Hope Skinner, founder Nanny Shecando

Toot Toot: I think I can, I think I can.

As I sit drinking my coffee with my back to the sun, I can feel it warming the back of my neck. Warming it almost to the point that I’m forced to rethink my decision to forgo the sunscreen (rookie error), and the cool breeze billows through my hair, talking to me, soothing me, almost as though its enticing me into a better mood. The day has a very summery feel to it, a promise of freedom, happy adventures and a slower, easy life. It has a feel that I can’t quite put my finger on, a typical summer’s day feel. An element of je ne sais quoi. And yet I can’t seem to bring myself out of the dull, drab, murky cloud that has been looming over me since I woke up this morning.

I want to be out enjoying the weather at the beach or at the park. I’m instead confronting the piles of uni work that I’ve conveniently stashed aside in the too-hard basket for the last few ~~days~~ weeks!

I do have to admit; it’s not all bad. I am loading up on coffee care of my favourite café, something of what the business types like to call “a working lunch”. So yes, it could be worse.

My most important and pressing pile of papers sees me reading about the importance for teachers to engage students. Of the need to provide students with a sense of motivation, a major factor when achieving the desired learning outcomes. My text talks of the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivating factors and the influence of the children’s social surrounds that signal the perception towards self-efficacy. Self-efficacy being the notion that one can only learn and do that to which they believe they can. In simple, having a positive attitude and an “I think I can” approach.

Now, I can’t help but notice the irony at play here.

Because you see, on a beautiful, summery mid-week day I find myself motivated and committed to my studies. I should congratulate myself on that. I really should. I’ve at least got the motivation part down. If I can be so bold as to apply to references made in my text, I’m well on the way to improving and achieving my desired learning outcomes. But there’s a crucial flaw here that could in turn prove to be debilitating if left unresolved. The major factor being that the primary motivation to knuckle down and study is purely of extrinsic ideals – the fear of punishment (or in my case, failure to complete my degree). This fear seems to be the only thing keeping me from tossing the books aside and letting loose at the beach.

But I also know that the combination of being overly tired (and therefore just a tad grumpy) and kind of feeling the overwhelming need to have a good cry, is going to take on and challenge this so-called extrinsic motivation. And yep, newsflash, I think it might just be in with a good chance of winning.

So yes, whilst I believe that I CAN do this. I can sit down and focus and open up my mind to new ideas and engage in reflective thought. This is of course because I understand and know the importance of equipping myself with the appropriate learning tools necessary to keep up-to-date with my studies. I also believe that I CAN crack this bad mood with a little self-prescribed RNR. And naturally, that involves a some much-needed beach-activity.

Therefore, taking all of this into account, I also know that some days,

“it just ain’t gonna happen!”

Which, to be perfectly honest, I actually think is a valuable lesson to learn as a teacher. Some days the classroom dynamic is simply not going to work. Don’t fight it. Work with it. Use it to your advantage. Make the most of it. Help the kids to get the most out of a situation that’s just a little touch and go.

Now where’s that beach towel…catch you later uni, I shan’t be missing you.

Ciao. xx

Tuesday: the new hump-day

It’s Tuesday.

Not quite yet hump-day. But its dragging all the same. We did have tentative plans to go to The Zoo today. But we rescheduled when I checked the weather forecast and saw that afternoon storms were on the agenda. Yep, that wasn’t going to be such a great day out at the zoo.

So we’ve instead been making the most of our time spent inside. As we’re now well into our second (and final) week of the school holidays, it’s highly possible that I am slowly running out of fun-laden activities to keep us all occupied and happy. Disclaimer: I’m actually full of ideas but my material (the kiddies) that I have to work with are kind of holding me back. It doesn’t help when they are self-proclaimed hermits who would rather watch back-to-back episodes of iCarly and Big Time Rush than venture out into the great unknown. Talk about needing a good ‘ol push!

We’ve absolutely turned the kitchen inside-out and upside-down making pancakes, brownies, various fruit muffins, cupcakes and cookies. We’ve turned the house-work into games (yay for getting the laundry done ahead of schedule). We’ve played board games and numerous variations on the classic hide ‘n’ seek. We’ve done arts n craft and colouring in. Oh my have we done some colouring in (sadly I’m pretty sure the red texta is never, ever coming out of the carpet).

We’ve even made a fairy house for our special little fluttery friends out in the rose garden. (Ok so this was probably my favourite activity to be honest. I’m a sucker for some glitter, coloured paper and a glue stick!).

What else can we get up to in the coming days that will entertain a house full of girls? Any ideas you’d like to share? Help is needed!

