Cooking school

R always wants to help me in the kitchen as Im sure most kids do. Her interest in cooking though extends to her watching cookery programs on TV, and spending her hard earned pocket money on cookery books. More recently she has begun making simple dishes for herself with minimal help eg omelette and toast, noodles, french toast etc. But she wants to learn more so I enrolled us both on a one day Goan cookery course.

On the course, run by a lovely lady called Mutki , we learned to make three dishes and two types of indian bread.

Directed by Mutki we prepared and cooked all the ingredients ourselves and in between we made notes of recipes and methods in a notebook.

We both learned a great deal and enjoyed the experience thoroughly.

As well as cooking the dishes we tasted them too and believe me they were delicious!

So excited was R about her new found knowledge that on the way home we had to stop to buy the ingredients to make the dishes all over again at home!

For lunch today she single handedly prepared cooked and served for herself and I Palak paneer and chapatis. This evening she has planned Dal fry, mushroom masala with aloo parathas. Not bad for a nine year old.

Now whos a lucky mummy!



Shooting for the stars!

Since she was five years old R has regularly taken part in film shoots for TV commercials and still shoots for advertising and brochures.

http://www.dungarpurfilms.com/movies/29_dominos.html

 It is something which she increasingly enjoys and wants to do more of. At the beginning I was skeptical about letting her do this but with experience I have recognised the benefits. R is naturally shy and is often found working behind the scenes on any group project. However she actually has a great desire to be recognised and loves a chance to shine. During a shoot you are guaranteed a moment or several in the spotlight. You are given multiple chances of getting it right and the end reward is to see yourself on TV or in a magazine and recognition from others too. On the day you are treated well, you get your hair and makeup done by a professional and you have your own stylist. What more could any little girl want?

It goes without saying that you have to be picky about which shoots you accept. I generally ask firstly where the shoot will take place, how long is it expected to last and what will my child be expected to do?

Transport, meals and payment per day are given as standard. I always accompany R to a shoot and stay with her throughout the day.

There is a lot to be learned from the priviledge of being behind the scenes at a shoot and generally the crew are open, friendly and great with kids.

R enjoys seeing how outfits are selected and put together, how models are transformed with hairstyling and makeup and then how they perform in front of the camera. In between her shots she sits at the back of the crew taking the shot and watches on the computer screen as the shots are taken live and then edited. Its interesting to see how scenery is set up, lighting arranged and how problems are solved often quickly and often ingeniously under pressure.

I have watched with pride as R has progressed from being cast as the shy,sweet little one to being the main model, showing all her confidence and maturity that has been gained through her experience over the years. I anticipate many more film shoots ahead, not because Im a pushy mum who wants her child to be famous but because R herself feels that she is learning something about herself and the world through this experience. Watching professionals at work and being an important component in a production, knowing that they are relying on you to do a good job as much as you are relying on them teaches responsibilty, team work and accountibilty and seeing the end result boost self confidence. For as long as she finds it beneficial we shall continue with the shoots. It may or may not become a career but the exposure, experience and memories are something she will keep forever.

Vocational learning

R has been asking for a baby brother or sister recently. Its not going to happen, so I found her the next best thing. A babysitting job!
For the last 2 months, 3 mornings a week, R and I have been helping out with taking care of a neighbour's small baby.
I would like to share with you our experience, in particular R's experience.
Taking care of a baby is a huge responsibility and not to be taken lightly. Knowing how R takes everything she does seriously ,I knew she would commit herself fully to the undertaking and do whatever was required to the best of her ability.
R started out with relatively no experience in babycare. Memories of her little sister being a baby are distant now and so I knew it would take her some time to build up her confidence.

For a couple of weeks she watched me do everything. I waited patiently. I knew the day would come when she would ask if she could do something. Holding the baby came first. Then helping to change a nappy swiftly followed by undressing and dressing the baby. Feeding and winding him then measuring and making up the bottle.
I can honestly say that now R  not only knows how to take care of a baby, but is confident, happy and comfortable doing so. Not only has the experience been a joyful one but she has learned a lot about herself. She has learned responsibility and to trust herself . She has grown in capability and confidence. She has contributed something worthwhile to another human being, made a lasting impression on a whole family and provided lasting memories for a baby who shall one day become an adult and ask about his childhood.
Soon we have to say goodbye to our baby friend, as he will be leaving Goa. We always knew he was only here for a short time, nevertheless it will be hard to say goodbye. Maybe there is another lesson still to be learned...letting go of our attachments.

So conclusion - vocational learning in a job you are interested in and passionate about, even at 9 years of age - successful and definately worthwhile.
 I wonder where R's interests will take us next! Watch this space to find out!

