6 resources that helped our homeschool journey || Homeschooling In Nigeria
There are a few things I bought this year that really really helped our Homeschooling journey this year.
What has been your 2022 favorite homeschooling resource?
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Homeschooling Conversations 2022: The Making
This year's Homeschooling Conversations has been one for the books in a good and not-so-good way.
It was one of the hardest events to put together for me and initially, I thought it was because i've generally had a tough year with the addition of another baby but I soon realized that it was more than that. I had the least support in terms of volunteers, monetary donations & sponsorship this year, so there was the financial burden I had to carry and decisions to make as to what was important to keep or let go of.
I decided to charge a 500 ticket fee for this year's event because I wanted to have people committed to attending the event but less1 month before the event a huge chunk of people were still having issues with the payment platform, I had to make the decision to either spend the time with support trying to sort it out or conserve my energy and scrape the payment altogether and the latter is what I did.
The challenges faced didn't mean there was no help in the midst of it all, a friend of mine helped to reduce the cost of the venue we used from 600k to 150k by talking to her Boss for us. Someone gave me 50k to add to the payment for the venue. About 3 days before the event someone sent me 80k the exact amount we needed to do a very minimal decoration to make the place look nice just, we were able to get an affordable Livestream person after initially getting a bill of over 300k, after not doing product photography jobs for a while I got some jobs that could help me cover some of the costs and so on all of these seemingly little big things gave me the courage to keep going.
A few days before the event while trying to send emails to everyone with links for the event I realized that the form didn't collect email addresses and at the time we had over 200 people registered. I was so confused for context this is the same form I have used for 4 years, I didn't change anything just duplicated it and changed the year, so how the "email" column went missing is still a mystery to me to date. Thankfully, phone numbers were collected and I quickly went to work getting a good Bulk SMS platform to help send text messages with the link and my friend Ruth helped me to send a follow-up message.
On the day of the event, I woke up excited and I would say everything went smoothly for Day 1, my excitement spilled into Day 2 with so much nervousness because it was physical and so many moving parts which also meant after I do ALL I know to do, MANY things could go wrong. We were ready for the slated 10am but then one of the speakers was in traffic, the attendees came late too so we had to move the event by an hour.
We could only send messages to the limited phone numbers and emails we had and of course, some people sent me messages to ask, some called and it all just made me agitated, sad, and upset. We started and things were going smoothly up until the middle of the event and the internet in the hall stopped working which interrupted the Livestream. We were all looking for alternatives and all till it was finally sorted. Hardly sat down throughout the event, just monitoring the Livestream and making sure one more thing doesn't go wrong.
I was the last speaker for the day and if you by chance listened to the presentation, I was not on my A game at all, I was so sad at that point at how everything went that I kept repeating most of my words and all the things I prepared in my mind just flew out the window.
I met a number of people that day too and I am grateful for every single person that came that day.
When I got home that night, I couldn't hold back the tears, I cried about how difficult it was to put the event together, I cried about how my expectations were shattered by the number of people that didn't show up for the event, I cried for the physical pain and tiredness my body felt, I cried for the sacrifice. I cried because I could finally exhale.
My husband was there to give me some perspective and remind me why I started in the first place.
I had to log off my social media for a bit to gain some clarity because I started questioning and doubting myself and why I was doing what I was doing and ultimately weighing if it was worth it all.
I've spent some time resting and gaining clarity and while I don't know what the future holds I am positive that all the past conversations we've had was worth it and I am grateful for everyone that contributed one way or another.
Ruth
Lois
Tobi
Chinwe
Mercy
Mercy
youreverygirl
Adekemi
Chiamaka
Deji
Chioma
Toyin
Nkechi
Your contribution made a difference in bringing the event to life. I am hopeful that in spite of all the challenges everything is working out for good.