Trending: kids with vampire fangs

An open letter to Miss Charlie:

Miss Charlie, you are an amazing girl with such a vivid imagination. You are bursting with creativity and clever ideas. When everyone else is thinking logically, you’re thinking in the abstract. At just six years of age you’ve already progressed to development stages well beyond your youthful years, a feat that not even Piaget could have accounted for. You should be so incredibly proud of this. I know I am proud on your behalf. Your level of maturity and sage perspective makes it an absolute pleasure to spend time with you. Everyday you make me smile and laugh and ensure that I rethink my viewpoint on most things. I look forward to listening to all of your interesting stories from your adventures at school. Also, don’t tell anyone, but I especially love the 3pm school pick up because it rationalises my longing for ice cream. I mean if you’re eating ice cream then I figure I can too right?

My only wish, and I say this out of the kindness of my heart,

is that you stop trying to turn me into a vampire.

I of course more than willingly do Santa Claus, The Tooth Fairy, The Easter Bunny and all of your imaginary friends. Sometimes I convince myself that there is a Sock Fairy that has a thing for creating odd socks, and I often wish for a Cleaning Fairy that would magically sweep her wand and make everything sparkle. Come to think of it, I even have a resounding belief that Fairies really are out there flitting about in the magical woods. Despite this, I simply won’t do ‘vampires’. Yes Twilight is a pretty cool story. Yes Dracula is a classic and puts forth a solid argument (not that you’re old enough to have read the rather imposing tome). But I simply can’t possibly believe that vampires exist. I know this because if they did, Edward Cullen would already have been mine. I would be enjoying an ever-lasting lifetime of sheer angelic beauty, unparalleled senses and a love story like no other. I am sure of my convictions.

So please, and I cannot stress this enough, please stop trying to bite me and turn me into a vampire with your razor-sharp vampire fangs. It’s kind of weird to have you show your teeth and hiss at me. My blood does not taste sweet, it tastes metallic and I’m sure would be rather unpleasant to drink. Please stop refusing to eat all food except that which resembles blood, you’re doing my head in and making meal times even more difficult to plan than they already are. Furthermore, please stop trying to bite yourself! Your precious skin will thank you for it when you’re older. Most of all, regardless of the benefit of hindsight, it’s just simply not worth the pain and heartache.

Keep in mind my requests, give it some thought and see what you think. You should find that I’m not really asking too much of you.

Yours truly,

Nanny SheCanDo.

Home alone and unsupervised.

I don’t think so. No really, it’s not true. Despite the assumptions made by most people on the other end of the phone.

No wonder I’m often apprehensive towards answering the phone. There’s nothing worse than having the person on the other end say,

“Is your mummy or daddy there sweetie?”

Um no. Matter of fact, they’re not. I’m twenty-two. I just have a sweet sounding voice. Got a problem with that?! Yeah that’s right. What you gonna say now, huh?

… I had another brilliant experience this afternoon. Really brings together the argument to get rid of the fixed line altogether and just stick with mobiles. At least then you (I) can screen calls. And by screen calls, I mean not answer any calls. Yep, guilty as charged. I’ve been known to not answer calls whilst having my phone right in the palm of my hand.

“I’ll simply call them back later!”

I say to myself, trying to rationalise my somewhat strange phone etiquette. Though can you really blame me after having routinely gone through the above mentioned seriously awkward conversation.

Any one else had a similar experience?

Fighting the crowds to meet the dolphins.

So we went to the beach today.

Yes it was hot. Yes it was super jam-packed and busy. Yes we had to fight the crowds to find a car-park and then fight off the same crowds for a little peace of sand (preferably in the shade).

But my gosh it was beautiful. A picture perfect day. And well, I guess that’s kind of what I did. Take pictures. That’s what happens when you’re snap-happy. The pistachio gelato may have influenced that slightly. Just saying.

p.s. It was Bubba’s first time at the beach. Congratulations to her, what a milestone. Way to get her started on a true Australian past time from such a young age. It was an introduction that she’ll remember for a lifetime. The fresh salt air, the cool breeze blowing, the harsh glare of the light coming back off the water, the greasy skin coated with thick heavy layers of sunscreen, the sand between her toes. The sand all through her bag. The sand mysteriously finding its way into any number of drink bottles. The sand in her glasses and sunglasses and their respective cases. The sand all through her coin purse. The sand throughout each individual page of whichever book or magazine she may be thumbing through so that as she turns the page it crinkles and becomes sticky. Come to think of it, she may as well just prepare herself to have sand go everywhere. And anywhere. Because that’s just what it does…

No, that gritty feeling in your mouth is not toothpaste. It’s in-fact sand.

That’s the beach for you. Heaven in liquid form.

Enjoy. Love it. Live it. Look after it.