The house the children built

Sometimes following unusual signs can exceed all expectations. This particular detour also made me think good education is just good education - no matter what the latest label.
The sign said 'historic miniature bungalow' and is not far from Moana and Lake Brunner on the Greymouth side.
Driving down the straight road we all had a guess at what we might find. Someone's idea of a tourist attraction at a high price or a disappointing dollhouse bungalow perhaps?
What we found at the very end of street was Kotuku's old Jack's Mill School. In it's grounds was a 1/2 sized bungalow with 3/4 sized walls designed and built by eleven and twelve year old children back in the late 1930s. Unfortunately it is only open on Sundays  and it was Monday so we weren't able to walk through it and see the purpose built 1/2 sized bath, the running water, the built-in lounge seat and folding dining room table.

The sign explained it all. A Mr Edward Darracott didn't feel the children were being taught skills that would be useful once they left school so he came up with the plan to build the bungalow. He is quoted on a sign in the school grounds as saying, "Too long has the school been divorced from life as it is to be lived by the child afterwards."
He also said, "The child should be taught to think for himself, not take his lessons spoon-fed from the hands of the lecturer. More still, this training to think and to act should be in a situation as life like as possible."
Today one might use the terms '21st century learning' or 'experiential learning' or 'inquiry learning'. Mr Darracott was doing it in 1938 because it made sense. He had the community supporting the project and the bungalow building did not get any additional funding from the education board of the time. The children learnt not just bricklaying, carpentry, paint and plastering but also book keeping, surveying, letter and report writing - a rounded education. They even made their own carpet and organised insurance. Any school project that becomes a category one listed historic place is surely worth top marks.
It wasn't Mr Darracott's first change to the school either. When he arrived in 1935 he found the grounds and the surroundings gloomy, swampy and "despondent". He decided to get the children to improve their environment by creating a garden with concrete paths on the compass points.
His reason being, "Surely if beautiful thoughts and ideals are to be inculcated in the minds of these children, radical changes must be wrought in their surroundings as well as in their attitude of mind towards the finer issues of life."
The school shut in 1955 but the bungalow has since been restored. Some of the students who had originally designed and built it were involved in the restoration. It seems this learning lasted a life time.
Interestingly a few days later I was talking to secondary school student who was considering building a tiny house as part of his homeschool work. Being an advocate of the 'new' approach to education of emphasising experiential learning tailored to the needs of individual children, I am sure Mr Darracott would approve.
You can read more about the site on the DOC website.

We loved Sammy the starfish rockery

Another surprise in the school grounds.

The Final Day of the Kid's Survival Experiment

The final day started off well. The kids got up leisurely and Lucy. still in pyjamas, made pancakes for breakfast.

Lucy put the washing on but without some of Tristan's things so he added them later - I am not sure when.
They made themselves instant noodles for lunch.

But after lunch it descended into chaos. They were tidying the kitchen after the mess from lunch and breakfast when Tristan used too much cleaning spray, Lucy got cross and the yelling began. Tristan walked out. Lucy followed in tears, "You have no idea how tired I am. All the cooking I have done for you!" She also declared her dislike of little brothers and he wasn't very complementary back. Every time they looked at me to sort it out, I told them it was up to them.
After sitting around ignoring each other before cajoling each other, rather forceful hugging, apologising and more tears they actually finished cleaning the kitchen, putting the dishes away and hanging out their washing. All that, with the arguing, took them nearly two hours. Lucy still kept reminding Tristan of his shortcomings. I asked if she thought this approach was helping the situation. "Yes," she says, "It is very revenging."
Tristan was on dinner, it was an easy one fish and chips - ie. fish fingers and a bag of supermarket chips. He even offered to make it for us too. His own touch was spearing the fish fingers on kebab skewers to make 'hot dogs'.
He read the instructions on the packets, heated the oven, put it all in and waited the eight minutes the packets said. He got it out after exactly eight minutes and declared it ready - this was at 4:45pm.

The ill-fated first bite.

But after one bite, Lucy deemed it wasn't cooked enough and the plates were emptied back onto the trays and back into the oven. Lucy suggested desserts were more his strength but another fifteen or so minutes and he was serving up with more golden coloured fish fingers and chips.
Tristan hung the washing on the rack to finish drying - it seems suspiciously wet. He hung it on the rack, not for maximum drying but to make a hut.
Lucy had planned self-saucing chocolate pudding for dessert but her previous recipes had used up all the eggs. I said I wasn't going to buy more and sometimes you just had to change your plans to suit what was in the pantry. Lucy instead went next door and asked Grandma if she could borrow an egg.