You can catch the replay for the 2022 Homeschooling Conversations below:
Full Day 1: Here
Full Day 2: Here
Playlist of the different sessions: Here
If you joined the event and you have feedback please leave a comment or send an email to thecuddleblog@gmail.com
Thank you.
Interview with Babbles on being a stay at home mum
Earlier in the year, I was featured on a TV Program called Babbles. Here is the interview Enjoy
Skating Rink in Abuja Review
My sister found us one on IG. Not much to say really, just note that the place is not accurate on the Map. You can give them a call to get the right place once you enter the estate.
Cuddles had fun.
Prices:
3,500/child Training for one hour, they give you socks and skaters.
Their page gives the other list but know that it's for one hour although they wrote "daily" on the rates. The hour is usually enough.
Cuddly loves: 3/5
Experiencing Northern Food in Abuja with Opeyemi Famakin
Opeyemi Famakin (The biggest food critic in Nigeria) was in Abuja at the time and he decided to show us the perfect place to experience northern food in Abuja and off we went. We had never tried northern food before and it was a good experience.
All the things different about the experience
1. We put off our shoes at the door
2. We sat on the floor
3. Base ingredients are not unfamiliar but the way and manner they cooked it is what makes the difference.
We tried
Cuddles loved the Masa and I loved the Denderu and Kunu that I had. It was a better experience than all the kunu I had tasted. It was sweet, light and no ginger. Lol.
Mitya encouraged me to try something new and I didn't' regret it at all. Cuddles still asks and talks about Ope till today because he convinced my son to be a soldier and gave him a gift.
I am glad he got to experience not just all the play places but still takes a bit of the culture with him.
Swimming Review II Good Swimming Trainer in Abuja
I found the best swim instructor in Abuja.
Yes cuddles had been 1 year plus he has had different swimming instructors. Then the pandemic, we got floaters and based on his previous learnings he became a good swimmer but when the floaters came off... 😂
So we got another instructor with the aim to teach him how to swim without floaters, he did learn to swim with the diving board but also came out of that lesson with a fear of putting his head under water because he drank water.
We went to splash Waterpark in Abuja and as usual we were the only ones there so the instructor/lifeguard came around and was having a chitchat with Cuddles only to find out he was scared of putting his face underwater. Then he started to guide him, answered all his questions and gently taught him how to do it and I kid you not in less than an hour my boy was swimming without his floaters with his head in water and all. I would really love to say my boy is a genius but good instructors make their students look like genius.
I went ahead to book him for a few days before I left and we used Grand pela hotel (I recommend their pool - we went to another one which was dirty) unfortunately it became too cold to swim for long but he told me what was next in his training for when we get to Lagos. Before we left, we swam without floaters, swam to the end of the pool, and learned to climb to the edge even when the pool is too deep for you, we can swim in any depth of the pool, with different styles of swimming. Honestly, for the quality of training I got I would pay an arm and a leg in Lagos to get it.
If you are in Abuja and you want a good trainer Mr Bebe is your guy and he has fair rates. 07034732776
Thegoodbeach Review II Place to go with the kids in Lagos II What you need to know
We found a new beach that is not in Epe! 😂I can now break up with you know who. One of the things that always bothered me about you know who is how everything felt so money driven without thinking about the user experience of the beach goer and @thegoodbeachlagos took all those things and made it so easy and that was the selling point for me.
What I like:
1. LOUNGE CHAIR IS FREE and based on first come first serve based. Like if you visit someone it's only common courtesy that they at least give you a place to sit 😐 if you now want extra comfort i.e Cabana you can now pay for that.
2. Beach is also family/kids friendly. Like your kids can play at a safe distance without you worrying too much. I absolutely loved that.
3. There is a pool that we didn't pay extra for. Now, someone mentioned that is how Landmark started too, they made a lot of things free to draw people and after a while just started putting price on everything. Now, I don't know their plans o but it felt good to not pay extra to swim. Lol.
4. Picture worthy: from the multi coloured vendor stands to the pool, everywhere you can literally just go there to just be snapping and e go be like Miami.
