Milk and Madness

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Hello, friends. Welcome back to another episode of the Milk and Madness podcast, your virtual parents group, where we explore parenthood one episode at a time. I'm your host, Nhi. And I'm your

host, Dee. And today, we would like to let everybody know that we have survived 100 days of prep. Please give us a round of applause, because I feel like it's been a journey.

All of it's been a journey, but especially this 100 days. So let's do a little catch up, a little chat of how we're going, where we're at, how the last hundred days have been, what our challenges are, how we found. jumping into school now that we're in term three, it's not brand new anymore. How's it all going for you, Nhi?

How's it going for Kenzo, I should say?

Yeah, look, I think overall it's going well. We've gone through, we're in our third term now, we've gone through two school holidays and On one hand, I feel, yeah, seasoned expert here. We've gone through enough to get a good feel of what school is like.

And then on the other hand, I'm overwhelmed, honestly. So the 100 days of prep, I had no idea that was a thing. And then we started getting the announcements about it from his teacher and. You dress up in whatever themes some kids have dressed up as an old person, a hundred years old or something to do with numbers.

Parents got quite creative and they dress the kids up as, I think someone was like a hundred and one Dalmatians, which is adorable. And yes, I had no idea it was a thing. I'm Googling it and we don't have any time. And so I just used whatever I had at home in my old craft box.

It's like random things in there. I had my hot glue gun, just sticking pom poms onto a hoodie for him and had a hundred on it. And it's, it was truly terrible. I do generally pride myself on being good with craft, but if you judge me on this, it's honestly, it was really bad. But the good news is I showed it to Kenzo and he said, mom, I love it.

And I was like, Oh, that's all that matters. I don't care what anyone else thinks. Kenzo loves it. He wore it with so much pride and he was genuinely Really excited about a hundred days. So I think in terms of what it's about and celebrating it, yes, I'm all for that. Like he was really excited.

And I could tell that it was such an achievement for him. So that was a hundred days. I have definitely taken some learnings for it for Ambrose next, three years. Yeah, to hopefully do a bit better with the craft aspect, but we're just going to recycle Kenzo's hoodie.

Oh, yeah, we'll definitely keep it just in case, but, um, if I have time, I'll try to do something else, , so that was something that I had absolutely no idea about at all. And you said you didn't know about it either.

No, no idea. It's so many little things are starting to creep up.

They're like, Oh, now there's this and now there's that. And we just had the theme where they had to dress up as an old person. So we weren't able to be as creative where we had to do other things. So that was fine. Cause I could just go and buy a costume with the hair and all that. And it was so sweet to see all the kids dressed up.

Like they all, they were all like little old people. It was the cutest thing. Like one girl came like with like fake hair and like rollers in her hair and like the glasses with the chains. And it was super, super cute. I got the message early, the school let us know early. So I just jumped online and bought a costume and came with a t shirt that said happy hundredth day. So I thank God for that. Cause I am not as crafty as you. I don't even want to tell you my story about my curtains because you'll probably judge me of how I've hemmed them. But anyway, we won't go there. But it was really cute. So some of the kids or one of the kids at Aidan's school, he was like, Oh we finished school now.

We've done our hundred days. And I'm like, Oh, buddy. Like you've got so much more to go. It was really sweet though. He thought that 100 days meant he was done, that he was graduating. That was very cute. But it's all these things that are popping up, that keep popping up. We had obviously the hat parade.

There's all these like school assemblies that have come up. There's what else do we have? Like we've got book week, we've got the Olympics, they're doing like dress ups for the Olympics, there's all these little things, just every week I get a new ping. We even had a ping about lice, there's someone's got lice in his year level, check for lice we need a form for this, we need a form for that, and then Amelia's got crazy hair day, and she's got other things like excursions and this.

It is a lot, it's a lot, and I can't even complain because you, your school is bonkers, like you have so much more. On top, if it's going on, then what I feel like our school has.

