Juggling Eleven Plus Time

We often use the word `juggling’ to describe a sense of wonder at how some people (mainly mums?) are able to manage a busy life of home, children, school, work, social and friends.

The word has roots in Latin, French and Old English. So it looks as many people have had to cope with `keeping a number of balls in the air. The first rule is never to look at your hands.

Start by throwing the ball in an arc from one hand to another. Practice until you can throw the ball about a hundred times without looking at the ball. Now thrown the ball with one hand, catch in the other and pass it back to the first hand at waist level. Practice this another hundred times.

Now add the second ball. Start with one in each hand. Throw one in the air and pass the other to the first hand. As the first ball starts to drop throw the second. Do this about a hundred times.

Then add the third ball. Do this one hundred times.

So juggling children, school, sports activities, clubs, dance, football, cinema, friends and life in general takes practice.

Adding in work with Eleven Plus papers is no more complex than adding another ball.

I would rather cope with a verbal reasoning question than try to juggle with a trio of chainsaws!