Back to School?

If you live in British Columbia and do not send your kids to an independent school then you know the pain parents are going through currently. June 17th was the last time kids were in school, two weeks before they broke-up for summer and it is September 3rd and a there seems to be no end to the strike. I have looked desperately for an independent school but they do not have space for both kids, I can get one or the other in but not both. I am also looking for alternative help, Kumon, Sylvan, that can help with extra studies but these are also expensive alternatives and the $40 per child per day only covers half the cost. We did have a tutor that came in from Tutor Doctor  but the issue we had was we had a wonderful tutor who loved to teach maths but she left to take a full time job and we had an alternative who preferred English. It was fine but I did not like the disruption of changing tutors just as my child was getting into a rhythm.

I am acutely aware that if I do not help my kids along sooner than later then they will fall behind quickly. The schools here in BC have long summer holidays and it has been proven that skills are lost during long summer breaks. Throughout the summer my children have been reading, the summer program at the library has been very useful. One of the things I lack in is teaching my kids is maths, mainly because it does not come easily to me and my mental arrhythmic is appalling due to lack of practice during my younger years plus I was not taught well from the start. My husband on the other hand whom was privately educated and went to a prestigious school in England, oozes confidence and has a much better handle on many subjects but he is so busy with work that he is unable to help my cause (when I say busy, it is seven days a week, lucky to get a few hours of his time). I can't complain my husband is earning money to keep a roof over our heads. Also, it is harder to explain the value of money nowadays because we use cards so often to pay for goods. I do give my children cash for chores and try to teach them to save which seems to be working. The problem with taking my girls out so they can understand how to use money and calculate what change they will get;  in Canada until you get to the till you have no idea what the actual cost is. This is due to the tax(es), they do not appear on the ticket. So if my kids look for something worth $2 then we know they need more but because we do not know what tax amount to calculate before we get to the cashier because the government tax many items differently depending on what it is. It is challenging to teach and get a grasp on  how much one needs to pay. It is ridiculous. In England what you see on the label is what you pay making it easier to see what amount you have in your hand and handing the money to the cashier and if there is change it can be calculated beforehand.

So to make these challenges less of a problem I have purchased a number of exercise books and games; crossword puzzles, word search, paint by number, bingo, Monopoly, educational books, maths books, reading and writing and sketch books for art projects. Here are a selection:

4 Cats Art History Books

4 Cats Art History Books

The books below were bought from the Dollar store for $3 each. They are great and the kids love them too.

There are also a number of TV shows that help. My kids love The Magic School Bus and Horrible Histories. There are also some good websites that I have yet to explore.

Putting a lesson plan in place will help too. Kids love routine so for my 6 and 8 year old my plan looks something like this:

8am Breakfast
9am Quiet reading and read to me individually
9.30am English activity, word search, writing practice, reading aloud etc (depends on age)
10am playtime and snack
10:30am Maths activity, counting games, card games, Bingo, exercise book, times table
11:00am Art or Physical activity
11:30am help to prep food for lunch, set table
12:00 eat, clear table, play
1pm Read, writing, drama, physical activity
2pm Learning about art, history, science experiment
3pm play
4pm help with preparing food or setting table or chores in general.

It gives you a guideline and of course you can mix it up with outings and day trips that they rarely get in a school environment. It helps to get kids back into a routine and I can tell you they will love you for it.

If you have any suggestions, books, Educations shows, learning sites on the web, I would love to hear.

Whistler Vacation Before School Starts

I love Whistler. This place is amazing no matter the season. Skiing is fantastic and summer is so much fun. There are camping grounds, hotels, B&B to accommodate many budgets.

 We stayed in a cabin at Riverside Resort. There is a small park for kids, a putting green, bike rental on site a cafe and food store and wonderful trails along the river. Just 1.5K to Whistler Village, a lovely walk along the trails or a short bike ride just watch out for bears. There are cabins, yurts, RV site, camping at very reasonable prices. We were meant to stay in a yurt but my eldest started to panic about toilet breaks at night so we decided it best to get a cabin with a shower room. I would have booked us in a hotel but I could not cancel. Nonetheless, it was a lovely spot and lovely and quiet at night. We could sit out on the deck and the kids had a ladder the climb up and down to their loft bedroom, the loved it so much they didn't want to play in the park the ladder was novel enough.

In Whistler Village

 Bungy trampoline. 

Amazing scenery I love the colour of the rivers, milky light blue.

Summer Activities

This summer has been a blast. We have done so much I can barely remember it all.

One of the goals was to get both kids cycling on two wheels. My youngest went to Pedalheads to gain confidence cycling and within a week she was on two wheels. My eldest did it all by herself at home. 

Harrison Hot Springs was our summer destination. We had glorious weather and spent plenty of time on the beach building sandcastles. 

The kids have been to swim camps, BCSPCA camp and Kids on the Go camp and they have loved them all.

Our last trip we will be heading off to Whistler before going back to school.

River Market New Westminster

Yesterday we decided to go somewhere we have not been before, River Market in New Westminster. We wanted to eat somewhere different than our usual places and discovered this market. It runs parallel with Columbia Street by the Fraser River. It is a lovely walk, watching the tug boats feeling the cool breeze.

When we arrived there was an artisan fair on and there were some lovely jewelry designs and hats and hair accessories to be found. The girls and I chose an item from Chlona Art's stall. She has some wonderful pins, hair accessories and earrings at very reasonable prices.

There are many events on at the River Market; Zumba, bands, Lego, they even have a circus school.

 It is amazing what is on your doorstep and sometimes we never venture to it. 

Outside there is a mock-up tug boat for the children to play in. It has all the controls used in a boat that can be flicked, switched and pressed.

The tallest tin soldier. He is huge.

Reading Club for Kids

Week 3 of reading club infact we are now on week 4. Where has the time gone? These are just a few books we picked-up from the library. Some classics, some new and some I have never heard of before. It is wonderful to discover new books not just the children but for me too.

Summer Holidays

My absence is telling, I am having way too much fun on these glorious hot days that I have no time to write posts. Going to the beach, bike rides, booking mini-vacations, fun at the spray parks, going to the library, oh the joys of summer. Visiting Farmers Market is our new Sunday activity, I am hoping we can start riding our bikes to the local market but I am a little worried to take the kids because the roads are far too busy. Picking flowers, eating raspberries, making our own pizza dough and adding all its trimmings, eating s'mores are my kids new favourite foods.

What have you been doing with the kids this summer?

A Day at the Park

Fish and Chips and Pajo's

Blue Mountain Park

Port Moody

Watching the sailing boats go by.