Well life in Turkey is beginning to come together. I have now a helper for my son two days a week. My partner's boys have been to stay for two weeks, now all important family have been over to see us!
I have to say that the dimensions of family are strangely highlighted here due to the fact that we see them in a "block" of time rather than bits of time. This is good in some ways but has been hard in others. By the time you get it all settled they are off back to the UK, leaving me some what tired. You see you cannot change history, so your partner treats his children the way he has and will always, there is such a difference in how we do parent I am glad that we haven't tried together! I am "soft" and properly a left over hippie, where as my partner is firm, non bending but fair. There are thoughts on both sides of these extreme parenting skills that are good and valued but there are also the thought that the other side is wrong! How we get on must be a miracle!! but we do and with great love. I have no problem with my child being sexually active where as my partner has no wish to know of his children's levels of activity! I have to say I am just there if they want to talk and it is not a taboo subject! I love people for who they are (warts and all!) My partner sets a standard and feels disappointment if they are unable to reach it. So we have had a few weeks of very different thinking in the house!
Well in one week we have my daughter and her boyfriend over,WOW wonder what that will bring us! Its a great thing we talk so well.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Nursery link to poor behaviour!
Well here is some news I think a lot of people thought was true but it has been backed up with a report done by the Government. Children who spend more than three days a week in nurseries are more likely to become anti-social worried and upset. They have shown that children were more likely to behave poorly the longer they spent in care. Though the report also says that 30 hours in care increased the child's confidence.
The report also shows that the amount of months a child attended the nursery had an impact on that child's behavior. So children who had attended for 18 months or more where rated with more anti-social behavior.
The report was carried out on 800 children in disadvantaged areas.
The moral for me is to check out your Nurseries, and ask what behavior policies are there and how they work. Check the qualification levels of the staff. Always look for more than the required amount! What child/ staff ratio is there. Again you are looking for the best not just the required level. What level of feed back will you expect to get from the Nursery. And the big thing do you feel happy with them!
Some times we shy away from asking difficult questions but when you are looking at the whole development of that very special child you have to ask, if not for you but the future of your child.
The report also shows that the amount of months a child attended the nursery had an impact on that child's behavior. So children who had attended for 18 months or more where rated with more anti-social behavior.
The report was carried out on 800 children in disadvantaged areas.
The moral for me is to check out your Nurseries, and ask what behavior policies are there and how they work. Check the qualification levels of the staff. Always look for more than the required amount! What child/ staff ratio is there. Again you are looking for the best not just the required level. What level of feed back will you expect to get from the Nursery. And the big thing do you feel happy with them!
Some times we shy away from asking difficult questions but when you are looking at the whole development of that very special child you have to ask, if not for you but the future of your child.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Clooney news
Well if you needed to know that that sexy man has a heart as well, he was seen at a childrens lemonade stand near the GE Movie set!
The lovely man not only bought lemonade from the children , paying $20 for a glass of their lemonade but chatted to the children and posed for photos as well.
He was offered the drink for free but big hearted him paid more than 25 cents that they asked for. The kids desided to cash in on the fact that they had a star at their stand put up a new poster saying " George Clooney was here!" What a great start to the childrens Easter holiday!
The lovely man not only bought lemonade from the children , paying $20 for a glass of their lemonade but chatted to the children and posed for photos as well.
He was offered the drink for free but big hearted him paid more than 25 cents that they asked for. The kids desided to cash in on the fact that they had a star at their stand put up a new poster saying " George Clooney was here!" What a great start to the childrens Easter holiday!
Sunday, April 1, 2007
teachers have more power!
Teachers have a new legal power to help in the classroom. This will allow them to restrain and discipline unruly pupils, this came in on the st April. In the past teachers could restrain under common law, the same as parents. This how ever lead to the culture "you can't touch me!" in so many children. The new law explicitly states that teachers have the right to remove physically. Teachers can now impose detention outside of school hours and even on Saturdays! While I am glad that this has come in the 2006 Education and Inspections Act I wonder how this can be enforced? Teachers are asked to do so much more these days ,are they going to work Saturdays too? The teacher can now discipline pupils outside of school hours, so if they see badly behaved school pupils on their way home they can discipline them. I have to say that for me while I am glad that the powers to be have given much needed power back to the teacher, it feels like they want the poor teacher to sort out the whole problem! What about the parents, communities as a whole? local police ? the children themselves? I wonder if in reality this is an empty act as to enforce this the teacher becomes the local police!
