When we returned to the UK in June of this year after 11 years in Russia, we faced a number of cultural adjustments. For example, on my first few visits to the supermarket I was completely overwhelmed by all the choice available. When driving, an oncoming vehicle flashing their lights meant 'come on through, I'll wait for you' as opposed to 'watch out, I'm coming through at some speed'. And it took us a while to get used to dogs who lived in people's homes and not in a kennel out in the front yard.
However, one of the greatest cultural adjustments was sending our two eldest daughters off to the local primary school after having homeschooled them up to this point. Here are some of the things we had to get used to:
These are just a few of the funnier adjustments we've had to make. I'll talk another time about some of the more serious negatives I've encountered as well as some of the positives we've experienced.
Qu: If you've been in a similar situation, what are some of the more humorous observations you've made?
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- Mornings now involve a lot more shouting and cajouling as we try to get the girls dressed in their uniforms complete with packed lunches, book bags and gym kit, and out of the door in time for the 8.45am school bell.
- I've gone from knowing in great detail exactly what my girls are learning and how they're doing academically, to having to bombard them with loads of questions just to establish whether or not they did in fact have a maths lesson that day (let alone what they actually learnt in it).
- The amount of paperwork work that comes home, in the form of letters to parents, could stock a small-sized rainforest.
- The Parents Association are absolute pros when it comes to eeking out extra money from you, whether it's that school disco that everyone is going to, or the school photo that you just have to buy. At one point I found myself making chocolate cupcakes for a bake sale (my child surely couldn't be the only one without a contribution the next morning) which I then felt I had to buy back at 50p a plate the next day to show my support!
- Everything now needs a name label on it. For a recent school trip I was up late the night before labelling sheets, socks, a soap box and even the toothpaste! My parents knew what they were doing when they gave my brother and me the same initial!
These are just a few of the funnier adjustments we've had to make. I'll talk another time about some of the more serious negatives I've encountered as well as some of the positives we've experienced.
Qu: If you've been in a similar situation, what are some of the more humorous observations you've made?
Abide in Him!
Are you new to Grace to Abide? Keep updated with each new post via email, facebook or twitter.
Photo Credit: freedigitalphotos.net/creativedoxfoto
Good to hear from you and catch up on what's going on! I can totally relate to the crazy mornings :) My girls are a bit younger but we are having similar experiences with the public school system. Being a homeschooler at heart, it's hard to watch them disappear into the school building every morning :). But one particular blessing I am experiencing is that they never cry, and they do enjoy school. I'm sure it would kill me if I had to force them or convince them to go.
ReplyDeleteHi Caryne! I'm glad your girls are enjoying school. Yes, the tears are hard. We had quite a few at the beginning, and the eldest one still sheds a few tears on Tuesday mornings (Tuesday is her least favourite day). But they've settled in better now and are enjoying many aspects of school life. We're thinking of going back to homeschooling next year, but I think generally this year at 'mainstream' school will have been a positive one for them, certainly in terms of getting back into British culture and making friends :-)
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