Merry Christmas from our Family to yours.

it’s been a very unusual year for us full of ups and downs but more importantly like any rough year its been full of learning.

We started the year believing 2020 would be the year of struggle (it still may be lol) but when Duncan was made redundant in April (10 months sooner than expected) without any warning I honestly didn’t think this year would end like this. The children’s home ed journey this year has been more structured learning this year and involved a large amount of independent learning for Jessica.

Thomas has become more and more adult and each and every one of my children have surpassed any expectations this year really helping to keep everything running during what ended up as a very chaotic time for our family.

They actually held out better than me when I actually had the first sensory Shutdown since I was 14 at work on Halloween and to be honest it has taken me until now to desensitise from it and that only came after I handed in my notice for the central buildings and gave myself a couple of weeks of reduced hours to allow myself to actually find some normality.

At the time it really felt like I was failing but now I realise that actually, it wasn’t the job it was the hours that were the problem there was no real routine in them and there were no set days off either which meant I couldn’t organise my time efficiently to allow me to keep up all of my commitments and more importantly the rituals that help me keep up my mask in public and allow me to relax at home.

This year has been hard and I have learned a lot about myself, the strength our family has when we all stick together and how blessed I am.

Home Education may not be right for all families but this year has proven that for mine it was the right decision and opened our eyes to how blessed we truly are.

So between now and the new year, I am working again at full steam but with Duncan and the kids behind me I know that we will manage it and with a lot to look forward to in the new year (and lots to be anxious about too!) I think this year has been a turning point for me.

Due to my working hours, we have had our Christmas day over the last weekend (20th and 21st). Today was purely Santa’s presents and a day of Christmas movies for this lot and a day of a red Mrs Claws outfit and a day in the pool changing room with my work friends for me. (oh and a Christmas dinner at work too).

Christmas always seems to be the time people reflect on their year may be due to its proximity to the new year or the fact its the only time of year that people really actually slow down and take heed as the day itself allows us an excuse to do so, but for me, this year has been the hardest and the most wonderful all in one, full of proud moments and a real chance for me to learn to loosen the apron strings with my children allowing Duncan the chance to step up and really step in. I think I have actually hogged our children until now with him at work so many hours each week it became natural but since moving to Warminster this has slowly changed hours reduced and time at home and present increased until our roles reversed for part of this year.

I think that as much as I am ready to say goodbye to 2019 it has been a valuable year for our family and I really love having Duncan Home more, on the whole, I think it was a year of change for the best for all of us and this Christmas is the first one for years where Duncan has been home and not over-exhausted due to the pressures of his old job on the run-up to Christmas. 

We haven’t had a traditional Christmas in any sense of the word but it’s been one we needed.