School Refuser - The Blog

Wednesday 31 March 2010

Duvet Days

By request, I wrote an article for a journal, which, as far as I know, has yet to be published. This was brought to mind by a series of posts in our Forum over the last few days; my article was called 'Duvet Days'.

Now, I am not claiming credit for this terminology, but am instead going to make an admission: I never used this expression with my daughter!

Reading recent posts, some of which gave me joy, and some of which brought tears to the eyes, I find that we should have been giving these days recognition for what they were, rather than as just another occasion for confrontation. But how do we find a happy balance between encouragement and submission?

Whilst many of us have found that our child needs to feel some measure of control, we also need to be able to exercise our parental responsibilities. We also need to be able to have a balance in all our lives where there is time for some fun.

Maybe by admitting today is a Duvet Day we can manage that, but reserve the right that other 'blip' days are not?

Tuesday 23 March 2010

The HandsOnScotland Toolkit is an online resource for anybody working with children and young people. The website was developed by Playfield Institute (NHS Fife) in partnership with Barnardo's and the University of Dundee. It was commissioned by HeadsUpScotland, the national project for children and young people’s mental health.

One of their toolkits is designed to help professionals working with children and young people who refuse to attend school. There are a number of suggestions that will work well for parents, including tips on counselling. How many of us have got into that confrontation from which there is no escape?

Some of the suggestions may seem out of kilter with the advice we give each other here, but perhaps we have got it wrong? I wonder what you think...

Helping a child or young person who refuses to go to school

Friday 19 March 2010

Scottish Government initiative to encourage parents to seek help

This week, through their 'Smarter Scotland' project, the Scottish Government is tell parents to 'Just ask'.

They say that:
"...support can be provided in a variety of ways to meet the individual needs of the child. That could mean dedicated help in the classroom or access to specialised equipment but there are many other types of help available as well. If you think your child could benefit from assistance, it's easy to get things started.

"The best way is to contact their school. However, you can also visit the Enquire website for more information and advice on what to do next.

"In the next few months we'll be taking our roadshow out across Scotland to talk about additional support for learning.

"Whatever the circumstances, Additional Support for learning is available to help you and your child. All you have to do is ask."

A section on the STV website has been set aside for real life stories of people who have benefited from additional support.

Thursday 18 March 2010

Our Forum - and those annoying ads

I am becoming increasingly annoyed with the advertisements on the Forum, and would like to be able to go 'Ad Free'.

This would cost $40.

Any volunteers?

If you are interested in contributing, please get in touch, and I will tell you how you can make a donation.

Costs of hosting, etc, are covered (I wish!)through purchases site visitors make through the Amazon advertisements, so the more you buy, the more it helps! But please do not think this is a money making venture - it very much is not.

Wednesday 10 March 2010

Encouraging signs of understanding? Maybe not!

I was really disappointed to jwud's entry in the Forum, if which he/she explains that their son was told he would receive detention if he was late for school again. However, Sue's response gave cause for hope.

Sue explained how she gave her name and details to one of the professionals involved at CAMHS so they could communicate, because she felt she was coming across as an over-protective mother. The Head of Year was very good, especially after she'd had a call from the professional, she ensured all who taught Sue's daughter were aware of her problems and not to put too much pressure on her during lessons etc.

Penny also told of a similar action she had taken, and the positive response she received.

But it would be wrong to say that all is now roses for Sue and Penny and their children. However, there does seem to be some sign of hope that things are improving in the way the authorities are supporting families with children.

I hope i have got this right!

Monday 8 March 2010

Welcome back

We have replaced the previous blog as it once again ran into difficulties. I think this time the problems are terminal, so we have set up this new one with Blogger.

It is not quite ready yet - there are still some tweaks to do before it is finished, and I am still gettting to grips with the format.

Sunday 7 March 2010

Another New Blog

Oh Dear!  Once again, our blog provider has encountered problems, so we are experimenting with a new one.  I think the problems are terminal this time, so we will probably stick with Blogger.

There are still some issues with the new template design, but I hope it looks reasonably integrated with the rest of the website?