Yep. Yep. So when I say I feel overwhelmed, it's partly my fault because I signed up for the parent committee, of course. Yeah. And yes, I'll be really involved now. It's Oh my God. Meetings at 8 PM during the week. Which are really hard to make and then, this weekend there was a Bunnings Sausage Sizzle. Bunnings is our, a really large hardware gardening chain store in Australia. So they offer community groups to run a sausage sizzle on the weekends and, raise money and all that stuff.

Our school had one this weekend and I volunteered with my husband because I was like, I can't do this. So you do this and then it's constant fundraising. So outside of that, it is already quite overwhelming because as you said, there's all this stuff every week, there's a new thing. And then on top of that, we've got constant fundraising.

So I mentioned this to you and you're like, we haven't done any fundraising. I'm like, Oh my God, we've done the chocolate, selling chocolate bars thing. We've done they, we sell Sugar free icicles every Friday to raise money. They do stalls for all this different thing. We were raising money for a charity the other week.

And then obviously we had the sausage sizzle and then we've got the stuff planned. They're very busy and efficient group of parents. I have to admit. But it is a lot. It is a lot. And, then there's the reading we have to do every night. There's the writing we do every night. There is he's got show and tell, so we've been practicing that.

He's got it today. Yeah it's a lot. And I think there was a part of me that thought before Kenzo started school that in some way it'd be easier, but I have to admit it's been, more full on. And then I'm thinking now, will it be easier when they're both in primary school because then I'm just juggling, I'm just juggling one thing rather than at the moment juggling two things.

Things that child care and primary school, we will see how that goes. But yeah it's been a lot, it's been a lot not negatively, but I think just, I do feel in some ways I'm quite behind on messages through the various apps and I bumped into one of the girls from childcare last night at the shops and she was like, Oh, we'll see you on Thursday.

And I'm like, Oh gosh, what's Thursday night. And she's Oh, we're doing the art show. I'm like, Oh, okay. Yes. The art show. Of course the art show. I'll be there. I totally would not have remembered the art show at Anne Rose's childcare if I'd not bumped into her because I missed the message in the ad.

Yes. It's

just, it's so much. I can't be kinged. Like four times a day, I reckon, just from Aiden's school and then Amelia's childcare. Obviously they send Updates on what they've done for the day and all of that. I feel bad because I don't even look at the photos. I just don't have time. It's just so much coming at you all at once.

And I also sometimes I'll have a quick skim and then I'm like, I'll read it later or I'll worry about it later because like I'll Just skim it. I'm like, it's not something that I need right now. But then when I go back to try and find the message, like with the Olympics, I'm like, Oh, what they sent like what colors, like each country and I'm, now that I know what country Aiden's in, I'm like, okay, what colors does he have to wear again?

Do you think I could find the message? I'm like looking through everything. I'm like, Oh my gosh, why is this so hard to find? I just need the list. Of the countries with the colors so I can put him in those colors and call it a day and then obviously you've got all the birthday parties as well that's another thing like I'm gonna go buy presents this weekend for the birthday party.

And I was thinking the same thing. I'm like, surely it's going to be easier when they're both in the same school. However, and I think it will in some ways, obviously logistics wise, drop offs, pickups will be easier. However, obviously different grades do different things. So not every grade Like, obviously, preps, like Amelia will do the 100 days, whereas Aiden won't, and then with the Olympics, obviously it won't be for another four years, but give that as an example they'll be different countries, they'll have to wear different clothes, and then there's been other activities, like they had the disco on, and , they were grouped in by grades, so different grades went at different times, so again, if they're not in the same grouping, they'll be at different times.

So there's just all those other little things that, Might be easier, like they're both going to the disco, cool. But, it just, it might be different times. I don't know, I'm hoping, I'm praying it's gonna get easier. Because yeah, it's a lot. It's a lot, but It's been really positive. How is Kenzo feeling about school?

