Today was the children’s last day at school before the summer holidays. The boys are finished their first year of school which is a big landmark.
We have school reports. They are all clever little bunnies, insofar as it is possible to tell at this young age, but Daniel is the only one with any application. The Princess’s report begins with the rather ominous pronouncement that she “has the ability to excel in all subjects”. She got top scores for reading and maths on her standardised tests. She doesn’t try because she doesn’t have to. Unfortunately, I can’t see this working indefinitely. Her teacher this year is lovely but perhaps not very strict, the teacher and I enjoyed the following conversation recently:
Me: I hope that she doesn’t read under the desk at school.
Teacher: Under the desk?
Don’t they crack the whip any more in primary schools?
Daniel got top marks in everything except punctuality (which isn’t really his fault) and writing (his lack of success there is not, I assure you, for the want of trying). In her written comments, the teacher said that he is very good at his work and he always tries really hard, even when he finds things difficult. “He likes to do his work properly.” She enjoyed teaching him and he is a lovely child. He is his father’s son.
His brother and sister on the other hand demonstrate something more of their mother’s laissez faire attitude. While the teacher’s written comments about Michael were very positive also, they were positive in a different way, he is ” a lovely, funny, caring boy who loves to make people laugh. He has a great sense of humour.” She also comments on his elephantine memory.
Oh well, they’re all small and they have a lot of growing and changing to do yet. I think we’re all looking forward to the holidays.
These sound like great reports – be proud of them! I’m sure you are, but there’s this sort of compulsion to be depecrating about one’s children, isn’t there? Because one wants to follow home the people who boast and deliberately tread mud into their carpets.
The Princess will continue skating until she stops getting top marks. Then she’ll surreptitiously start applying herself while attempting to maintain the illusion of making no effort. Failing that, all that reading will pay off in a large vocabulary which will allow her to bluff her way through almost any situation. I speak as one who was there…
So that would be well on their way to the Double First… š
Dot, you are very kind, thank you – still early days…
TM, oh I would love to see her surreptitiously applying herself.
JD, oh yes, of course although with standards slipping in places like Belfield that’s not what it was when you and I were children.