Of course, no one actually likes school when they’re there, but over the course of year 11 and year 12 i realised just how good a school it was.

It’s probably the cheapest of the private schools in canberra, and i still think it’s one of the best. Issy started there this year in the early learning center – she’s free of the place when she finishes year 12. Giventhat i know how much they value and work hard at encouraging learning, i wouldn’t send her anywhere else.

But on top of that, I do make sure we do all we can to encourage her mind when she’s at home. drives in the car always involves maths or word play of some sort, to the point now that i’m sick of it but she always keeps whining to play the games

The main reason I say this is because no two children are the same. An environment where one person’s child thrives may be ‘hell on earth’ for another. You and Nicola are best placed to monitor Bella’s progress and revise your decisions based on what you observe.

My two eldest sons are quite different people. When they were in Cubs & Scouts, their nicknames were “Chalk” and “Cheese”. One of them would have done well no matter what school he went to. The other needed every assistance a highly-resourced school could offer.

(They are still different today; one of them is an MCP and the other is an open-source aficionado.)

Now, as well as differences between schools, there are also differences between teachers. I have observed that you can strike a bad teacher at a good school and vice versa.

I think your best yard-stick up until about Year 10 is: “Is my child happy?” Unhappiness, however caused, (bullying, excessive pressure, “all my friends go to the other school”, “stupid uniform”, “grumpy teacher”, whatever) is a barrier to learning. If Bella is happy, she will learn.

In later years, when career choices are being targeted and Bella’s talents have been identified a slightly different dynamic kicks in, but we can discuss that later.

Best wishes and congratulations on taking parenting so seriously. It IS what life is all about.

Shame you told him not to listen to you

And another bit of advice not to listen to…

In general, I have serious reservations about home schooling. The ability to interact with other other children is an invaluable skill which could easily be missed with home schooling.

Even worse, I know some people who have home-schooled their children and then taken their kids to special “play groups” where their children can meet and interact with children with “suitable” backgrounds. “Don’t want them picking up any bad language/criminal tendencies/drug habits” NOOooooh!

If we shield our children from kids with different social/ethnic/religious backgrounds or different skin colour, we do them no favour.

This last point was driven home to me when I took the family to the US many years ago. One of the boys was about 10 when he asked, “Mummy, why do all these men with brown skin keep asking Daddy for money?” It was a bit of an eye-opener. I realised that not only did he not know poor people existed, but he had never met an aboriginal person.

Well I’m pleased to say the now, many years later, I’m not at all concerned about the boys picking up any bad language/criminal tendencies/drug habits. My worst problem is that one of them uses Linux.

OK I’ll shut up now. Promise. See you all at Code Camp Oz!

As long as your kids will be learning and not having sex in the school toilets, I’d say you are on a winner.

Remember, You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. As long as your waters aren’t brackish the rest is up to the kid.

Which is why Delia is going to Radford. ELC as well. Very pleased we got in there.

As for home schooling (something I’ve never tried), it seems fraught with problems. Some parents can be good teachers, but how many? Can you find parents who can teach high school level math, physics, chemistry, literature, art, etc.? Is it really good for the kids to have so little social interaction outside the home?

The school you choose really doesn’t matter, what matters it that you and/or Nicola are involved, and show interest in what Bella does at school. Make sure you spend the time after school to help with their homework, reading etc, or even offer to help out at the school, it benefits your child and all the others in their class..

The other important thing, make sure Bella sees you and Nicola reading. Kid’s love to mimic their parents… My daughters love nothing better than reading books next to me while I’m reading…

(well the 16 month old loves to play with the books, but it’s a start)

That’s my 2 cents…

I didn’t watch it for a couple of years when I was at school, and apart from the social isolation of not knowing what happened on last night’s Cosby Show, it was great. Although I got into TV again at Uni, I have now kicekd the habit again, and haven’t had a TV at home since 2003. Our kids sometimes get to plug the antenna into the computer to watch a bit of ABC Kids, but commercial TV is verboten.

(It’s the one thing I mostly admire Bill Gates for too.)