Is he loving it? Because obviously last time we had, both of us, were having issues. Some days where they just didn't want to go. I had issues with getting him to stay before school care and stuff. Not wanting me to leave. Like how's that all going? Is he loving it now? Is it like, a bye at the gate kind of thing?

He's definitely more confident. I think, and there has been less mornings of him, is it a school day? I don't want to go to school. Why do I have to go to school? That kind of stuff. So in terms of his. Feelings towards school, I think definitely more positive and it is part of our routine and he gets it while he goes to school.

I talk to him about it all the time. , if you want to be a scientist, you have to go to school, honey. He's I don't want to be a scientist. Okay. You need to, you definitely need to go to school to be a scientist. Before and after school care is a bit different though, because for him, it really depends on who's there.

So he goes to, and we talked about this. In another episode when we started school, but not every kid has to go to before school care. And that is something that I'm still like, where are you guys all going? But so he goes to before school care two days a week and he goes to after school care four days a week.

And on Fridays he's home with me in the morning and I pick him up early now. So that's something that we can definitely chat about, but there are the before school care days. Because I think certain BFFs aren't there, it's hard for him. So today it was okay. He was excited to show and tell. So that's what kind of a laser focus onto that.

But usually it's harder those days because one, he has to get up a bit earlier. He doesn't have time to, have breakfast with me at home. And he knows that certain friends aren't there. So it's a bit harder those days, but generally it's been more positive, actually, in terms of his.

His feelings towards going to school. How about Aiden?

I think the same. He, like he doesn't really complain very often about it. It's usually like when Amelia's home, like when she's home on Fridays. But again, he's got his show and tell so that, it's a little bit of an incentive.

Like he got show and tell today. What are you going to bring? And, he gets excited about that. We did have, I think it was yesterday. He was just, I don't know. He was just in a mood and a half. He did not want to get ready. He didn't want to brush his teeth. I was like, let me help. Like I tried all those things.

I'm like, let me help you. Let me put your clothes on. Like we tried all those things. And then I'm like, let's go brush your teeth. He didn't want to he didn't want to go brush his teeth. Even if I brushed it for him, he just did not want to. And I'm like, come on, we're going to be late. We're going to be late.

We're gonna be late. Not nothing. I'm like, Aiden. In the end, I ended up getting him in the car. He still hadn't brushed his teeth. Ended up getting him in the car and I'm like, Aiden, after he got in the car, I'm like, Aiden, I don't have time to park the car. The bell's going to go. I have to drop you off at the front.

Lost it. Lost his mind because he wanted me to come. Because I usually go take him to the breakfast club, go stand like while he waits in the line, say bye to him, music comes on, bell goes on, say bye, wave, watch him go into his classroom and stuff. And I've tried to like, and I was like, I'm really sorry.

I need to drop you off at the gate. I've tried a couple of times and he's flat out. I said, no I want you to come with me. And so this like yesterday like I said to him I'm really sorry. You need to go, I need to drop you off at the gate. So I stopped at like the two minute parking spot, like where it's just drop off and pick up and he, I felt so bad, but he was crying.

I'm like, Aiden, I'm really sorry. I'm like, you took too long to get ready. You haven't even brushed your teeth still. I don't have time to park. Can you hear the music? I'm like, the music's on. It means you need to be lining up right now. I'm like, I need you to go. So he like sulked all the way. Like I watched him sulked all the way.

And then I asked him afterwards, I'm like, how, were you still upset in the line? He's no, I was fine when I got in the line. But then when I got in the classroom, I remembered that you didn't wait, you didn't come in with me. And so I started crying again. I was like, Oh, God, but I'm just like, if you had gotten a raise.

So then I met, no, it was the day before. So then yesterday I was like, let's not have an, like a repeat of yesterday. Let's get ready. And he did everything was like perfect to a T. He was like dressed first, toothbrush, lunchbox in his bag, drink bottle in his bag, everything was ready. And I'm like, okay, now you can play.