Roshni and the school community

We are extremely lucky to have the support of R's previous school as we venture into homeschooling.
R attended First Steps pre school followed by Green Meadows Primary School in Goa, which are both run by a very special lady, Mrs Robbie Panesar.
R has always had a very special relationship with Mrs Robbie, based on mutual respect and understanding. Mrs Robbie could see right from the beginning how difficult  found the school environment and helped her with patience and understanding, allowing R to grow in confidence at her own pace.
She never pushed R and never made an issue out of her sensitivity. As a result, school became a safe place for her to grow in confidence and ability and provided her with a real sense of belonging.
It was not an easy decision to take R out of school but we are able to maintain our relationship with Mrs Robbie and her school by taking part in school library lessons, extra curricular activities, shows and events. This allows R to see her teachers and friends on a regular basis and keep up to date with what everyone is doing in school.
Today R took part in a sponsored walk, along with her school friends, to raise funds for the school library. Knowing that her contribution benefits herself, her friends and the school is an invaluable lesson in how important we each are, as individuals, to the community.

In a country where the education system is outdated and schools generally have a closed door policy it is refreshing to find a school with a more open minded approach towards education and a warm, understanding attitude towards its students.
R may have chosen to walk her own path with regards to her future education, but the foundation for that path is based on a continuing, supportive relationship with those people who have helped to guide her and encourage her this far.
Thankyou to Mrs Robbie Panesar and staff of Green Meadows for helping R to see that the things which make her different are what make her strong and that choosing to follow a different path does not mean that she has to be alone.
For more information about Green Meadows Primary school, Goa  please visit their website at http://www.greenmeadowsschool.com/

Maintaining school links.

R may be homeschooling now, but we still value our relationships with her previous schools.
When R was a baby, we were in UK, renovating my old house and for 9 months R attended a nursery part time. R may not remember much about her days there as she was so small, but she loves looking through all her records and keepsakes and often asks questions about the school and her teachers.


See Saw Day Nursery was run by Mark and Sarah Whelan who now run Saint Georges Preparatory school in Boston. I make a point of staying in touch with them and have followed the progress of their new project over the last year. Following the forest school concept, St Georges Preparatory School  aims to provide  holistic education to its students with emphasis on outdoor play and learning through nature.
With an outstanding Ofsted report and Best New Business Award to their name, this small school is proving that education does not have to be confined to the classroom and that school curriculums do not have to be limiting to the pupil.
The kids at this forest school wrap up warm and go out to play in the cold weather, get their hands dirty, and breathe fresh air every school day.
Our mutually supportive relationship with Saint Georges Preparatory School  provides R with invaluable links to her roots and insight into what her peers are learning in UK. We exchange photos, letters and emails, share ideas and plan to have a live chat with the forest school pupils on skype in the near future.
Thankyou Saint Georges Preparatory School for supporting R's homeschooling!

If you would like to learn more about this school please check out their website at http://www.saintgeorgesprep.co.uk/ .

In my next post I shall be writing about R's continuing  relationship with her previous primary school.

Narkasur and Diwali.

In Goa, the evening before Diwali, giant, home made statues of Narkasur are displayed in the streets. Narcassur was a demon king who suffered defeat at the hands of Krishna. This is a classic story of good overcoming evil and is celebrated with the burning of the statues,  followed by the lighting of Diwali lamps early in the morning, of the first day of Diwali. This year, as in other years, we went for a drive around to see the statues in the villages before they were loaded onto the backs of trucks and taken to parade through the streets of Mapusa and Panaji.

At 4am the next morning R got up to help light the diyas and lanterns around the outside, front of our house.

We went back to bed until daylight then joined the family for a breakfast of various sweet dishes.

R and friends then decided to make divali decorations using scrap paper we had lying around the house. They spent hours sitting and chatting while they looped strips of paper and linked them together to make paper chains.

Later R came inside and hung some of her paper chains up. I think they look great!

The healing power of pets.

I couldnt write a blog about Roshni's homeschooling without mentioning her best homeschooling friend, Biba.

Biba is a German shepherd cross who we rescued as a puppy. She is now a year old and is R's best friend.
Whenever R feels upset, angry, frustrated or confused a hug from Biba seems to be all thats needed to heal her soul.
The above picture was taken during R's last days of school when she had completed her exams. She was in such a rush to tell Biba that exams were over that she didnt even get changed out of her school uniform before playing with her beloved pet.
We all experience times as parents when we are at a loss as to how to help our children. When they are emotional, especially when the child has difficulty in expressing their feelings. Sometimes kids just dont have the words to describe how they feel.  A hug, some quiet time and reassurance is often what is needed, but if the child is very sensitive it can be quite difficult for them to move on. For me, its at times like this when Biba comes to my rescue.
Some time spent with Biba seems to erase all of R's worries.
Animals have presence and children connect with them naturally when a healthy attitude towards animals is fostered by the parents.
I feel having a pet enriches a childs life immensely and allows an opportunity for the child to initiate communication and healing for themselves.
If your child is asking for a pet you should be sure to choose carefully, taking into consideration your home environment and be sure that the child understands that any animal requires a commitment from them for their daily care. You should also consider the financial implications of owning a pet.
Having a pet can be rewarding for the whole family but children are the ones who will reap the most benefits.
We would not be without Biba and we cant imagine life without her now. She is with us to stay and is R's forever friend.