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Truancy and home education
Newly released data has shown a rise in truancy by 18% this is using a new way of counting absences. This is higher in secondary schools. Allegedly there are authorities, that are in there bid to lower there level of truancy are handing out “home education forms” to the families and communities of high offenders. These are communities like travellers. There is no hard evidence to prove this point. But it was believed that they are handing out pre-typed de-registration letters so that parents/ careers will be left alone.
Home education charity Education Otherwise feels that it gives home education a bad name and makes home education stats wrong.
I have to say a few years ago my son who has Aspergers and ADHD was permanently excluded from his local school. This left a gap where the services to cope with his education was not available. We did manage to get three hours a week home education supplied by the local authority after about four months wait. My point is there is not the resources for the services to offer full support to the children who drop out of the normal school system, there are fines and prison sentences for parents who do not educate their children, and believe me some of those children run out the minute you get them to the school! So if you get offered a way out you’re going to take it. The end of the day it is about education, not truancy rates that the government sees. It is harder to fight the system with difficult child. Home education is hard work, I know, I now home Ed my son but its right for him. Stop looking at numbers and start doing, there are a lot of children out there that need help with their education. Have things in place to identify early on the children in need of help, prevention is better than cure!
Home education charity Education Otherwise feels that it gives home education a bad name and makes home education stats wrong.
I have to say a few years ago my son who has Aspergers and ADHD was permanently excluded from his local school. This left a gap where the services to cope with his education was not available. We did manage to get three hours a week home education supplied by the local authority after about four months wait. My point is there is not the resources for the services to offer full support to the children who drop out of the normal school system, there are fines and prison sentences for parents who do not educate their children, and believe me some of those children run out the minute you get them to the school! So if you get offered a way out you’re going to take it. The end of the day it is about education, not truancy rates that the government sees. It is harder to fight the system with difficult child. Home education is hard work, I know, I now home Ed my son but its right for him. Stop looking at numbers and start doing, there are a lot of children out there that need help with their education. Have things in place to identify early on the children in need of help, prevention is better than cure!
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Teletubbies birthday!
I was shocked to find a news item on how the Teletubies are 10 years old this year! I remember that when they first started that my kids where not that bothered as they where a little old for it . I how ever loved them! At one point becoming a secrete watcher, there sweet humor, and love of the world of children! I thought that the screen on the tummy was great and the way they played the small story twice, what a great idea! Teletubbies have been seen with the "A list" people like Britney Spears, Angelina Jolie has been seen shopping for their stuff.
My sister hated them saying that they where giving kids subliminal messages! I think that says more about her mind!
So the BBC are doing a gift box two disc collection of the best ten shows. These sweet tubbies have now been shown in 120 countries! that is going some.
Well I wish them a big happy birthday and well done to those actors who hid in those costume's thats one job I would not apply for.
My sister hated them saying that they where giving kids subliminal messages! I think that says more about her mind!
So the BBC are doing a gift box two disc collection of the best ten shows. These sweet tubbies have now been shown in 120 countries! that is going some.
Well I wish them a big happy birthday and well done to those actors who hid in those costume's thats one job I would not apply for.
funny AND true
By PHIL DAVIS
CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) - Lawrence Roach agreed to pay alimony to the woman he divorced, not the man she became after a sex change, his lawyers argued Tuesday in an effort to end the payments. But the ex-wife's attorneys said the operation doesn't alter the agreement.
The lawyers and Circuit Judge Jack R. St. Arnold agreed the case delves into relatively unchartered legal territory. They found only a 2004 Ohio case that addressed whether or not a transsexual could still collect alimony after a sex change.
"There is not a lot out there to help us," St. Arnold said.
Roach and his wife, Julia, divorced in 2004 after 18 years of marriage. The 48-year-old utility worker agreed to pay her $1,250 a month in alimony. Since then, Julia Roach, 55, had a sex change and legally changed her name to Julio Roberto Silverwolf.
"It's illegal for a man to marry a man and it should likewise be illegal for a man to pay alimony to a man," Roach's attorney John McGuire said. "When she changed to man, I believe she terminated that alimony."
Silverwolf did not appear in court Tuesday and has declined to talk about the divorce. His lawyer, Gregory Nevins, said the language of the divorce decree is clear and firm - Roach agreed to pay alimony until his ex-wife dies or remarries.
"Those two things haven't happened," said Nevins, a senior staff attorney with the national gay rights group Lambda Legal.
Arnold is considering the arguments. But lawyers on both sides agreed Tuesday that Roach will likely have to keep paying alimony to Silverwolf.