Now you can play until it's time to go. It's fine. I'm like, but just get ready first. So I'm still, it's a work in progress.

We actually had that chat as well. How funny. A couple of days ago, because a lot of students just get dropped off. Like I could see them just get out of the car, right? And then they walk and they play and then they go to class.

And I said to Kenza, Hey, are you, do you feel like you're ready for that? And do you want mum to just drop you off or, what would you like? And he said, no, I want you to, go to class. Hang around and watch me play and watch me go into class. And I'm like, okay, cool. We'll keep doing that, but we need to make sure we have time.

So usually we have time. There are some mornings where I'm like, oh my God, who is this sloth? But most of the time, most of the time it's okay.

So it's mostly going well, it's just every now and then they just have, they're in a mood of some sort that they just refuse to move, refuse to go. And that thing you do works and you're like, oh my gosh, come on.

Chop. Yeah. How's before and after school care going for Aiden? Pretty good. He hasn't, he goes to after school care a lot more. I don't think he's been to before school care for a little while but fine, right? After school care was never an issue because he just goes straight after he just walks over.

That's not a problem. I usually get there around 5. 30 and I'm literally there till close to 6 because he doesn't actually want to leave. So I'm like, why do I come and pick you up at 5. 30 when you don't want to leave? He really enjoys it. They do a lot of activities, they make food, they, yeah, he really loves it.

Before school care, it just depends. Again, it depends on the day, depends on their mood. If he's in a good mood and I could drop him off and I say bye and it's all fine. And then there's times when, yeah, I'm just stuck there forever. And I'm like, I can't. So I've stopped doing it. I've let Calvin do it because I'm like it's too much.

He just doesn't, it's hard on him and it's hard on me and it's just defeats the purpose of going to before school care. I can, cause I'm not working at the minute. So like I can keep him at home. It doesn't, he doesn't need to go in as much. But we'll have to see when I start working, he might have to go in four or five days a week.

We'll see how that goes. .

The other thing that was causing so much stress was lunches. And now that it's been a significant amount of time of me making lunch every morning, I'm feeling a bit more okay with it. And it's been a bit less stressful there are days where he touches his lunch, there are days where he doesn't.

I try to add variety, I ask him to contribute his ideas in terms of what he wants in there. So it's been okay. Yeah, I think. In terms of the stress of lunches, that's still there a little bit because he's not a big eater. I'm probably always going to be worried about that until he's grown up and, has his own kids and stuff, but definitely less stress in terms of the lunches.

Yeah. How about you? Yeah.

Oh, that's, it's good. I do them the night before, so I'm like, yeah, whatever, like it's done, it's dusted, I don't have to worry about it. Look, there's days when he just barely touches it. These days, when he comes back, and I'm like, what have you actually eaten today?

Because everything's still in here, pretty much. He might have had a bite of this or a bite of that, but nothing significant. But then poor after school care the day before, he ate about six sandwiches. And I was like, not whole sandwiches, but quarters or halves or whatever they had cut them in.

But I could just see all the crusts. You they took a photo, like I could see all the crust on the on the napkin. And I was like, one, two, three, sandwiches, have you eaten? Because, and then come home, lunchbox is like full of his food. Okay, what didn't you like? Like, why didn't you eat your lunch?

Like what happened? Usually it's he was too busy talking, he was this, that, this, that. Whatever it is. And then one day he didn't like his sandwich because there was mayonnaise in it, which there was no mayonnaise, it was butter. But he thought it was mayonnaise, so he didn't eat it. Another day he didn't like it because there was lettuce in there.

So I'm just like, oh, for heaven's sakes. How dare you? How dare you put lettuce? I just, God forbid, I try to give you healthy food. But Calvin's been making them a lot too, which is really helping because then I don't have to, Think about it. One less thing. But I actually find them quite easy.

