Too Close for Comfort

Travel broadens your mind and opens yourself to new experiences.  As a whole this is very positive, but it also exposes you to risks and more than that, makes real of the news stories you hear of distant lands.

This photo was taken in New York on 10th September 2001. Yup. You can just make out the towers.  Less than 24 hours later and the world was a very different place.  Several days later, as I sat teary eyed on Eurostar, returning to good old Blighty, I listen to a family discussing the incident that had happened in a far off land.

My travels in India make news of events there seem so much more real to me than, say Malaysia, a country and a region that I haven't been to.  However, nothing brings that home more than when something happens in places I have been, or places my loved ones had been.  The coordinated attacks in Mumbai, November 2008 were too close for comfort.  The Taj Mahal hotel was under siege for days.  This is the same hotel where I had sent my parents for a few days on their own to experience Mumbai before flying home just a few months earlier. A place where I thought they would be safe.

I vividly remember standing in the kitchen at one of my Rangers house's looking at the photos in the paper. I had taken my Rangers to India the year before and as well as landing in Mumbai, we spent a night there and did a bit of sight seeing including the Taj Mahal hotel.  I turned the page to see an image of bodies lying on the ground inside Victoria Terminus station.  I looked at my Ranger and said "that was the station we arrived at". It was a station I had used several times myself.

Its not just terrorist attacks though - do you remember the hot air balloon that crashed in Egypt last year? Probably not, unless like me you had taken that flight.

And its not just international travel that has these risks.  I remember one Christmas in the 80s, my mum agonising over whether we should go to London to see the lights with all the IRA threats. My GCSE geography trip to Canary Wharf had to be altered as the IRA had detonated a bomb there just weeks before. As it was, a bomb was found in Trafalgar Square on the day we went.

More recently, the 7/7 bombings happened a year after I stopped working in London. One of the victims had been the head of my department.  A real person that I knew.

The news these past weeks have been full of flight MH17 that was shot down over the Ukraine.  First reports were full of this being another Malaysian Airways flight disappearing, but soon that changed as it was realised that that was just an unfortunate coincidence.

The real issue is why was that airline flying over a warzone? Apparently because that's what they do. They feel safe 6 miles up.  Malaysia Airways weren't the only airline to be taking that flight path, there were others Lufthansa amongst them. Lufthansa who I flew to Pune with in January.

Little Owl and I flew over Ukraine.

In January.

It could have been our plane.

It wasn't, and for that I am very grateful.

But it does mean when I look at the images, and listen to the news, it makes it real to me. More real than I would like.

Travel broadens your mind and opens yourself to new experiences.  As a whole this is very positive, but it also exposes you to risks and more than that, makes real of the news stories you hear of distant lands.

Pink is for girls

As a child growing up with 2 much older brothers, I was determind not to like pink, even when I got married my bridesmaids wore blue - that showed them huh?

Who 'them' are I'm not not so sure... And when it comes to pink vs blue I must admit to pink being far more flattering as a hair colour than blue has ever proven to be...

That didn't stop me feeling decidedly miffed when Father Christmas invited Little Owl to help herself to a present from the pink pile... I couldn't help but wondering what she was missing out of in the blue pile... especially when she got colouring pencils which could have been in either!

But then I got it when someone pointed out that little boys (as a whole) would be understandable upset if Father Christmas gave them hairclips and in all honesty, I think Little Owl would have been quite happy with clips (although not as happy as pencils cos pencils are the best right?!).

I remember playing with my friend's Castle Grey Skull as a kid and thinking how much cooler it was than My Little Pony cos it did stuff! Then I discovered Sylvalian Families and all was good again!

I've heard Marks and Spencers are going to stop marketing their toys at either boys or girls and I'm pleased. But then someone on Facebook suggested they should do the same with the clothes! Would that mean they had to stop selling dresses? With her lack of hair, I sometimes go to quite a bit of effort to make sure people know Little Owl is a girl whilst still looking funky, and well dresses just require less effort on that front!

