7 January 2012

Well, so much for blogging about this every day - it is a difficult challenge and one that I will have to make time for.  The first thing of the day reflecting on the previous day seems to be the best time - if I can get up at 5am to do so.

1440 minutes per day x 5 days = 7200 minutes have passed since the last post and most of these Morgan has been at his father's house.  These times are very important to establish relationship and maintain connection with his father and his world over there.  It is quite foreign to me; although I did have a relationship with his father for 10 years - I have learned over the last 10 years that he is still doing things the same and that he has not changed or enhanced a parenting style.  I have learned too over the last 10 years that it takes some time for the children to snap back into normality.  It is a bit like jetlag - so I will refer this time to "daddylag".  In our new home, we have a number of spaces the children can relax and work - so, from now on, Morgan is to go to one of these spaces (bedroom, verandah, their lounge room) to chill out and relax for a while with his guitar or just himself (sometimes he needs to catch up on his sleep).  Then come into contact with us again in their own time.  I did explain that this time will need to get shorter as they get older as others in their new worlds will not tolerate their tiredness or irritability.

A shopping trip at one of the major department stores was conducted on 2 January 2013.  This was an experience as we do have a number of items on our list - Television for the children's living area, shoes, clothes.  Morgan saw the value of his money diminish very quickly as he saw the price of these items.  I ask that the children do not buy straight away; they look at everything first and then make decisions about items later at home.  I have spoken about the strategies retailers use for sales, shopping and general marketing.  It is amusing when we do go shopping that they sometimes pick up on these things and declare them.  I have to also consider lessons in tact and respect for the trade.

So, the $ received at Christmas time have already been spent in their heads.  Each Wednesday night there is a telephone conversation scheduled with the father.  Thursday morning when I arrived at his house to drop off the children, there is a television waiting (one that he had downstairs not being used).  I was a little surprised; however, in his words "it is a present for the children doing well at school".  I was also a little annoyed as I have vowed that big purchases like this the children will be involved and they will contribute.

A teaching lesson lost; but one also gained.  No new tricks here from my perspective; and it seems that the children have established skills in manipulation.  Anyway, there are plenty of minutes to reinforce this lesson - I will just have to be tactful.  It got me wondering, how many households have spare sets lying around - we don't.  So much digital waste.

Today is the beginning of a new week - we are busy (all of us) getting ready for new schools.  I have one child's booklist done - I am working on Morgan's this week.  I think we do need to get stationery though.  One thing is a scientific calculator ($220 per unit) for both of them - my goodness!

best moment:  listening to guitar playing in the background while doing the laundry.
song of the day (week):  Tainted Love (played by Morgan).
aha moment:  coming up with the term "Daddylag" with my husband (referring the symptoms the children have when they come home from their Dad's as those similar to Jetlag).
teaching time:  television moment - humbling accepting the gift and paying the consequences later.

2,095,200 - 7,200 = 2,088,000.