As long as you've prepped in the sense of you've bought what you need from the shops, I can usually make do. I can usually find stuff that I can just throw in there. Sometimes I even throw in some cereal. We've got these little cereal bites, throw them in there. Obviously fruit, we've always got fruit around vegetables.

We've always got whatever, cut up some carrots, cut up some cucumber. But there's always something instead of a sandwich, I might put in a croissant or something like that. It doesn't always have to have a sandwich. So there's, yeah, there's ways around it. I'm not as stressed out as you, because obviously, Kenzo's a little bit more of a fussy eater than Aiden is.

So it's fine. It's more the time and the thinking and the prep that, just And then when we were going to have two, there was, like, two loads of this as well. It's more than getting the lunchbox in the school bag that I'm like, come on! It's fine. Get on it. I've made it. And then he tells me.

What did he say to me the other day? He was like, I asked him to do something like every time I don't want to have to keep doing this every time. I'm like, I don't have to keep making your lunch every day, but I have to, otherwise you'll be hungry. So if you want to eat, it's got to go in your bag. It's what do you think this is?

You think it's like a once off, like one and done? Nah. Sorry.

Oh, that's

adorable. Nice. Yeah. Welcome to the real world, my friend. You're going to have to do this every day for

another, how many years. Yeah. Absolutely. Hey, you know what I just realized or remembered is that our oldest are six now, we just had birthdays a few weeks ago, both of us for your knowledge, if you're listening, our oldest are three days apart, three days, four days, four days.

Yeah. So their birthdays are very close and they both turned six, which is, I don't know, it feels really old.

Let me tell you something.

I was lucky enough to skip the terrible twos, terrible threes, the tantrum fours, the whatever fives. Since Aiden has turned six, the attitude, the resistance, the, I don't know what's happened with him, but ever since he turned six, he's a different child. He is just rude, obnoxious, demanding, I don't I'm just like, what has happened to you?

What is going on? I don't know, is this like a new thing, that it's like, now, six year olds? just misbehave? Is it just me? Is it just Aiden? Is it because he just was fine for the first six years of his life and now he's oh, I've got to make up for lost time? I don't know what's going on.

Some days he's fine, but in general, the last couple of weeks last week or so, I'm just like, something has changed. It's like something snapped in you. Now that you're six, what, you think that you're like big and that you can just act this way? I was like, you can't act this way. Like he refused, like he was sick the other week and.

I tried to give him medicine. I was, for three hours one night, three hours, I was begging, pleading, bribing, trying to do everything I could possibly do to get him to have his medicine. On one hand, I'm like, proud of him for sticking to his guns and saying no no means no mom, I'm not having the medicine, no means no stop.

I'm proud that he stuck to his guns, but I'm like, but can you not with medicine? Can you just, maybe we'll never stop, sure. Maybe not with picking up your clothes off the floor or putting your lunchbox in your bag, but with medicine, which is really important, his fever was so high and he just refused.

I was at the end of my room like, can you please just have this? I tried everything. I tried to put it in like a hot chocolate. I tried to put it on like bread and then put like jam on top. So like he wouldn't taste it. He can taste it. He can taste it. I'm like, what do I do? So I just give it to him and I just had to stay awake.

And, I don't think I let him sleep with Kelvin that night, but I was like, the whole night, I was like, worried, and I was awake, and I'm like, do I go check on him? Is he okay? Is his fever broken? It's Anyway does anyone else have this problem? Is it just me? Could someone please give me some advice?

A, how do I give my kids medicine? How do I trick them into having medicine? Because I bought him a new flavor. I bought I tried the less concentrated version for younger kids. I'm like, I'll just give him a little bit more. But if it's less concentrated, it won't taste as bad. I think I've tried everything, but there's obviously stuff out there that doesn't work.

But yes, since he turned six, maybe it's just a little milestone thing. I'm praying that he'll, he generally evens out over a couple of weeks. But is it just me? Is Kenzo okay? Is cancer like his normal self?