I was worried that giving Little Owl a kitchen for Christmas was conforming to a stereo type, would we have done so with a boy? I would like to say yes but would I really? I comforted myself that it had been when Papa Owl was in the kitchen that Little Owl most wanted to join in.

This whole topic raised its head again this week.  I rarely wear makeup these days and so Little Owl was fascinated to see me applying some.  She stood next to me, looking in the mirror, asking me to put on her anything I put on myself. She's not an easy owl to say no to, so I pretended to give her eyeshaddow, blusher, mascara and lipstick, trying to convince myself that its no different to wearing black facepaint at bonfire... But I wasn't sure, I felt uneasy... That was until I turned round to see that Little Owl had got bored and had returned to playing with her cars!

World Aids Day

Sunday 1st December is World Aids Day.

Aids is something we have heard talk about for many years, but for most of us in the UK, the nearest we have knowingly come to it in our lives was watching Mark Fowler in Eastenders - but that's been over 10 years now!

Back in 2010, I was ask to take a group of Senior Section girls aged 14-17 to South Africa.  Its was part of the centenary celebrations of Girl Guiding, and 100 members from London and the South East travelled to South Africa over the summer and between us we built a house for a local family in the Kwa Zulu Natal area just north of Durban.  The materials for the house were paid for by fundraising in the UK, all the Rainbows, Brownies and Guides helped.

We were helped in our quest by an organisation called Gods Golden Acre.  They describe their work as "Supporting and caring for orphaned and vulnerable children whose lives have been devastated as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, poverty and violence."  You see, its not just those living with HIV who are affected, its their families too.  Gods Golden Acre recognises this, and doesn't differentiate when it comes to helping those in need. 

In recognition of this year's World Aid's Day, I have been asked to host two guest posts by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance.  I hope you stop by to read them.

The first is Momina's Story, a young brave woman and mother who has had to make enormous sacrifices in order to provide the best for her children.

The second is the upbeat story of a dance troupe called Addis Beza who are using their youthful energy to create a safe environment for HIV to be discussed.  Its a happy story.

World Toilet Day

Did you know that today was World Toilet Day? Did you even know there was a World Toilet Day?! The aim of the day is to raise awareness of the one in 3 people on this globe who don't have access to a toilet. Can you imagine not being able to go in private? As well as that thought being just quite horrific, it is also believed to be on of the main causes of girls dropping out of school when they reach puberty.

It didn't come as a surprise to me to learn that 66% of those in the world practising open defecation live in India. You see it, children going at the side of the road, properly going.  Its never pleasant and never a sight you get used to, I find it one of the most disturbing things to see.  I know there are lots of unpleasant things that happen in the world but as a whole they are behind closed doors.  This should be and isn't.  

About 10 years ago, I visited a crèche on a building site for the children of the construction workers run by a charity called Mobile Crèche.  The children ranged from 12 days to 12 years old.  None of the bubas wore a nappy and after meal times all the children that were big enough to walk were led outside to an area where they could all 'go' together. I wonder what Ofsted would make of that?

So in honour of World Toilet Day, I thought I would share a campfire song with you that was very popular when I was a Guide, particularly on camps where there weren't plumbed in facilities!

Tiptoe
 (The chorus is to the tune of "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas")

I'm dreaming of a flush toilet

Just like the ones we have at home

With a silver chain

and proper drain

And somewhere for it all to go

So...

Tiptoe through the tent pegs

Through the tent pegs

To the lavatory

Come tiptoe

Through the tent pegs with me

Cos....

I'm dreaming of a flush toilet

Just like the ones we have at home

With a silver chain

and proper drain

And somewhere for it all to go

And if that wasn't exciting enough for you - have a go at this great little game from Unicef - Toilet Trek

Paid to breastfeed?

If you haven't already heard, there is a pilot scheme going to run in 3 areas of the UK where women will be rewarded for continuing to breastfeed their babies with shopping vouchers up to the value of £200 if they are still feeding at 6 months.

I don't think I have ever seen a BBC article shared by so many people and pages as this article has been today - you can find it here by the way, just in case you haven't seen it.

