Not my New Years Resolutions – progress?

Family, LearnerMother

So I’ve not yet aced all my ‘Not my New Years Resolutions’...I KNOW, we’re 30 days in, surely they should all be ticked off, in the bag, done and dusted by now…but since this is also the year of not beating myself up, I’m just going to roll with it. *rolls, flails a bit, gives up, starts beating self up anyway*

I have made some progress on some of them though…firstly, and most importantly I am in the middle of making some changes to my work life. I’m not quite sure how things will pan out yet, except for the fact that I’ll definitely have  more time at home, and I’ll equally definitely be skint. All the more so since we had the news last week that our car is not worth repairing – I’m a bit gutted by that as in the great Michelle Davis Timeline of Life, it was not scheduled for replacement until after the House Project was completed.

The car being borked has also buggered up another non-resolution – namely my Camp Bestival plans. I’ve been researching various festivals and had set my heart on taking my  elder two to this in August. But unless we become a car free family (this is something I am pondering) then we’re going to have to go without this year. Still, I figure there’ll be competitions galore to win tickets nearer the time so cross everything for me!

Now – the kids! I haven’t been running with my biggest boy yet but the weather has been absolutely minging in these parts, and I figure if I want him to come more than once, I should probably not take him out in the Welsh rain for his first ever run. But I HAVE spent some lovely quality time with my girl, some of which was IMHO completely wasted by watching the AWFUL Moshi Monsters film. But she thought it was the dog’s proverbials, and loved having a Mummy day, and we’ve agreed to do it again soon. As for my youngest, I’ve been practising saying yes a bit more to the stuff he wants to do when we’re at home, rather than always rushing around trying to get on top of the chores, and I have to say not only has it been fun (mostly), but I’ve also noticed a difference in his behaviour the rest of the time – a lesson for me there I think.

What else…Ah yes, writing – ummm, I wrote my most popular post EVER this month, on the not very parenting focussed topic of Independent Retail, though I’m not sure that being in almost double figures counts as progress for non-resolution purposes.  But I’ve also started a work blog to challenge me into writing in different ways – it’s looking quite new and virginal for the moment but I’m sure it’ll be chock full of thrilling insights from the world of Housing in no time….

Next – reading – well, I’ve started The Happiness Project…which I’m hoping will give some interesting insights into another non-res – yes that one about the working on the relationship shizzle, which obvs I’m not going to blog about too much, being totally un-anon and all.  And finally – the Cardiff Pound – well, it’s a big fat nothing to report on that one so far I am afraid….but I might have some exciting news soon so watch this space!

So, all good, right? Just need another couple of days and 2014 is gonna EAT MY SHORTS!*

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*Humour me. It’s for the best.

I’m linking up with #PoCoLo over at Vevivos – where I am also, ahem, drum roll please, featured on Victoria’s Newbie Showcase – thank you Victoria!

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I’m an unemployment cliché, get me out of here!

Doing my bit, School

I was listening to the radio walking home from work yesterday, when the actress Jenny Seagrove came on for an interview during which she mentioned the Everton Free School. Whatever your thoughts on the concept of Free Schools generally, Everton Free School looks like it does some pretty good work – set up by Everton Football Club, they offer alternative education to kids aged 14-19 who are excluded from mainstream provision.

Here’s what Jenny had to say about it…‘D’you know, it’s an amazing place…this school takes in kids who literally are three generations of unemployment. And they’re kids who are I hate to use the expression, but I would think it’s their last chance. They’ve dropped out of school, and the system’s failed them’.

Not much to argue with there – except, oh yes, this: THREE GENERATIONS OF UNEMPLOYMENT. That old chestnut. These kids are on their last chance because their feckless parents, grandparents, AND great grandparents were all unemployed. Right. No other factors.

There was some fairly well publicised research done by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation not too long ago, looking at the much hyped culture of worklessness. Despite actively and intensively searching for families with three generations of unemployed in two of the most deprived regions of the UK, they were unable to find even one such family. They did – just about – manage to find 20 families who presented with two generations of unemployment, but noted that there were a variety of long term and complex factors at play in these families, a major one being ill health. So on balance, whatever the issues faced by the kids at the Everton Free School (and I don’t doubt that the issues are are many, and real) it seems fairly unlikely that three generations of unemployment is one of them.

It’s really great that wealthy folk in the public eye are in a position to promote initiatives that work with excluded and disadvantaged kids, and clearly Jenny Seagrove is doing a good thing by supporting them. But I can’t help thinking that it would also be a great thing if the same celebrities took some time to understand the back story, and used their influence to help break down the negative myths and stereotypes, rather than perpetuating them.

 

You can access a summary of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation study, or indeed the whole report, here.