Cancer's okay. Okay! So it's just me. Look, I have he started calling me bro. Sometimes. Oh, yeah. And it's been calling me bro for a while.

It's a bit fun. Sometimes it's a bit funny. And then I look at him and I'm like, don't call me bro. Like I grew you in my belly and I, like you not called me bro. But every now and again he'll call me bro and it's quite funny. But in terms of attitude, he's always been a bit sassy, but it hasn't been any more than usual.

We didn't have terrible twos. I wouldn't say terrible threes, but I would say if I had to pick a year where he was the most difficult so far, I'd probably say somewhere between three and four. But it was fine. Yeah. It was totally fine. Yeah. So maybe it's just you. You're so lucky.

Yeah, great. Thanks.

Please tell me somebody else is in the same situation as me, I don't want to be the only one. But like I said, he, I don't know, he tends to get over these things pretty quickly, but it just, it was just very drastic, like the way he was behaving. He just didn't want to listen to anything.

Usually like he's really reasonable and I can get through to him, but just yeah, with everything, he's just being completely. different to what his normal self is. And I'm like, what is going on? I just, I don't know. I don't know. And then I have, I'm like what's happened? Like you're six now.

I've tried to speak to him. He, I don't think he knows. I'm trying to find out if anything's wrong at school. Cause he has said a couple of times that there's a kid that's been hitting him and stuff. And I've said to him make sure you tell the teacher and all that.

And let me know if it keeps happening. They're all really rough. Like they all. play fight and they all play wrestle. And so I think sometimes they just, they'll play wrestle and then one will get a bit too rough and then hurt the other one. And then they'll like, and I'm just like, just don't play wrestle, just pick up sticks or something, do something else.

So I don't know if it's a problem, but it's hard to tell. Cause he doesn't really say anything. Cause he's so resilient as well. Like I think he just takes it and just. It's like water off the duck's back with him, but yeah, I'm like, is it that? I don't

know. Yeah, like school is such a massive part of their lives, so I would bet that something is happening at school.

It really affects his mood, if he has a good day, a bad day, if he doesn't want to go to school, how he feels about it. It's what's going on with his friends, really, that it comes down to, or Kenzo anyways, that These friendship groups and you know how that's all going. Yeah, I don't know.

I'll tuss it out more. Especially if someone, if he's telling you some kid's hitting him. Oh my gosh. Yeah, I'll look into that.

Yeah. Yeah. I'll definitely find it. Cause, cause that's the thing. I feel like sometimes like he does come home and then he takes it out at home. Cause obviously it's a safe space and all of that.

And I don't think he can quite articulate I don't think he can put the pieces together to be like I'm cranky and I'm upset because I've said no to this kid and he doesn't listen. So now I'm saying no to you and maybe, I don't know. I will. I have been asking every single day and this kid is quite bigger than Aiden. He's probably twice the size of Aiden. And he can hold his own don't get me wrong, he can hold his own, but I'm very big on you don't hit even if someone hits you walk away, you back off that sort of stuff, because I don't want him to hurt somebody accidentally just through retaliation.

And I don't think it's necessary at this age you're six go and tell the teacher, go and, do something else let somebody else sort it out. But I've definitely told him I've explained to him you need to tell the teacher because she needs to talk to his parents I can't.

I have to let the teacher sort it out with the parents, even though I'd like, I would just want to say to the kid can you stop hitting A just stop. But yeah, I don't know. We'll see. Maybe, look, maybe that's what it is. He was also sick. So maybe he's still getting over it. I don't know, but can you just stop, can you just be like the loving, caring kid that you normally are?

And I don't know. I even said to him, I'm like, are you sure you're six? Maybe you need to go back to being five and a half, cause you're not acting And he's Oh, I'm sick, I'm okay.

Oh God, I can't wait for the teenage years.

