Friday Thoughts....

I wrote a few weeks ago on my blog about issues that my 11 year daughter was experiencing at school....and this week those issues have developed.

They got worse and more serious.

I have felt stuck between a rock & a hard place....

I knew we needed to divulge & share certain information but my daughter didn't want me to.

It's really been a challenge.

Every day has felt 48 hours long & I have been racked with worry. 

But events took yet another turn and (thankfully) she realised that not talking about it, not naming names & not asking for help was not going to work.

Bad behaviour is bad behaviour.

Bullies are bullies.

You need to call it what it is - shout and people will usually come running.

She literally woke up this morning & told me that she would go into school & tell the teachers everything. I was on the verge of doing this anyway but to have her agree was a big deal.

And she did exactly what she said she would do.

She talked. They listened.

They were supportive. We have a plan.

My husband & I will see the teachers on Monday.

I am hoping, against hope, that we can move on, that we are going to have a breakthrough.

I don't think it will be solved overnight and I worry about some kind of backlash but some issues will not go away by themselves & I know we've done the right thing.

I feel - for the first time in some weeks - that things will improve.

It's not going to be straightforward, it's definitely been a very harsh & steep learning curve for all of us....and it's not over yet.

But I am hopeful.

When you're little, you think that by the time you reach a certain age, you will know everything.

But of course life isn't like that and it presents continuous challenges....

often when you least expect them & when you aren't at all ready for them.   

Hurtful things have been said to my daughter....

terrible words that you don't even imagine children could even think up. 

She's been thrown into a world that I did not want her to be in.

But it has happened & we will deal with it.

This week-end we will be, once again, reinforcing in lots of subtle ways that our home is her safe haven. We're not going anywhere and home is a dependable and happy place where bad things don't exist.

I'm still working on my 28 Dishes in 28 Days cooking challenge and - in between football matches and cricket practice - plan to spend this week-end cooking as much as possible.

This whole situation has shaken me and I need to spend a little time balancing myself, finding my centre, reassuring myself.

I need to make myself strong again.

Monday - thankfully - will be the start of another week.

And, it's March....which in my book is SPRINGTIME, hoorah!!

Happy Week-end....