I've joined in a few conversations about this today, but to be honest, I'm not that fussed, although I did get it when some women said it was insulting, well it is isn't it?

The thing is, something needs to happen.  The rates of breastfeeding in the UK just aren't good enough.  Breastfeeding is hard, trust me I know, but unless there is something in the water making us less medically able than the rest of the world, then the problem has to be cultural. 

I've heard women mention just today about problems latching, lack of supply, hungry babies, unhappy parents and babies, post-natal depression etc etc etc.  These won't magically go away if breastfeeding was more culturally supported, but perhaps, just by the whole country being aware - these problems are more surmountable?

Lots of comments today have mentioned how this money could be better spent on training some breastfeeding councillors or the training of midwives and health visitors.  The thing is, we're not talking a lot of money here - from what I understand, each pilot will involve 130 women, so even if all 130 women successfully breastfed for 6 months, we're only talking £26000.  That's not an earth shattering amount, its not going to train and pay for a full time breastfeeding councillor in that area.

But perhaps, with an incentive, the health visitors will feel more able to keep the conversation open about how to continue and support the mother in breastfeeding, in a light hearted kind of way, you know  - "so are you still planning on a shopping spree when you get to 6 months?"  I think that some heath professionals are so worried that they might be seen as pressurising the women in their care into breastfeeding that they miss the signs that the mother actually needs and wants help.  We're a bit rubbish in the UK at asking for help.

Certainly this is the feeling I got from my Health Visitor.  I'm not going to tell my 'breastfeeding story' now, it deserves its own post, when the time is right, but I feel my HV is worth a mention.  Freshly trained, I had high hopes for this woman.  She diligently worked her way through the booklet of questions - still not completely sure why she needed to know about Little Owl's Uncles who live Hong Kong and Australia, but she seemed keen.  When she asked me how I intended to feed my baby, I replied - breast, I might have made some quip about being far too lazy to sterilise bottles but I was not prepared for her response "don't bother too much about breastfeeding as its quite hard".

It would appear that the latest NHS training had made my Health Visitor more concerned about my mental health than she was about breastfeeding.  Perhaps that is the right thing but when Little Owl was a week old and I thought I was unable to feed her, felt I had failed her so early in her life, that was when I was most at risk of PND.  Not because of unrealistic pressures put on me by the breast is brigade, because actually, I'm intelligent, I can work out breast is best for myself.  Pussyfooting around mothers who need help and direction to breastfeed because you might upset them is not helping either.

Please don't think I'm judging you if you didn't breastfeed for whatever reason.  I also know that my BMI is not what it should be.  I know I don't take enough exercise and miss the target of 5-a-day more often than I hit it.  I have also read about research this week that says children under 2 shouldn't watch any TV - whoops.  I'm not perfect, but you don't need to hide the truth from me in order to protect me.

If my health visitor is typical of the current thinking and training in the NHS, then something is not working. 

Something does needs to be done, we've got to stop worrying about offending the minority and start supporting the majority, and if the vouchers create a 'safe' way to continue the conversation about breastfeeding, then why not give it a go? 

I'm a teacher and I'm striking

I want to write this post.  I really want to write this post.  But you see, I'm a Maths teacher, not an English teacher so I can't put it as eloquently as I feel I should.  I'm scared of saying the wrong thing and letting down my profession.  I've been thinking about what to write for the past week now.  I know that the press is going to be full of anti-teacher comments tomorrow.  So will Facebook and Twitter. 

Firstly, I know the country is short of money and cuts need to happen.  I am not saying that education is any more or less important then the NHS, policing, fire service etc and I do hate it when the public sectors turn on each other but that's another story.

There are many perks of being a teacher and if I start to say what the government are trying to do, and why we want to defend it I know there will be many that say we have had it too good for too long and we should try the 'real world'.  Perhaps they are right, not for me to say.

I'm not taking this strike action for my own benefit.  I'm currently working as a supply teacher so the pay and conditions I am fighting for don't actually apply to me.  I am currently working 3 days a week so I am loosing a third of my pay this week.

