homework 1: sanity 0

chilling out, calming down, finding mojo again after major homework battle, tantrums, floods of tears, dispair, drama. And that was just the cat. You should've seen child3 go.

I've always been a wee bit radical when it comes to schooling. Well, quite a bit on the extreme side of radical really. And the latest round of soul-destroying homework has p'ed me off to a wee bit of a radical extreme. The other day, we went through the I-do-not-like-minus-sums battle and, yes, I quite understand that plus is nicer and minus is a horrible concept for someone who is eternally optimistic and we got through that one and she got everything right. But instead of a big 'well done' on the bottom of the worksheet, she's come home today with lots of ticks and a note that says that she should colour in nicer and correctly.
*pause to boil blood*
*and foam at the mouth*
WhatTFF is 'colouring in nicely'?
and WhyTFF is it important?!
My children have never had those appalling, awful, creativity killing colouring in books and they struggle to understand the concept of colouring in inside the lines neatly with no white bits left...and you know what? I don't want them too!
I've always provided them with space - big paper, sploshy colours, big paint brushes, quality and freedom. And why? Because I've read enough damn child development & psychology books to tell me that it's a Good Idea to let children express themselves. I do not want anal children that fit in. Unless THEY want to colour in neatly (I have one that does) they don't have to.
So, after the battle of the colouring in, we're off to buy new paints and, when we get home, we're going to paint ourselves all over and roll around on the paper and make a big bloody mess everywhere.
I do not want to live my life in A4 format within pre-drawn lines and I do not want my children to either.