Oh, dear Lord. I'm not so worried about Aiden, I'm more worried about Amelia, cause she's sassy.

She's the one that we need to worry about. In terms of school though, in terms of, cause like we said, we're now in term three. How are you finding it with his progress, like from day one versus now, day a hundred and something do you feel that he's absorbing a lot, he's learning a lot, he's Like you said, he's a little bit more confident, he's growing.

How's his, how's that journey going?

Yeah, really good. I think we, look, we always have some challenges because he's not he's got some weaknesses in terms of, like focusing, which I know all kids his age have, but I just feel like he needs a bit more support with that stuff. And we've got a really solid relationship with his teacher.

And so we catch up with her regular ish, Lee to discuss how he's going. And I'm really big on trying to stick with the reading every night and all that kind of stuff. And yeah, I can see the progress. He can pretty much read. It's the confidence thing, right? Because we'll sound the word out and let's say it's his or whatever.

So he'd be like, I can see in his head. He knows what it is. Yeah. Then I'm like, okay, let's sound it out together and he'd be like, it's his. I'm like, yes. Great. I'm like, what do you think it is? It's that confidence still, right? Where you, you think you know what it is. Am I confident enough just to say it.

So we're getting there, but there are words that he, definitely knows. In terms of reading, he's doing really well. We're focusing on goals, there's some goals to just the focus stuff for him, his big fidgeter there's a, there's other stuff there.

So he's very sensory in terms of what he's about. So it's really just understanding Kenzo better in this environment, in a school classroom environment and giving him whatever it is that he needs. To function better. And that's something that we really focused on and partnered with the school on.

So I would say, yeah, look, I'm really proud of how he's gone so far. And I think in terms of the community, the team that he has around him us teacher and the, I know the assistant, I'm just one of those parents, I just know them all. And they all know us. So in terms of the team that we're building around him it's pretty solid.

Yeah. So good. How about you?

Yeah, look, really good. I honestly have no complaints. Like he, obviously it was a little bit rocky at the start. Like I think it was just adjusting to the new environment, new people, new, personalities and all of that. But since. All of that stuff with the hitting and they're not apologizing.

And since we had that conversation I think he, he did go to the principal's office one time cause he was hitting a rock on some sort of like a pole thing and they're like, you're damaging property, blah, blah, blah. But they didn't even tell me about it. Like he told me about it. So it was obviously a nothing, but they just wanted to bring them in and be like, guys, you can't do that.

But yeah, positive reinforcement really works for him cause he comes home and he tells me how many points he's got. So if they do good things or they do good reading or writing or whatever it is they get points and he always tells me how many points he's got.

And that's really working well for him. I'll be honest, the last three weeks, I don't have not done any reading like whatsoever with him. It's so hard, honestly. I've I've read him stuff, but I haven't done his like school reader at all. Especially obviously he was sick and then like everyone was sick and then I've just been busy with other stuff, so I just haven't done it.

If people are sick, just forget it. Just forget it. Yeah. So that's not going great, but like he can read his words, like he knows his words. Like we'll still like in the car, he'll have a book and I'm like, tell me what words you can read from your book. And he'll point them out.

So we're still doing stuff. But I'd like it to be a little bit more consistent, but we'll get back to that. But he and you know this already, like my son's very sporty. He's not very crafty, not very artistic, right? But lately he's been really into it and even the the educator for after school kids, like he's really artistic.

I'm like, oh my I would never have thought that. described him as that because, yeah, he's just not usually like someone who sits down and draws and colors in, like he wants to be outside playing and stuff like that. But he's been really into it. Like he's been coloring in and doing stencils and he made some tinfoil art thingy the other day.

And yeah, she's he's really artistic. I'm like, Oh, wow. So I think just being exposed to, like, all this sort of stuff. He's loving Spanish classes and music. Like they've been doing they learned, I can't remember what song it was, but the glockenspiel, they learned how to play something on the glockenspiel.