I  have taken this strike action for Little Owl.  I want her and all the other toddlers I know, to have good education and for that you need good teachers.

There is one thing that Mr Gove and I agree on.  The children of this country deserve the best teachers.  Mr Gove thinks that having a first class degree makes a good teacher.  I disagree but that doesn't matter.  The only way you are going to get the best teachers be it those with first class degrees or not is to make teaching a desirable profession.

It currently isn't.

I'm not going to spout facts and figures that may or not be true, but I would like to share what I have seen happen as a maths teacher.  I have been lucky to have had a job in a good school which as a result attracts good teachers.  Even so, finding maths teachers isn't easy.  You don't get hundreds applying for each job but if you are lucky you might get two or three, often less. 

I know of young adults who went through their entire secondary education without having a specialised math teacher.  And I'm not talking Mr Gove's standards of having a first class maths degree because the truth be known the majority of maths teachers I know haven't got maths degrees.  They are however highly committed individuals with degrees and specialist teacher training in Mathematics (in my case this meant my teacher training was two years instead of one).  But these teachers are hard to come by which is perhaps why Mr Gove is making it possible for your children to be taught by adults with no teacher training (which kinda contradicts himself....).

Its not just pay and conditions that teachers are striking about.  This is where I wish I was more eloquent in the written form.  Its the crap that they are placing upon us, the extra work that we are being expected to do that we as a profession do not believe is necessary (or even helpful) to the education of our children. This is why many teachers are voting with their feet and leaving.  I know, I have one foot out of the door...

I received an email from my employment agency last week.  They are seeking maths teachers for various posts.  Full time, part time,  long term, permanent, short term and day to day.  I think that says a lot.

What I'm trying to say is that there is a real crisis happening in schools already, its not just maths. Once a teacher has left the profession it is very unlikely that they will return.  Training new teachers takes time and with so many leaving will people still be willing to join?  In the meantime the children in the schools are not getting the education they deserve. 

Will striking help?  I don't know, one day won't make a difference I am sure but what else is there to do?  For Little Owl's sake I have to do something.

I hope you understand.  I hope you don't think I am work shy or greedy.  I hope you realise that I am making a stand for what I believe is best for all the children in this country not just my own. 

Thank you for reading.

Save the Boy

Let me set the scene.  I'm sat cuddled on the sofa with Clyde cat watching the telly and doing some knitting.  Papa Owl is out and Little Owl is tucked up in bed. 

To be honest, I'm only half watching the telly but something catches my eye, a boy is climbing a tree whilst his dad is on his mobile.  Something happens, the boy, wearing a bright yellow t-shirt falls from the tree.  He is hurt, really hurt.  The Dad doesn't know what to do.  All of this is intercut with scenes of a lady doing the washing up, the narrator tells us she has first aid training with St John's Ambulance and it looks like she is going out to save the boy... she doesn't, she is somewhere else.  The advert finishes with the Dad helplessly holding the apparently lifeless body of his son.

You can see the advert for yourself here.

I hate it.

I could cry.

They had gone to town with the makeup on the little boy, dark dark eyes and dark blood coming from his mouth.

I hate it.

Why couldn't the boy be rescued? 

I can't shake the image of him lying there.

It makes me want to never let Little Owl climb trees, to wrap her in cotton wool and protect her for ever.  Papa Owl wouldn't be happy about that.

It doesn't make me want to do first aid.

I'm going to put that into context.  I first learnt First Aid as a Guide aged 11.  My Guide Leader took it very seriously, with Red Cross volunteers coming in to teach us the syllabus over several weeks and then back to test us afterwards.  Not everyone passed first time, but we got the chance to re-take.  This was repeated every two years to keep us fresh. 

I have kept up my First Aid knowledge since then, either with basic one day courses or with fuller Mountain First Aid courses where you work on the basis that you are in an isolated location, the ambulance will not be turning up within 7 minutes and the casualty is therefore your responsibility. 

So its not that I'm squeamish and want to avoid facing up to first aid.

