2016 has been an amazing year for my family, we’ve seen milestones achieved, welcomed a new family member, celebrated graduations, promotions and just basically been high on life. As much as writing that makes my little heart happy, I’m a pessimist so I’m expecting 2017 to maybe not be filled with as much candy floss and bunnies. In saying that I am also a Pisces so in the very next breath, I’m also expecting 2017 to be amazing. I like to live life on the edge and keep even myself guessing with my expectations, the ADD is strong in this not so young Padawan. So to kick off the end of year malarkey, here’s a list of my new years resolutions.. Don’t worry my list is short because… ADD.
My first and foremost life changing duty is to do with hair. My girls and I have the crazy Fijian textured hair, it is confused. It knows not whether to curl or to sway in the breeze, it’s as thick as Mufasa’s mane and yet quite easily damaged if heat is applied because although thick, its quite fine in texture. My hairdressers dread seeing me come in to the salon to ask them to tame the mane. It turns into a therapy session for them from me by the end of it. So this year I have decided to take charge of our wild hair and rid ourselves of any heating elements that I engaged with on previous occasions to try and tame the mane into adhering to what society expects of our appearance. I’m embracing our natural hair, especially that of my 5 year olds as I have come to realise that society can just as well go do one with the pressure of expecting women of colour, women with wild hair to conform to their status quo of hair. So for my sisters with wild hair, crazy hair, matted hair, no hair, I say feck ‘em, do you boo! Although I do recommend brushing your hair, don’t be nasty and have bedhead all day, that’s just lazy.
Moving on to door number 2.. This coming new year, well rather tomorrow is going to herald a lot of significant changes in the Robinson household, in that we have chosen to home educate our children. I’m not going to lie, it has brought about heart palpitations, night sweats and nightmares just thinking of how I’m going to be spending a lot more time with the gremlins.. But it’s a decision that we have come to after a lot of consideration and the usual weighing in of the pros and cons. I don’t claim to be a qualified teacher so I’m more or less learning as I will go. Here in England (and Wales) Home Education is a right accorded to parents and/or guardians under the 1996 Education Act. You can either place your child in mainstream education or if you feel that the system may not be providing adequately for your child’s/rens you can choose to home educate them. The syllabus you choose to use is entirely up to you. I mentioned that this is as much a learning curve for me as it will be for my children because I’m just going to go ahead and throw it out there, I’m not the most patient person .. EVER. I’m one of those parents who like to explain things once and expect it to be heard and executed perfectly, because that’s how I was raised and survived... I’m sure a lot of my Fijian friends will attest to this. The resources available for parents choosing to home educate is vast.. overwhelmingly vast. If like me you are going in blind in this world of home education resources, be warned, you may or may not end up buying a warehouse of curriculum texts. A few friends have expressed their scepticism with regards to my home educating my gremlins, it’s not because they doubt my abilities but more because they know my personality and also that my 5 year old may well break my spirit in the process. You see, she’s living, breathing proof that a parent’s personality can be condensed and packaged up in a little human, to torment you for the rest of your life and remind you that you were once a shitbag and that title has now been carried over to the next generation. So here’s hoping I survive 2017 and home education.
My third and final nail in the coffin for 2017 is to be kind. Be kind in my thoughts, especially when it comes to family. I’m a schemer and my overly wild imagination can sometimes get the better of me and result in my culling certain family member as and when I feel the need arises. I send in Liam Neeson to take them out.. That’s a joke people.. but really. I have to learn to be kind in the words I speak out to the universe. But we all know that’s me fecked already as my blog is more or less a reflection of how I speak and kill them with kindness is not really something that is prevalent in my writing. As I write this last resolution I have just realised what a load of bollocks this third one is so I am going to leave this as pending approval. I will however add this, I am going to strive to be even more honest then I usually am. So for all the assholes I’ve met in 2016, I pray our paths never cross in 2017 as my patience levels will most probably be depleted due to the second resolution being put into place, for those amazing people I’ve met, befriended, invaded your lives, I look forward to another year of driving you all insane.
I wish you all a safe end to the year that was, a happy beginning to the year that is to be and may it be filled with love, laughter and success in all you do.
From the resident asshole recently relocated to the North of the Wall
Bella xx
