This is a paid for post in collaboration with Fenetic Wellbeing

This week in our house is all about Children In Need

Next week is Nursery Rhyme Week

Until Friday 22nd November and then we are starting our Advent For Tilda

With a merry and bright bang!

For the rest of 2019 we are going to be throwing aside education

In it’s traditional expected form

And we are going to focus on family time

Festive family time

We are going to end the year on a high

I have not been doing so well these past few months

Years really

But the last couple of months I have been really struggling

Really struggling

I want

I need

To spend some time spoiling my children

Reconnecting with my children

And I need to spend some time reconnecting with me

After a crazy fun filled festive season

We are going to slow right down

Home Education has been really stressful these past months

I have really been doubting my ability to meet the children’s needs

I have been worried about what comes next

Especially for Esther and William

I have been worrying so much about the future

I have forgotten to be truly present right now

There is nothing urgent that we need to be doing

With regard to secondary school options right now

What we do need to do

Is come together as a family

And enjoy a year of fully rounded home education

I have bought in a special curriculum to help us shape our year aged

The Waldock Way

Wizards and Wands Curriculum

Loosely based on Harry Potter

Which my children adore

Waldock’s Wizards and Wands is a year long study

In which students will read the Harry Potter books

Watch the movies

And study courses such as Alchemy, Astronomy, Charms, Enchantments, Herbology

Incantations, Magical Creatures, Muggle Studies, Potions, and Spells

These courses are the subjects commonly referred to as

Language arts, science, history, art, and music

We just need to add in our own individual maths lessons

Alongside all the external classes the children attend

I think working in this way for a year

Will really help us to focus

And enjoy our education at home

In a slower yet well structured way

I am really very excited about it

As part of our slowing down

And for our family well being

I want us to start spending more time outside

My plan is to visit each of our favourite haunts once a fortnight

So Rare Breeds, Leeds Castle and Bedgebury

This will help with our science and geography work

As well as help us all

Perhaps me especially

To feel more balanced and calm and free

I want to make a real effort to improve our family diet in the new year

And to make sure that we are all exercising

All the children attend dance classes

But I would also like us all to walk regularly

And to do some yoga together

I am going to prioritise my own self care in the new year

I want to swim regularly

Continue seeing my osteopath regularly

I want to take better care of myself

So that I can take better care of everyone else

I am going to make an effort to get dressed every day

When we are home all day it is very easy for me to spend all day in pyjamas

I plan to get dressed every day and do my hair

Perhaps even wear a smidge of make up from time to time

I want to take some time for me

To find myself again

To like myself again

And feel confident in who I am and the choices that I make

I want to be a good role model for my children

I want to prioritise my health

I have an ongoing back problem

That seems to be getting worse

I am more debilitated more often

I also have terrible posture and a very weak core

Each of these individual problems impact on each other

They can be uncomfortable, painful a lot of the time

I wonder if having a special chair for the evenings might help

A chair that supports good posture

And offers heat therapy and massage

I have been looking at some of the chairs offered by Fenetic Wellbeing

I think something like this could really help me

My osetopath feels I need to not only strengthen and retrain my muscles

But also make sure I am relaxing them when I can with heat and massage

With all of the above in mind

I have made a little manifesto for 2020

A little list of things to do

And this is it

Follow The Waldock Way Wizards and Wands Curriculum

Get outside as a family at least 3 times a week

Get me and all the children dressed every day

Spend quality one to one time with each child once a month

Take three hours on a Sunday morning to be my time to write or walk or shop

Swim at least 3 times a week

I feel that now I have a plan

For the new year

I can relax and really enjoy the end of this year

This is my absolute favourite time of year

I have the best memories of Matilda Mae from Advent and Christmas 2012

We LOVE advent in this house

And this one is going to be really truly super special

We are #livingfortilda

Do follow along with our #adventfortilda and see all our #edspireadventadventures

Over on Instagram

Have you made any plans yet for 2020?

What will the new year hold for you?