Last week Hpops turned 11! Somehow this seemed a bigger change than reaching 10, she was already in double digits but this year seemed to mark a shift from youngster to that much used moniker tween! She is very definitely rushing headlong to the teenage years and perhaps it is the fact that her birthday is in close proximity to the new school year and the changes that heralds this year that it seems such a jump!
She has received much more grown up presents this year, gone are the dollies and large toys, in are the crafts, more difficult Lego and vouchers are for things like Waterstones and I-tunes rather than Toys R Us. She is pleased in some ways but at the same time she is worried about growing up. As the oldest child she carries the burden of being the first to do everything and so must forge ahead on her own. First one to go to secondary school, something that many children have mixed feelings about as do many parents.
In many ways it should make life easier, technically she should be able to go to school and back by herself, neighbours of ours travel by bus or walk. We will probably end up giving her a lift as the school she will be attending is in close proximity to the junior school my younger two attend. In preparation however, she now has a door key and because she may need access to money we have visited the bank and she is having her very first very own account. This is rather scary as she will have her own bank account with her own cash card and if anything goes wrong with it she will have to sort it out herself!(with help obviously!)
I think in many ways this is a good thing, she will have to be responsible for her cash card and budget her pocket money and this should encourage her to think about what she is buying and if she really needs it! I do worry though that she will lose the card, lose the key, get the phone confiscated and then she’ll be back in the 90’s like me. I used to walk home without the aid of a phone, I did have a key but not a bank account but today standards are different and hopefully by the time she gets to college, uni or whatever it is she decides to do she will already be able to budget and look after herself financially! I am looking forward to showing her how it all works and you never know perhaps before the school holidays finish she can treat me to a coffee!
Secondary school awaits us, a new adventure, bigger school, new uniform and new people to meet. Lots of teachers to get used to and learn the names of and even some new subject areas to study. I am not sure how we are going to fit everything in as she wants to try out new things and I am sure homework will build up, then there is music practice to fit in and stage crazy Saturdays! Pixie as well starts juniors and will face some similar challenges, she will have to manager her time properly as she will have more homework and new teachers and subjects as well as new activities she wants to try out.
Imp should be able to participate fully now that his Perthes seems to be healing, although I am not counting on too much until after his next appointment and he has been experiencing some knee pain after more active days. This could be his muscles getting back to fitness as he has been running about more and is hardly limping at all. It is great to see him walking the dog, running with his friends and scootering about with confidence, very different from the previous two summers and I am hoping that this means he can enjoy PE and games at school again from September. He is looking forward to resuming fencing, football and I am looking forward to children being tired out and not complaining they are bored every five minutes!
