Calling SS on Tuesday

I'm sorry @pinkquartz you must have misunderstood or misread something nobody wants the children in care. When talking about calling SS there was an anxiety over the care system if children are removed I've since called the education department who have taken on my concerns and will be dealing with it

The Steiner Schools do not give their children formal reading, writing and maths until they are 7 years old.
It never harms the kids.......they soon catch up at 7.

My own child learnt to read at 6years old without being taught. As did her entire class.
When children are ready to learn they do very fast so do not panic.

Sorry [Granypie] I did misread. The Steiner schools could be a good compromise?
If you can visit one you may feel reassured.

I cannot believe the depth of nastiness. For what it is worth I am with Granypie on this subject and totally agree with what she has done. Of to the loft to find my WW11 tin helmet.

I don’t disagree with the discussion regarding the children education.

What is absolutely sickening is the fact that Op is not holding her son accountable and how clearly useless he is. Once again a man getting a pass because the bar is set in hell.

Actually if the children do go to school (after the situation gets sorted & if mum agrees) they might just love having friends to talk and play with! 7y is a perfect age for sharing, giggling and having fun. Haven’t the experts in education been telling us all during the lockdowns how much depriving children of socialising is detrimental to their mental well being?

Perhaps one day you'll get your own life to be so passionate about Bibbity that you'll stop being sickened by my family and stop with your persistent bullying and shouting down of people on gransnet.

I do find it odd that someone posts her dilemma, with her chosen course of action, and then becomes aggrieved and extremely defensive when some people take an alternative view.

What did she expect - a round of applause and a bouquet?

I think sometimes when you are so involved though and emotionally invested/hurt in/with something it is VERY DIFFICULT to take criticism and take a step back. I know I can become quite defensive in RL if I feel 'got at'. It doesn't mean I don't actually take other peoples opinions on board though and I'm sure were a similar to a certain extent. We all have things that get to us iykwim

It doesn’t really matter if granypie likes the idea of a Steiner school. It doesn’t matter what she likes at all. If the LA are happy with how the children are being educated, that’s literally the only other thing that counts. She doesn’t have a say. They could switch to more formal homeschooling rather than going into a regular school. She’s not going to get what she wants because it’s not her decision.

I am really shocked by the attitude displayed here by some posters towards Granypie. She is concerned about her grandchildren's lack of education and is attempting to do something about it; the fact that they appear to be lacking age appropriate skills in literacy and numeracy does matter and needs investigating. Unfortunately, the inspection of homeschooling is very limited and restricted in what it can achieve, and can only offer advice to improve a poor situation.

Their father needs to take far more responsibility for his children's welfare, and moving a long distance away from them is not going to help. but I do not think the grandmother is using the situation to vent her spite on the daughter in law.
'Unschooling' follows loosely the principles of child-centred education and independent learning, which works for some children, but fails many unless there is an underlying structure for assessment in place. I heard John Humphrys once investigating various forms of primary education, in Wales and at the end of the programme he declined to say which form of teaching he thought best, but he did know that children only got one chance at schooling, and it was important to get it right, because lost time is very hard to make up.

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Urmsongran the children obviously do have friends already - as we were told they do things with other home-educators.

olddudders

I do find it odd that someone posts her dilemma, with her chosen course of action, and then becomes aggrieved and extremely defensive when some people take an alternative view.

What did she expect - a round of applause and a bouquet?

But Granypie has changed her course of action! At first she was going to contact Social Services but after an exchange of posts she has decided to report her concerns to the Local Education Authority.

I think this lady has taken a lot of flak on here. She has discussed the situation with her son. As a caring grandmother she has decided upon a course of action which she and her son (their father) are in agreement upon. It is none of our business who picked up the phone to make the call. Maybe her son asked his articulate mother to do it? Maybe he has a speech impediment and doesn’t want to do it. Maybe he has anxiety issues? Who knows?

Yet I find it strange how those on here who have had an education themselves - with all that entails regarding structure, assessments and friendships - seem very keen to deny the same to these twin seven year olds.

This tread is getting too long to read everything, so I read the first and last pages....sorry.

I would be very worried if my grandsons lived under such a regime grannypie.

Children need to understand maths and to be able to read. Social service do not exist for the purpose of monitoring education however.

It is time that home schoolers. had both support and accountability imo. I know this is not everyone's opinion, but a child has a basic right to a descent education , which can not be gained through Minecraft.

It is your son's job to sort this out, you will need to ' sit on your hands' and nice your time in silence. Not easy, I just hope it gets sorted for the children's sake.

If the children do start school it'll be the teacher who'll be in touch with SS as to a reason for non-attendance. Unless a family has returned from another country, there will be questions asked. SS have more powers than anyone realises and if there is no good reason then the authorities will take over their welfare, even if the children live/ stay with grannie their futures will remain in the hands of the local authority.

I would get this matter sorted asap and have the children registered at a school. What about their vaccinations, are they all up to date ? Are they registered to a GP ?

I will get what I want because I want my gc to get a proper education and now with the help if the LA they will. Whatever that looks like which I hope is school and if not proper structured homeschool.

Bibbity I think you have no life because the vast majority of your posts are of the same aggressively judgemental and bullying nature as the ones you have posted here. I also think you have no life because despite claiming to be sickened you just can't help yourself but to return here and indulge yourself in this allegedly sickening tale. I think you have no life because you appear to thrive on ranting spiteful comments at strangers and I think you have no life because you fail to realise that people like you prevent others from wanting to post their opinions and are also the reason why trolls come here for the entertainment of pressing people's buttons. You're a very easy target

Thank you to all of those who responded properly, whether you agreed with me or didn't and thank you to those in PM we will continue there
Good afternoon

Decent ...sorry for the bad spelling!

Fair enough NotSpaghetti. I didn’t see that - it’s a very lively thread! But still ... isn’t consistent day-to-day interaction better in building team work, cooperation and time out away from mummy? Children need to gain independence. So the experts told us during lockdown. Play dates are not enough.

LullyDully, on the contrary, you'd be surprised how much input SS does have as regards a child's education.

Non-attendance is a red light in the world of social services.

It seems to me that you are throwing a tantrum because the majority of grandparents on here have warned you of the potential dangers of interfering in something that you have no knowledge of, only hearsay reports, and one sided complaints from your son. Also, the person in the LEA who discussed your grandchildren's education or lack of it, without any idea of who you were was in a serious legal breach of Data Protection and may well lose her job when your Daughter in Law gets the promised visit. So, all in all, a good morning's work eh?

“I will get what I want”

Yep, this is the MiL from hell...

Slightly off-topic but I wanted to share this uplifting tale which you may have missed:
www.facebook.com/watch/?v=499668547856152

Children are amazing!

I’m sorry to keep harping on, but it does matter who picked up the phone and made the call.

The son is now an absent father who up until the separation has agreed with the method of schooling for his children. As he has not contacted the LA the presumption must be that he is still in favour.

The law says that parents are responsible for ensuring their children receive education, not the LA. The fact that a family member has express concerns will carry little weight because both parents appear to be in agreement with the method employed.

The OPs son needs to get involved if he is really serious about making changes. If he continues to absent himself then the LA will have to make a judgement on what the mother says and demonstrates.

I think the OP was unwise to to are the route she has and I think it will be counterproductive n providing the DIL with grounds for complaint in regard to her actions.

But what is done is done. I still think there was a better way.