Enjoying Lucy's pudding, the extra 

was taken over to Grandma.

There is one kitchen tidy up and putting sorting the dishes to go before what Tristan has termed 'the last supper'.
Tristan said he has enjoyed the experiment. He said, "Being an adult is actually quite hard. You can't just stay on the computer all day because you have jobs to do."
He said he learnt a lot and this included, cooking for just two of them was quite easy but doing all the dishes was harder than it looked. He also found hanging the washing out difficult because of the height of the washing line.
Lucy found the experiment tiring and awesome. She says, "Don't take parents for granted they do a lot of work." She found doing the washing and not just leaving it for us, quite hard. She also found she couldn't just do her own thing as her day kept being interrupted all the time for having to do jobs, like make lunch and do the dishes.
Overall the amount of dishes created has been vast compared to normal while the clothes deemed needing to be washed has been tiny.

Late Update: The kids were a little too excited while finishing cleaning the kitchen and engaged in a spot of dancing ( rock'n'roll or beyblade style, depending on your era) which led to Tristan falling against the bookcase. A trip to the after hours was needed and a little glue to the head. So if you try this experiment ban dancing. From the start to think I was most nervous about knife use and the hot oven!

Day Two of the Three Day Survival Experiment

The kids are not up so early today. Tristan emerges at 8 and Lucy not until 8:30.
Tristan explains why he wore his clothes to bed - less washing to be done today! He also eats his left over pudding for breakfast.
They do get their washing done again and hung out earlier. I am amazed at the small amount of washing that is appearing when they are doing the washing, compared to what is put out when I am doing it.
Lucy also proudly shows me the bacon she has gotten out early for dinner so it will be defrosted for her bacon and egg pie tonight.
Yesterday's washing is still over the rack in the lounge. We remind them of the rules that clothes have to be put away, not just left in the lounge. The kids say they are scheduling it for later in the day.
So far Lucy is doing really well and taking charge, making sure everything is done. Tristan left completely to his own devices without her help, would do the absolute minimum to survive.
At lunch time we point out the lack of fruit and vegetables in their diet so far. Lucy is suddenly concerned they might get scurvy (she's learnt about it on a documentary).  We do reassure her that it is unlikely to happen in three days. But they both decide to have an orange each. Tristan made himself butter sandwiches for lunch and more cake, while Lucy stuck with her menu plan and made herself an omelette.
When they were sorting the dishes, Karl asked them, "Being an adult is not as much fun as you think is it?"
They both yelled, "No."
Lucy says, "It is horrible." But she was still looking forward to day three tomorrow. "I have lots of good things planned," she says.

Folding the washing turns out
to be not so bad.

Tea was made early and the kitchen was much tidier. I am surprised at their attention to detail during this experiment. Tonight Lucy had greased her pan well so the pie came out easily. When I asked her why she did it, she said her recipe said to grease the pan so she did.

Lucy cuts up her bacon & egg pie 

The washing is taken in early and hung on the rack straight away. Lucy decided to make a starter for dinner of chopped up pieces of bread with some olive oil in a little dipping dish. She also made chamomile tea to have with their main course, "because we are going to be flash".

Tonight a vegetable appears! 

Raw carrot sticks

Still plenty of DVD watching and computer games has gone on today but Tristan also kicked his football around outside too.
One more day - I think the kitchen is going to be very pleased, it will need a good clean. They spent a while in there after dinner sorting out the dishes and giggling hysterically.
They have learnt from their experience on Tuesday and not made the same mistakes. I hope they decide an earlier bedtime is a good idea. Lucy is already in her pyjamas at 7:30pm and has offered to read Tristan a chapter of Harry Potter. Around 7:45pm she says she is going to bed!

Tristan is still up having supper - one of Lucy's shortbread biscuits and more chamomile tea he made for himself. (I didn't know they were so keen on chamomile tea.)

The Survival Experiment - Day 1, Part Two.

Tristan is on dessert tonight so Lucy tells him to make his chocolate cake in the afternoon before she starts her meatballs.
He calls out to me to come and melt the butter for him. I remind him, he has to do it. He does drop the box of eggs while trying to put it away, which results in three broken eggs, now in a glass.

