but that's another story!) but every morning i'd get up, put on the fire (oh god) make myself brekkie and get myself ready for school until my neighbour collected me at 8. Funny isn't it because I pretty much do everything for my 3, i guess that's why.

    Horray to school hols eh!

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