Back To School

My girls, who never like to go anywhere with their hair down, have learnt over the holidays that having their hair down does not look as messy as they thought it did and the best part of an hour this morning was spent with me straightening their waves and curls ready to go to school with their hair down. I predict it won't be long until the make-up at school starts too. 

They've now got a new headmaster. There are rumours that there will be a uniform change too. I know some kids have their fingers crossed for a complete banishment of uniformity, but the girls are hopeful for a blazer and house tie! The only thing they are a little hesitant about is that their house colour used to be gold, but it got changed to a really washed out yellow and they think it would look awful on a tie. I have to agree - Whittle House, back at my old secondary school had a yellow stripe to the school tie and it never looked quite right.

One new thing for the girls this year is that we're trying to teach them about money and how it doesn't grow on trees. No longer will there be cries of I neeeeeed this item or other, because from now on, they are paying for it. They've been given a budget for the school year, and out of that budget they have had to buy their school uniform, shoes and trainers and anything that is lost, broken, stolen etc., will come out of that budget. It's also there for presents for friends and scout fees. I bought them both a cash book and went through their uniform receipts with them to show them how to keep an account of their spending. It's already working, with H having the dilemma of whether to spend out £9.98 to replace a USB stick she lost in Year 7. She checked her total, weighed up the pros and cons of the spend and realised she will probably need it this year to transfer work and bought it.

They did so well at school last year and all the prodding about being better prepared seems to have gotten through. I'm thinking they might do even better this year - good luck to them.