Those are Lucy's shortbread
in the background

When Lucy finds out, she says it is fine she will use them in her bacon and egg pie tomorrow night. As cake smells fill the kitchen Lucy wants to get the cake out and test it for doneness. But Tristan says, "I know what it looks like when it is cooked!" He gets it out when he thinks it looks done.
Once Tristan is finished, Lucy starts cooking meatballs from a recipe she found in one of our recipe books.

Everything is happening in the kitchen,
while the washing sits on the line as the sun goes down.

Once the meatballs are in the oven. The kids decide to go and get their washing, now sitting in the dark. Tristan brings it in and dumps it in the basket under the heat pump. "It's not dry. I am going to leave it here all night to finishing drying." Time for the observers to suggest perhaps hanging it on the rack.
Lucy serves her meatballs with spaghetti, following the instructions on the packet, though they also eat the spaghetti raw while they wait for the water to boil. She serves it quite al dente.

"Two hours!" She says. "I am not cooking meatballs again!" We have a wee taste of her meatballs and they have great flavour - lots of herbs.

Tristan's cake is superb. It is very soft and moist. He even lined the tin. It is not as chocolately as usual so I think he confused teaspoons and tablespoons. The icing ends up very runny so he serves it as a sauce on top of his cake for pudding. He added almond essence to the icing/sauce.

While Tristan is unable to finish his slice of cake for pudding, Lucy hangs up the washing on the rack.

All the while she says, "I am not staying up tonight. I have been working so hard. How do you guys do it all the time and working too?"

The kitchen is suffering, the floor has bits of herbs on it and the fridge door is sticky. 

At 8:45 they are laughing and loading the dishwasher. Lucy is moaning about being very tired. But she wants to make camomile tea for supper. She says she now understands why we don't go to bed when she does as there is still work to be done.

Finally 9:30pm they decide to go to bed but Tristan is going to bed in his clothes. How will this lack of sleep affect their efforts tomorrow will be interesting to see.

There is one thing we have helped them with - the childsafe lid of the dishwasher powder. This wasn't their fault and I am sure with their powers of destruction they could have got into it - but I would rather the container still be in one piece at the end of three days.

The Three Day Survival Experiment - Day 1, Part One

The kids are up at 7 am, quite excited about looking after themselves.
First up is breakfast - not just toast and cereal, but bacon and eggs is planned. First problem - the bacon is frozen in the freezer.
But nothing stops them, they defrost it in a sink of cold water and peel off some pieces for Tristan to cook in the frypan.
Lucy cooks the eggs and even manages the yolks to be just as she likes them.

They are very proud of themselves and offer to make us bacon and eggs for breakfast too.
Lucy also wants to label their bacon in the fridge in case we eat it.
There are a few arguments but they sort them out between themselves.
We are here like UN Observers at an election. We do offer the odd piece of advice that they could either take or choose to ignore. The first one is to make sure they cooked their food properly - we aren't keen on adding food poisoning to the three day experiment.
The washing is done and while a few hours go by, it is eventually hung out on the line.

A big argument arises over the hanging of the washing. Tristan comes to see us, to win us to his side but we tell him they have to sort it out. After some full volume yelling they work out their differences and the job is done. Enterprising Tristan, tries to get some biscuits from Grandma but she just laughs.

Lunch is a Tristan special - spaghetti from the tin.

Quite a bit of DVD watching is going on and many games are being played on the computer.
Lucy is spending the afternoon making shortbread for their supper. She decides to make half a batch. They are balls of shortbread because that is how she decided to cook it. She also decides to mix some butter and sugar - because "it is so yummy." I think that is afternoon tea.

This afternoon Lucy is contemplating whether to get the washing in or start the dinner but her mince is still frozen from getting it out of the freezer late in the day. She leaves the washing. When I ask her later, how she defrosted the mince - she says she used the microwave.
She comments, "Parents are very busy."
I have enjoyed the extra free time this afternoon to finish other jobs.

The Three Day Survival Experiment

Karl heard about a psychologist who believed a seven year old should know enough to be able to look after themselves for a week.
Now Tristan is seven, our kids were up for the challenge but we thought three days would be long enough for all of us.
While we will of course be here to make sure they are doing okay, they will be doing it all for themselves. They have a had a good meal tonight to see them on their way for the next three days.

Today the rules were set (above their usual tasks of making their beds, having showers etc). 
What you are in charge of:

• Feeding Yourselves.
• Doing dishes from cooking.
• Cleaning, Drying, & Putting clothes, worn over the 3 days, away.
• Keep Communal areas tidy.
• Putting yourselves to bed.
• Entertaining yourselves.
• You still need to ask to borrow Mummy and Daddy's things.

