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It's back to school time again. As our little darlings move up the education ladder, so does our level of care and costs.
We spoke to yummy scene mummy and songstress, Denise Lewis, about the joys and responsibilities that come with bringing up chldren of school age.
 Do you think that school uniform is overpriced? How do you feel about buying uniform every year?
Yes, I definitely think that school uniform is over priced, I have three boys, aged 13, 11 and 8, and 1 daughter who is 16 years old. My daughter is relieved that she know longer has to wear school uniform as she is going to Sixth Form College to do her A Levels. She has recently said that there is a lot of pressure regarding what to wear to College every day (oh the pressure!).
I have learned the hard way, in regards to buying school uniform, I started off buying the most expensive trousers and shirts, but it was costing me so much money. My boys were going through them like hot cakes, a friend told me about these magical non-iron trousers that Marks and Spencer’s sell at £10.99 each, I thought, yeah, take them out the wash, no need to iron them, but it didn’t work, they still looked creased after coming out the wash. So I decided to go for cheap school trousers from (Peacocks, sorry boys), but my sons came home with huge holes in the trousers, after doing the splits, (don’t ask), or playing football in the playground.
I like to buy good quality polo shirts, because they sit so neatly around the school jumper collar, but again M&S is very expensive for a large family like mine.
What I do now is just mix and match, I purchased some of the grey school trousers from M&S, also from BHS, don’t you miss Woolworth’s? Also, Peacocks, Adams and Next.
My sister is always saying "you get what you pay for", but this is not always fair for low income families, we all want our children to look smart, clean and tidy in their new school uniforms, it should not be that not only those who can afford it can do so.
 Do your children have packed lunch or school dinners? If packed, what does the lunch tend to consist of? If school dinners, do you think they are substantial and worth £1.90 a day?
Most of the time my children have school dinners, I did get into the habit of packed lunches at one point, but that did not last for very long, as I had to be even more organised! I used to put things like cheese, fruit, crisps, sandwiches, cake, yoghurt, carrots in my children's packed lunches, do you know our children swap their lunches with their peers? Beware!
£1.90 per day is ok, for what the children are offered for school dinners, but I am more than happy to pay more for their lunches if they were a bit more substantial. For example, plantain, cornmeal porridge, Jerk chicken, dumpling, Roti, only problem that they may want to take a nap after lunch.
However we are living in a multi-cultural society, and not every enjoys, chips and beans, chips and fish fingers, chips and sausages, Thank God for Jamie Oliver.
Confession time, my favourite school dinners were chicken pie, carrots, and mash potatoes, (mmm memories).
Reading & homework: Do you get involved with this? Do you sometimes feel that it's your homework and not theirs?
I get very involved with my children and their homework, my children think I am pretty strict, I have been known to ask my children to do their homework over again if I feel that they have not given 100 percent.
Sometimes I do feel as though their homework is mine and not my theirs, but I have only myself to blame for that, as I get far too involved because I want them to do so well, I tell them about the importance of doing research, reading books, getting involved in a homework club, the works!
My 13 year old son exclaimed: 'This is my piece of homework Mum, not yours.' I knew then that I had to back off.
I have four children, two of them love to read, the other two are not that keen. I love to read myself, and read to the youngest two children most nights. I also read their school reading books with them at home everyday during the school term. I check what reading colours they have moved up to, and I am extremely proud when they move up a colour.
 How was the summer holidays for you? What activities did you get involved in? Did you go away? Do you feel there was enough out there for your children? Did it cost you?
My children spent the first three weeks with their dad in the south of France, (I know, lucky them). Now, what has Mummy got to offer? My girl-friend and I could not afford a holiday for the children and I this year, but what I usually do is ask all the children what they want to do for their three weeks with me. They make a list of the things they like doing, for example, swimming, (always top of the list), ice skating, cinema, picnic in the park, Thorpe Park. We also stay home, take out the pool, and play tennis in the garden. We also have a very large trampoline in the garden, so fun at home too.
I have always wanted to organise a Black Gay Mothers Support Group*, where gay parents can meet with the children, support, discuss, and have family fun, this would be great, not just in the summer holidays but all year round!
I think their are a lot of things for children to do during the summer that are not costly, we visited Grove Farm to pick blackberries, the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum - both free and educational.
Being a Mother of four, plus my girl-friend's 15-year old son, that’s five children all together. It can be costly sometimes, so swimming did cost a bit, but we had a special family pass. We have not been able to do as much activities this year as we are relocating.
 In general, how do you find schooling your children?
Wow, well, my children are so individual, and I have found schooling my daughter and my 11 year old son pretty easy. They are both focused, hard working and consistent. My 13 year old son has been a bit more challenging, but I like a challenge!
I am school governor at my 13-year old son’s school, and I think it’s important for parents to stay involved with their child’s education.
Any tips for our readers?
There have been a number of books regarding black children and education in this society and the racism that our children may face in the classroom by teachers who may have low expectations of them, but it has always been important to me as a parent to encourage my children to achieve, be confident and ambitious. Three things that our children will need to thrive in this society.
I am going to be really honest; I would have liked to have had all four of my children privately educated.
My politics is not about this type of elite education, but I do like the ethos of private schools. For example, educational achievement is of the utmost importance, and I like that idea of 99 percent of the children in private schools are high achievers, and leave school with excellent results.
However, is it fair that education, where the children have smaller class rooms, are far more open to new experiences, i.e. traveling, different types of sports, wider educational curriculum?
Is only offered to those who can afford it?
Denise Lewis
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* If attending a Black Gay Mother's Support group is of interest to you please contact us: enquiries@blessencemagazine.com
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