Healthy Kids--My Main Job
Without Prejudice
I look at the title of my original blog, called Healthy Kids. I realise how far creatively I have gone since then and pull my self back in. It has is and will always be about kids and if anyone knows me, that's a fact that they know will not change with me. I like Healthy Kids, mentally, physically and emotionally with food and shelter, safe shelter, my main goal.
Too many kids see too much these days. They think they are mature at 13 and want to live without rules and it can't happen, not yet anyway. First they have to understand the rules for living well. We don't smack unless it's in fright, like a child goes to run across the road. We work on the theory once they have reached five they are starting to get a little mature, Before that as the ones we raise are all boys, we do the modeling and teaching.
Cruz, 2 and Acer, 4 are only now going to "Kindy" as we like to make sure they are ready. They have had years of being able to roam free in the backyard. Acer finally understands that if he swings too high in exuberance that he might hit Cruz, who at two understands only a little.
It is absolute chaos at the moment at The House Of The Seven Dwarves, as we sometimes call it, its Spring and we are in clean up mode. Trouble id that all the older boys are back home with friends as well. Jai is in Cadets and has a friend over as tomorrow he goes on his first camp. My sister Helen rang the other night and her oldest boy is off Overseas, in a month. He drives tanks for the army. And the army is what Jai aspires to by being in cadets.
I worry for my sister and can feel her fear and heartache and pride, all mixed together. It seems surreal that Jai at 14 might go to conflict somewhere in a few years. The trouble is it is what he wants to do. And we respect that. Jai has gone from "The worst case of Oppositional Defiance Disorder" the paeditrician had ever seen to a great kid, polite, well spoken, top in his class at Maths.
At 7 he was suspended from School. 7, that's pretty harsh. We had to put jim on Ritalin at the specialists request, we sure weren't happy about it but it had to be done. We gave him breaks on weekends and holidays. He had permanent red marks around his neck, poor kid, from his Brothers who hated him for a while. He was bad, real bad, but once he was on Ritalin at 7 he changed.
He became the boy that could concentrate at school and became class captain, now Top In Maths, (There's an Asian kid, top as well, but Jai thinks he will beat him by the end of the year. He grew up, "matured" by himself. The older brothers moved out for 12 months and Jai had a chance to shine. Now, they are back they get along with him great and there is no more Ritalin.
We found last holidays he had outgrown bad behaviour, joined the cadets with a friend and is off on his first camp, ever, tomorrow. Cost Yvette $200 for thermal sleeping bag and other necessary "stuff". I love Jai for his bravery, he has come through the most tremendous journey and has done it all with courage and self belief. Having a conversation with him is like having a conversation with a scientist, so brainy is he.
They wrote us off all those years ago. Yvette and I. What did a mum and Grand mother know ?? The thing was we knew everything about Jai but no one wanted to listen. So we just got on with the job. Tantrums and furies, striking out at every opportunity. We let him alone then as we knew the terrors that drove him. He knew no one liked him and cried about that. It was a tough time but we showered him with love and acceptance, praised what was good and ignored what was bad.
I knew he would be alright. Up till 5 he was babied and spoiled and he was a little red headed terror. I knew with a start in life like he had had, he would be fine. Yvette called him her "Babycakes" from birth. And although at that time his home situation was not good, he was secure and loved and you can't beat that as a start to life.
The boys have been in the same house for 7 years now. It's a ministry set amongst owned properties and is a great house. The boys know it as "Home", where the cat is, where Bonnie is buried, their gorgeous German Sheperd who died from old age, the home of their Husky, Kayko. They know every room, every blade of grass they have had to mow at times. It's their home and security and is so much more than a house.
Two years ago I moved here as I missed having a family. But I still have my own unit and they come and knock and ask for help if they need it. Sometimes it's sewing, sometimes help with English essays and maths. I can close my door and enter my own world. Peace and quiet and organised and so very pretty as I love pretty things around me. Nourishes and sustains me. I love it, now, at first I hated it.
Jai came the other night dressed in his Cadet Uniform and listened at the window to the classical music I play to stop the dog over the back barking and he said,
"Love that Music Nana"
I was thrilled as dogs, wolves and Alpha Males are impressed with classical Music, it calms them and I knew my terrifying little Ranga was going to be one great Man. Love you Jai Elijah aged 14 and a half,
xxxx
I look at the title of my original blog, called Healthy Kids. I realise how far creatively I have gone since then and pull my self back in. It has is and will always be about kids and if anyone knows me, that's a fact that they know will not change with me. I like Healthy Kids, mentally, physically and emotionally with food and shelter, safe shelter, my main goal.