The kids, well Lucy (aged 9) really with Tristan agreeing she should, decided to plan a menu.

They have decided that working together is going to be the best plan so they've put their initial next to the meals for which they are in charge. It also looks like from the menu they are aiming to do more than just survive, with puddings and a supper planned for each day. Vegetables don't seem to be having much of a chance to be eaten in the next three days!

Tonight they are very confident of their cooking ability and filled with the joy of the idea of setting their own bedtime and having supper. Their clothes are all clean and packed away in their drawers ready for the next three days.
Let's see how the next three days pans out.

Young vs Old - The secret of self confidence

Self confidence is something I had decided was based on personality. Some people were just naturally more self confident.
I was thinking about this because my daughter had just auditioned for a musical. I expected her to walk of the audition nervous and worried, as I would have done. I could not have been more wrong. She walked out proclaiming her excellence.
When I once complemented her on a singing performance. She replied offhandedly, "Of course. I told you I could sing."
I wondered where she got this endless supply of self assuredness? It wasn't from my genes.
Then I remembered as a kid I had also auditioned to get a part in a school musical. I was also chosen. This was despite only a few weeks earlier auditioning and failing to get into the school choir. I cannot remember what made me think it would be a good idea to audition for a solo singing part after failing to get into a choir. Perhaps as a kid, it never occurred to me not to try.
If I Google self confidence I received 116 million results mostly on how to improve it. If I look up self  doubt there are 110 million results mostly on how to diminish it.
It is something many people wish to change about themselves.
So how has my daughter succeeded in developing it in only eight years of life?
My lectures about how the world works and that success is not always guaranteed, before she throws herself into something, continue to go unproven for her.
The quote in wikipedia on self confidence attributed to Professor Raj Persaud says that true self-confidence comes from an attitude where you: "Promise yourself, no matter how difficult the problem life throws at you, that you will try as hard as you can to help yourself. You acknowledge that sometimes your efforts to help yourself may not result in success, as often being properly rewarded is not in your control."
I don't think most people who look up the 116 million results for self confidence are looking for true self confidence, they just want to feel better about their abilities. I am not sure my daughter has true self confidence by that definition.
She knows how to celebrate her own success without comparing it with others. Three other children also were accepted at the same time as she auditioned. She was happy for them too but she didn't think their success made her any less skilled.
If life throws her something hard, she also doesn't necessarily try to fix it. She is a kid, for her that is what parents are for - to deal with the hard stuff. Usually her approach is I am not good at that - but look how good I am at this!
I think limited life experience also helps.

Trinny & Susannah

I quite like Trinny & Susannah's approach to dressing. I did go through my clothes and try to get rid of everything they said would not suit my figure style. I am not sure if they came over they would notice.
But there is something inside that wants to yell at the end of their books - "It is just clothes! Who cares which bracelet you wear!"
They also seem to completely ignore the emotional attachment to clothes. "If it is not right for you get rid of it" - seems to be their catch cry. But if that ring was given to you by your now dead grandma, does it really matter if it makes your fingers look fat instead of skinny?
After reading a few of their books you do start to look at women in the street and if they are dressing "right" for their figure. Today I saw a lady in a rainbow coloured hoody, with a funky, knitted hat. I did think to myself T & S would cringe at the sight of it. True it probably wasn't doing much for her hips but when I looked at her, I thought anyone who wears such a cool hoody looks like someone I would love to know. If she had been wearing clothes the T & S way, I would have thought... nothing.
Sometimes those very things you are trying to hide can be a point of jealousy. Four year old Lucy said - with some envy in her voice - "Mum your bottom wobbles. You are just like jelly." Who wouldn't want to be like jelly? It is sweet, delicious and always a hit at parties.

Shopping pre and post kids

Shopping pre kids - pick up wallet and phone, walk out of house, lock door and get in car. Drive to shops, wander around looking for what I want, find it, buy it, go to next thing on list, if it is not there, drive to another shop, find what I want and buy it.