The judge poked holes in several of Roach's legal arguments and noted that appeals courts have declined to legally recognize a sex change in Florida when it comes to marriage. The appellate court "is telling us you are what you are when you are born," Arnold said.
In the Ohio case, an appeals court ruled in September 2004 that a Montgomery County man must continue to pay $750 a month in alimony to his transsexual ex-wife because her sex change wasn't reason enough to violate the agreement.
Roach's other attorney, John Smitten, said the case falls into a legal void.
"It's probably something that has to be addressed by the Legislature," Smitten said. "There is one other case in the entire United States. It really needs to be addressed either for or against the concept of eliminating alimony for that reason."
Roach, who has since remarried, said has been unable to convince state and federal lawmakers to tackle the issue. He said he will continue to fight.
"This is definitely wrong. I have a right to move forward with my life. I wish no harm and hardship to that person," Roach said of his ex-wife. "They can be the person they want to be, to find happiness and peace within themselves. I have the right to do the same. But I can't rest because I'm paying a lot of money every month."
The legal fight is the second transsexual rights showdown in Pinellas County in less than a week. On Friday, transsexual activists from around the country packed a City Commission meeting in neighboring Largo to oppose the firing of City Manager Steve Stanton after he announced he was a transsexual.
Despite the support, commissioners voted 5-2 to fire Stanton.
I have to say poor man! The old husband I mean! Kind of hard to have to pay a man house keeping till he dies! Now his ex is unlikely to remarry then all he can do is hope for an early death! Not a good way to think.
CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) - Lawrence Roach agreed to pay alimony to the woman he divorced, not the man she became after a sex change, his lawyers argued Tuesday in an effort to end the payments. But the ex-wife's attorneys said the operation doesn't alter the agreement.
The lawyers and Circuit Judge Jack R. St. Arnold agreed the case delves into relatively unchartered legal territory. They found only a 2004 Ohio case that addressed whether or not a transsexual could still collect alimony after a sex change.
"There is not a lot out there to help us," St. Arnold said.
Roach and his wife, Julia, divorced in 2004 after 18 years of marriage. The 48-year-old utility worker agreed to pay her $1,250 a month in alimony. Since then, Julia Roach, 55, had a sex change and legally changed her name to Julio Roberto Silverwolf.
"It's illegal for a man to marry a man and it should likewise be illegal for a man to pay alimony to a man," Roach's attorney John McGuire said. "When she changed to man, I believe she terminated that alimony."
Silverwolf did not appear in court Tuesday and has declined to talk about the divorce. His lawyer, Gregory Nevins, said the language of the divorce decree is clear and firm - Roach agreed to pay alimony until his ex-wife dies or remarries.
"Those two things haven't happened," said Nevins, a senior staff attorney with the national gay rights group Lambda Legal.
Arnold is considering the arguments. But lawyers on both sides agreed Tuesday that Roach will likely have to keep paying alimony to Silverwolf.
The judge poked holes in several of Roach's legal arguments and noted that appeals courts have declined to legally recognize a sex change in Florida when it comes to marriage. The appellate court "is telling us you are what you are when you are born," Arnold said.
In the Ohio case, an appeals court ruled in September 2004 that a Montgomery County man must continue to pay $750 a month in alimony to his transsexual ex-wife because her sex change wasn't reason enough to violate the agreement.
Roach's other attorney, John Smitten, said the case falls into a legal void.
"It's probably something that has to be addressed by the Legislature," Smitten said. "There is one other case in the entire United States. It really needs to be addressed either for or against the concept of eliminating alimony for that reason."
Roach, who has since remarried, said has been unable to convince state and federal lawmakers to tackle the issue. He said he will continue to fight.
"This is definitely wrong. I have a right to move forward with my life. I wish no harm and hardship to that person," Roach said of his ex-wife. "They can be the person they want to be, to find happiness and peace within themselves. I have the right to do the same. But I can't rest because I'm paying a lot of money every month."
The legal fight is the second transsexual rights showdown in Pinellas County in less than a week. On Friday, transsexual activists from around the country packed a City Commission meeting in neighboring Largo to oppose the firing of City Manager Steve Stanton after he announced he was a transsexual.
Despite the support, commissioners voted 5-2 to fire Stanton.
I have to say poor man! The old husband I mean! Kind of hard to have to pay a man house keeping till he dies! Now his ex is unlikely to remarry then all he can do is hope for an early death! Not a good way to think.
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