5. The entrance and the exit are right next to each other. The pay point is just as you are entering. Like you don't need to walk the long mile before you pay or after your time at the beach. I couldn't imagine doing that again with a baby in the mix.
6. Friendly staff: I'm a sucker for people that indulge children and are extra nice. The staff went out of their way to be that.
What I didn't like:
1. For the name "Good" beach they played bad music. F-word here and there flying around, B-word here and there. Abeg for the sake of us bringing children, let my child not be saying the F-word because we came to your beach.
2. The beach front was dirty, they cleaned it up before we left.
3. Things being pricey is relative but as you know me I'm not rich so the vendors in the beach that they have so far is on the high side. Like, don't even think you can get a decent meal for like 5k ya a jonzer. Ice-cream alone I bought for 4k. I don't know about their corkage fee but prepare your wallet as food is not allowed.
Like my friend said, let's just put "for now" in front of everything because as they get popular and don't need people to know about them they can become proud and start doing things to send us away. So, let's enjoy it all while it is still there.
Entrance fee
Mon - Thur 3k
Kids below 5 (I think) - Free
Not sure of other ages (please clarify)
Entrance fee Fri - Sunday 4k
If you doing Cabana 35k
All their pricelist is also on their IG page @thegoodbeachlagos
Please help us and tell us in advance now all the things that you will still ask money from us let us not be surprised. T for Thanks.
For now: 4/5 Cuddly loves!
I highly recommend (for now 😂) just epp us change your Playlist tainz.
Discovery Museum Review II Things to do with kids in Abuja
Hmmm.... I'm conflicted about this, when I was there I was just saying "wow wow wow" like siren but when I left and started really asking myself about the experience I just realized that they used moving Yaradua to carry my stew ni.
I had to admit to myself that Abuja people like Effizy because if you see the decor? No be h
ere,
The things to explore in the digital museum
1. Some facts about Nigeria
2. Music room
3. Digital art
4. 360 room
5. Some art collection
6. VR room showing a documentary on the reality in IDP camps
7. Cinema view of a documentary about Nigeria
I can't remember what else if I missed anything.
What I liked:
1. The staff were extremely nice and helpful. One carried snuggles so I could enjoy the VR documentary
2. I liked moving Yaradua 😂 for some reason it's his image that is stuck in my head.
3. That decoration gan gan they are charging for, I liked it. 😂
4. The effort that was put in to honor the Nigerian army. It's worthy of note.
5. They are forward-thinking enough to not say "don't snap in the museum" I liked that.
What I didn't like:
1. For the name "Discovery" there's really not so much to discover that you don't already know. You should leave a museum more knowledgeable. I didn't. Even the music room just had the names of the people... Nothing about music in that Era etc. Please go to Obasanjo's presidential library and see how to do research. It just feels like they didn't put in so much research work into the museum.
2. I feel like they just wanted to forcefully advertise a particular digital artist to me. Like we saw his work already then you are made to see it again and again... I had to ask if that's the only digital artist in Nigeria or it's a partnership... Apparently, it's a partnership. I don't think museums should be like that, but what do I know?
3. What is the 360 room for? 😂 I was just made to be looking at the same artist's work. I was confused. I think it could be more utilized.
4. I know it's a digital museum but a little bit more light won't hurt I think.
Will I say it's worth it? Hmmm... Tricky. I don't think it's worth 5k to be very honest. Will I say you shouldn't go? I'm too Amebo for that, you sef go and feed your eyes... 😂Except if they take feedback sha, just know what to expect. If you don't go, you may not necessarily be missing anything, just imagine Yaradua in HD moving his head from left to right and blinking 😂
If you have plenty money that won't pain you if it goes, by all means.
Price:
5000/Adult
3,500/Children
Cuddly Rating: 3/5 Cuddly loves. 3 is for Yaradua!
Have you been to the discovery museum, what did you think about it?