Shopping post kids - today for example. Make sure children are wearing acceptable clothes. See thru dress up skirt is not acceptable and request a skirt change. Find shoes and put them on Mr One. Tell Miss Three once she has found a new skirt to find some shoes. Remind Miss Three to go to the toilet. Convince Miss Three she should go to the toilet even if she doesn't feel like it. Praise Miss Three for going to the toilet even when she didn't feel like it and doesn't she feel better now. Correct Miss Three's shoes that are on the wrong feet.
Pick up wallet and phone. Get everyone out of the house. Put back in the house the rideon that came out being ridden by Mr One.
Untwist the straps on the aggravating carseat for Mr One. Mr One gets cross at being put in his carseat when he would like to climb around the car. Strap in Miss Three, fortunately in a better designed carseat.
Drive to shops.
Get out buggy for Mr One. Get out Mr One and Miss Three. Miss Three decides she wants to walk. Then Miss Three is disappointed there isn't a seat for her in the buggy. Unlock the car again and before you go to get out the second seat. Ask again, "Do you want to ride in the buggy or walk?" Miss Three decides she wants to walk. Miss Three has a better idea and decides she wants to push Mr One. Insist she cannot do this alone and continue to correct her poor steering as she doesn't bother to look where she is going because other more interesting stuff is going on.
Wander around shop and find what we want, pay and then go shop two. Just as we arrive at shop two, Mr One is getting restless and asks to be let out. You decide it looks safe enough. Miss Three decides she needs a toilet and she needs it now. Toilet is in shop one.
Go back to shop one, Mr One crying all the way because he had been promised freedom and it was taken away just as he was about to get it. Find toilet, complete ablutions. Mr One is still cross, feel sorry for him as this delay was not his fault. Decide for the benefit of everyone to stop at playground in shop one for a run around.
After a wee play, go back to shop two to see if they do actually have what you want. We wander around, it doesn't seem they do so leave, decide the kids won't handle driving to a different shop when it is nearly lunchtime so give up on shopping trip and visit the pet shop beside shop two to look at all the cute animals. Go home for lunch and a lie down.
Perhaps shopping with children should be made into a board game.

5 days working in Colombo 2001

I know seven years ago but I have been thinking about it again. It was a month before 9/11 happenings in the US when I went to Sri Lanka. I still think about the people I met and wonder how they are getting along. I am always impressed how humans just adapt to the world around them and get on with living. Hooray for life.

We leave the five star hotel. At the beginning of our journey, every few metres we pass a soldier with a gun. They stand on the road watching the traffic. This is the route the politicians drive to work.
The cars and tuktuks, who pay little attention to road rules, are squeezed together down to one lane. Beside us are two lanes of metal barricades. Then there is a large wall against which dirt and sandbags have been piled. Atop the wall is barbed wire and at intervals along the wall are soldiers, guns at the ready. It is the Prime Minister’s house.
Later we drive past the prison. I only know it is prison because my host waves at a nondescript building that closely resembles those around it but with a thin coil of barbed wire along the top of the outer wall. It would seem it is not the prisoners the citizens are afraid of.
High walls and solid metal gates divide buildings into boxes. Every one employs a guard to open the gate after checking who is coming in.
At the laboratory we have new problems I haven’t experienced. Ants had got into the water bottle through the little air hole.
The guard opens the gate for us to leave at lunchtime. At a fast food restaurant, a man in the carpark shows us where to park. He wears a uniform very similar to the police uniform.
When we leave he stands out in traffic to help us rejoin the non stop flow of cars.
After lunch I am given a tour of the laboratories. In the virology lab on a shelf in a glass case, sits a stuffed dog with rabies.
Driving home we pass a Leyland shop. There is a whole pile of engines for sale, all nicely painted in bright tonka toy red.
The next morning driving back to the laboratory we cram past a little rickety table with all the other trucks and cars, belching diesal and petrol fumes. On the wooden table, there is no ice, no covering, just rows of fish sitting beside a busy roundabout in high humidity.
That night I am taken out for dinner by the head of the company and his wife.
They take me to a restaurant that recaptures the old colonial days. Guards in safari suits and hats are at each entrance.
We sit out on the stone terrace overlooking the sea and sip cool drinks while we are entertained by traditional dance performances. As with getting anywere in this city, to reach here we drove over chalk murals marking where bombs have exploded. The conversation we are having over drinks is about children. My hosts tell me they are not planning on having any children. They think it is irresponsible to bring children into such an unstable and dangerous environment.
Later one of the doctors admits to me, that in her heart, she did not think I would come. They thought I would be put off by a recent bombing at the airport. I did wonder as a flew out if I was making a stupid mistake but how can you not help where you can? The world sometimes is not so big.