The first half term is coming to a close and as I wrote other day it has been a successful one for us although I am feeling the difference of having Chloe starting GCSE’s and Dylan entering year 6. It is strange really as I look at Chloe and just see myself at that age.
I loved school and enjoyed my time there, I didn’t work nearly hard enough and do wish I had I had realised that sooner. But the climate has definately changed I know that as both a former teacher and a parent. There is such more of an expected partnership between the school and home and I welcome that.
I believe that is my role as a parent to continue to be a role model to Chloe and to support her in her studies. I do check her work and help her with homework and revising for recap tests. She has taken it seriously so far, she knows that she has to work to do well. Like her dad and me we got to where we have through hard work and this is something I want the children to realise.
One thing that does help is the amount of technology we have at our finger tips. I remember going to the library to research topics or even events in history to get work done whereas that’s a fundamental cultural shift now. The technology is often in the home with iPads, smart phones and laptops it has certainly changed how our students study.
We have been reviewing the Canon Pixma MG7150 over the past few months and that too has made life easier. I shared my first thoughts when I started working from home but recently I have seen the benefits from a homework angle. Dylan has been able to print off his work with ease and Chloe likes the remote function as she can print via her smart phone.
In addition to working hard they have also been playing hard this term. Both Chloe and Dyl have been doing all their sports and socialising with friends in their spare time. It is all about balance for us. They know that if school work is done then they get their downtime. Chloe then found another use for the printer! She has been looking at how she can make her friends birthday / Christmas presents creatively and cheaply as teens don’t have unlimited funds. She has discovered that she can print off some of her favourite pictures that she has taken with her smart phone and uploaded to Facebook. She then buys a nice photo frame and personalises it.
We took inspiration from her and recently printed out this selfie that Chloe took of the five of us.
My final opinion of the Canon Pixma is that it is great! It has made life that little bit easier for all of us and we have found so many uses for it. I like how responsive it is and that it works with my phone. I love how it is used in the practical traditional sense, but it can also provide entertainment and activities for Erin and how the teen uses it socially with the power of social media.
Disclosure: We were gifted the printer for review.