Papa Owl and I are the kind of people to stop at road accidents (or road traffic incidents to use the  correct term) and get our hands dirty (cos you never have gloves on you when you need them) until the ambulance arrives.  We know what to do, we know what information to pass to the ambulance.

I'm passionate about First Aid being taught in schools.  I've invited St John's volunteers into schools to deliver sessions to the kids, and whenever I can, I have taught it to school children using both St John's and Red Cross resources. 

Kids are the best at first aid, especially little ones.   They don't panic.  They are used to being taught rules and follow them without question.  There are numerous stories of kids saving lives whilst adults have looked on helplessly.

But that advert was horrid.

The boy was left to die.

I hate it.

I went onto Twitter to share my feelings (its apparently what you do on there) and found myself on the St John's Ambulance profile.  I followed the link through to their website but couldn't bring myself to watch the advert again. 

They do however have a follow up to the advert.  The narrator talks the Dad through DR ABC (if you don't know what that is then read this) and you follow him through the process until the boy is loaded into the ambulance.  Apart from one breath you see him take, he might be dead.

I feel awful. 

I know the point of the advert is to shock people and it does.  It makes people talk about it - I am now and you are reading, but does it make people learn first aid? 

I don't see how.

I don't see that the boy needed to be so injured (but if you go to the website you will find that he is still breathing when the Dad checks).

There is some good information on the website - but how many will check?

Could that information not be part of the advert?

Could they not run a series of adverts teaching first aid rather that giving people nightmares?

Start slowly with burns, small cuts and nose bleeds.  Make people feel comfortable with first aid.  Empower them.  Build slowly and give them confidence.  Get them on side, and entice them to want to learn more.

Don't horrify them.

Don't make parents even more paranoid about letting their children explore.

The advert is the stuff of nightmares.  People will talk about it, its sure to get press coverage, but will it help?

I hope so but I doubt it will.

No More Page 3

I hadn't intended this blog to be a political soap box but I guess it is inevitable to happen every now and then...

I've been vaguely aware that Girlguiding have been backing a campaign to put an end to the pictures of young women naked from the waist up appearing in national newspapers.  It is just the sort of thing I think Girlguiding should be involved in as representatives of the largest youth organisation for girls in the UK, but it wasn't something I felt overly passionate about.

Growing up I was only vaguely aware of these newspapers, they weren't the 'sort of newspaper we had in our house' and I'd always assumed it was 'other types' of people who read them.  I was shocked at aged 10 that my friend's dad did read 'those' papers - he was a Christian, went to church every week and yet he would buy newspapers with topless young girls in it.  It didn't make sense to me then, and it still doesn't now.

As a uni student on a male dominated course, lads mags were more common place than ladies, although I remember coming across a couple of copies of Marie Clare and Cosmopolitan at a Youth Hostel and being surprised how skinny the girls were compared to those in Loaded. Personally I thought the lads mags were giving us a better deal. I never felt I was being compared, why would I when those girls were all in their bikinis and I was in the virtually compulsory uniform of a geology student most recognised by fleeces and hiking books. However, I did received a great amount of attention one field trip when I announced that I had gone to school with Miss July!

A few weeks ago I found myself standing alone in a Chinese takeaway waiting for my dinner to be cooked.  On the counter there was a few newspapers and I started to read the front pages.  Wills and Kate had just named baby George, I knew this from Facebook but hadn't seen any actual news about it so continue to read, turned over the first page and couldn't avoid seeing Nicole, aged 20 from Bournemouth wearing a yellow thong and stood in such a way that her right breast was on full display.  I didn't want to see Nicole's bum or breast, I wanted to know about baby George.

I don't know why but I felt moved by this image of Nicole.  Possibly as I'm now a mother to a daughter of my own, this image would not be one I would like to see of her.  I think more than that though, I have taught girls who are now Nicole's age.  I have busted a gut to get them through their GCSEs with the hope of a bright future. I see many of them now, they work in the hospital, at children's centres, in shops and soft play centres, many are mothers themselves. I don't want to see these children naked even if they are technically adults now, 20 is still so young.

For this reason, and so many others, I have signed the petition.  Will you?