Searching Questions...

After reading a friend's blogpost about listening to your children I was deep in thought.  I know I don't listen to my kids enough.  I'm a typical working parent who is either too busy or too knackered to be a great parent.  That has to change!  Unfortunately I have to work to support the kids so that cannot change which means my attitude has to.  From somewhere I have to dredge up the strength, time and determination to connect properly with my kids again, if I don't it will soon be too late. In two short years the eldest could leave home, in four he could get married...

I asked my boys very similar questions to the ones Jules asked hers.  Both boys answered pretty honestly, Max brutally honestly, he really doesn't do shades of grey, lol!  Jack is happy to share his answers, Max wants his to remain private - something I am eternally grateful for as they don't paint me in a very good light...  I wanted to print them on here nonetheless because I wanted to shame myself into changing but then I wouldn't be actually  listening to him if I did that would I.  I'm just gonna have to change things without having it all on here...

So to the questions...
Jack
"What do you like about HE?"
I don't know I just like it...  I don't have to be with loads and loads of other kids that I don't like.  I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to go to school.  I get more choice about what I do, I like doing science its quite easy.

"What would you do differently"
I don't think I'd change anything, if I think of something I'll let you know
(later, after I'd said what I thought he'd say...)  I'd like less structure and more sorting myself out. Not sitting up to the table and doing xyz and xyz time.  Not sure how I'd do it though.

"What do you not like?"
Can't think of anything.

"Would you like to go to school?"
NO!

"Why?"
Pretty much for the reasons I said I like HE, because I was comparing it with school.

So, it looks as if mostly I am doing things right for Jack but not so right for Max.  I need to find more ways for Max to meet up with other kids, no mean feat cos he hates going to anything new.  More than that I cannot say.