Too many kids see too much these days. They think they are mature at 13 and want to live without rules and it can't happen, not yet anyway. First they have to understand the rules for living well. We don't smack unless it's in fright, like a child goes to run across the road. We work on the theory once they have reached five they are starting to get a little mature, Before that as the ones we raise are all boys, we do the modeling and teaching.
Cruz, 2 and Acer, 4 are only now going to "Kindy" as we like to make sure they are ready. They have had years of being able to roam free in the backyard. Acer finally understands that if he swings too high in exuberance that he might hit Cruz, who at two understands only a little.
It is absolute chaos at the moment at The House Of The Seven Dwarves, as we sometimes call it, its Spring and we are in clean up mode. Trouble id that all the older boys are back home with friends as well. Jai is in Cadets and has a friend over as tomorrow he goes on his first camp. My sister Helen rang the other night and her oldest boy is off Overseas, in a month. He drives tanks for the army. And the army is what Jai aspires to by being in cadets.
I worry for my sister and can feel her fear and heartache and pride, all mixed together. It seems surreal that Jai at 14 might go to conflict somewhere in a few years. The trouble is it is what he wants to do. And we respect that. Jai has gone from "The worst case of Oppositional Defiance Disorder" the paeditrician had ever seen to a great kid, polite, well spoken, top in his class at Maths.
At 7 he was suspended from School. 7, that's pretty harsh. We had to put jim on Ritalin at the specialists request, we sure weren't happy about it but it had to be done. We gave him breaks on weekends and holidays. He had permanent red marks around his neck, poor kid, from his Brothers who hated him for a while. He was bad, real bad, but once he was on Ritalin at 7 he changed.
He became the boy that could concentrate at school and became class captain, now Top In Maths, (There's an Asian kid, top as well, but Jai thinks he will beat him by the end of the year. He grew up, "matured" by himself. The older brothers moved out for 12 months and Jai had a chance to shine. Now, they are back they get along with him great and there is no more Ritalin.
We found last holidays he had outgrown bad behaviour, joined the cadets with a friend and is off on his first camp, ever, tomorrow. Cost Yvette $200 for thermal sleeping bag and other necessary "stuff". I love Jai for his bravery, he has come through the most tremendous journey and has done it all with courage and self belief. Having a conversation with him is like having a conversation with a scientist, so brainy is he.
They wrote us off all those years ago. Yvette and I. What did a mum and Grand mother know ?? The thing was we knew everything about Jai but no one wanted to listen. So we just got on with the job. Tantrums and furies, striking out at every opportunity. We let him alone then as we knew the terrors that drove him. He knew no one liked him and cried about that. It was a tough time but we showered him with love and acceptance, praised what was good and ignored what was bad.
I knew he would be alright. Up till 5 he was babied and spoiled and he was a little red headed terror. I knew with a start in life like he had had, he would be fine. Yvette called him her "Babycakes" from birth. And although at that time his home situation was not good, he was secure and loved and you can't beat that as a start to life.
The boys have been in the same house for 7 years now. It's a ministry set amongst owned properties and is a great house. The boys know it as "Home", where the cat is, where Bonnie is buried, their gorgeous German Sheperd who died from old age, the home of their Husky, Kayko. They know every room, every blade of grass they have had to mow at times. It's their home and security and is so much more than a house.
Two years ago I moved here as I missed having a family. But I still have my own unit and they come and knock and ask for help if they need it. Sometimes it's sewing, sometimes help with English essays and maths. I can close my door and enter my own world. Peace and quiet and organised and so very pretty as I love pretty things around me. Nourishes and sustains me. I love it, now, at first I hated it.
Jai came the other night dressed in his Cadet Uniform and listened at the window to the classical music I play to stop the dog over the back barking and he said,
"Love that Music Nana"
I was thrilled as dogs, wolves and Alpha Males are impressed with classical Music, it calms them and I knew my terrifying little Ranga was going to be one great Man. Love you Jai Elijah aged 14 and a half,
xxxx
