B did some of her maths workbook this morning, and ended up panicking and getting hysterical because she didn’t know what they were asking. It was something she was perfectly capable of doing but she had just shut down. So I took the book away from her and gave her A Talk, based on the mathematician’s lament E pointed me to a while back, about how school maths curriculums are designed to obfuscate mathematics as far as possible. Not sure how much she took in of the broader argument, but she did seem quite reassured by the idea that getting confused by the textbook didn’t mean there was something wrong with her, just with the book! I tried to get across the idea that if she wanted to keep doing the book, she should think about it as a game and start by figuring out what rules each particular page wanted her to play by, then take it on its own terms, rather than taking it to heart as an indictment of her competence if she didn’t know what they were asking.

After that she quit the workbooks for the day, then she decided she was too tired to go to pottery and German, so she came to playgroup with me and the littluns instead. I think she had fun, although she was disappointed that there wasn’t a craft activity or any music happening today (the usual leader wasn’t there). When we got home, she played in the garden, then did some ‘pooting, then Naannie arrived (late)to take her to the farm.

K had a Notable Day – it was her first excursion to playgroup in knickers! She didn’t have any difficulties, either. Only one in day nappies – yay!