I was like, Oh, that's so cool. And I'd hope he'll sit there and play the keyboard. He's I could just see the absorption. Like he's just learning a lot from him. faster. You can see it before you had to repeat or you had to do something over and over 10, 15, however many times.

Whereas now it's a lot less. You do it like a couple of times and he picks it up. So I think that it's just accelerated in that sense. So I we're still, working on our words and we're still working on reading. He gets really lazy with the reading, but I'm okay. Cause I know that once he picks it up, he'll fly.

So it's like. Slow start, but then he'll just zoom. So school has been really good. He's got. a good bunch of friends and the moms are so nice. We're organizing a catch up, I think next weekend. I'm taking this weekend, I'm taking one of the kids to a party with me.

Cause the mom's going to like the football or something. So she's I've got tickets or something. Can you take my son too? I'm like, yeah, sure. No worries. So it's just it's a really nice little community of people. So it's, yeah, I don't know. I'm really enjoying it apart from the full on ness of all the messages, I don't know.

I'll just, I just I feel like I'm his PA, like all these messages.

I'm just

managing his

calendar. You are his PA and you touched on a real good point because I do feel that it is another I suppose like another village, right? In terms of this journey. Um, we've got a mother's group. We've got friends that we had before having kids and there are friends you make after that.

Then yeah, now we've, then there's people at childcare, obviously. The parents there and then now with this, yeah, we've started a WhatsApp group just for, because you know what happened because I can't keep up with everything. And the other week it was like a free dress day and Kenza and I both completely forgot and I drove up Oh no, when you see all the other kids in free dress.

Kendra and I looked at each other and I said, I forgot. And he said, I forgot too. So that was really great. Cause he took some ownership and I said, okay, are we okay with you not being in free dress today? He's yes. I'm like, great. Okay. But after that, because when we rocked up to his class, there were a couple of other moms and we looked at each other and we're like, you forgot.

I forgot. Yeah. Okay. We got you. So we started a WhatsApp group with all the parents. And yeah, it's so funny. So now it's just check the WhatsApp group. Just check before we leave. Reminder. Reminder.

Someone is going to have to remember and just, say, dress up as whatever today or whatever it is. So that's been really good. And Just the, I don't really know these people really well yet, but just the chats in the morning, the chats when we pick up and just the, it's similar to Motherscript, the understanding that we were going through this experience, similar experience, same experience together.

Yes. And it's really supportive. So Kenzo accidentally broke one of the girls in his classrooms, her water bottle. And so I spoke to the mom and she's Oh, don't worry about it. It's okay. It happens. I'm like, no. So I bought another bottle, but it's just no big deal. Don't worry about it. Like that kind of stuff.

And we messaged each other about people losing jackets and someone's lost their favorite toy. And we were all like, Oh my God. Oh no. Like crisis. We'll all help look for when we come pick up that kind of stuff. So it's really great in terms of this new community that happens, this new village that happens.

Because of school. So I think that's really good.

All right, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for listening to our update today. Our 100 days of school. I'm sure that every child goes through a slightly different journey. But, we are, as Nhi said, we are going through it all together all at once. So if you can make some friends at your school, parent friends, at your kid's school, please do, because it really does help just to have that extra support when you need it, whether it's like to take someone to a party or to help you find a lost toy or whatever it might be.

It definitely makes a difference. And please let me know if anyone else is experiencing these crazy, I don't even know what to call them, but the silly sixes. I don't know. If anyone else is experiencing it or if it's just me, and if you have any tips on how to actually give medicine to your kids please let me know because I'm dreading the next time that he's sick. And if you've enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe, please leave us a review and share with your family and friends. We'd love to hear your thoughts on anything school related, anything that might be up and coming that we need to be aware of so we're not caught, so we're not caught out.

And thank you for tuning into Milk and Madness. This has been Dee and Nhi. Until next time, catch you later, friends.