Ya'll, with each day that passes, my rope seems to get shorter and shorter. If it's not the stress of the job, it's the kids or the extended family or some other thing that threatens to push me right over the edge. People talk about the edge as some mystical place that is "out there somewhere".. but I am here to tell you that it's a lot closer than you might think.
Today it was my son. Apparently being a Tween does something dark and twisty to your brain and makes you about 6 degrees of stupid. We are in the last year of elementary school with him. In some places he'd be the bottom feeder in middle school.. but in our town he's at the top of the food chain. Hormones are raging, growth spurts are happening, hair is creeping in over the lip and voices are cracking. Puberty is an ugly, scary time. He might not live to see the other side of it.
Today, he landed himself his first in-school suspension. As I never even served one day of after school detention in my life, I have a hard time with how much trouble he finds himself in at school. Turns out he was a little peeved about something totally ridiculous (I won't even tell you, to save him the embarrassment) and pulled the chair out from under his friend as he went to sit down. Friend lands funny on his wrist (he's fine), goes to the teacher crying, and Mr. Man finds himself down at the principal's office. In his defense, I asked him what he thought would happened when he pulled out that chair, and he said "I honestly had no idea." (all brains, no common sense) And in his teacher's defense, he didn't expect him to be suspended. Just a little chat with the principal.. and back to class. But it seems that some 6th graders in the other class pulled this crap last week, and it resulted in suspension, so props to the admin for keeping it consistent. Maybe this will humble him into behaving.
There will be a meeting Friday with the principal, his teacher, the guidance counselor, the school psychologist and his father. (I opted to send him.. I work there.. and with these people.. I can't be the one to go head to head with them about my son. And I am the disciplinarian at home.. I can't do it at school too.) He will be there for part of it, and they will discuss what is going on with him and why he's been to the principal's office 8 times this year and what they will do for/about him. I have already put in the papers for the school psychologist to do an IQ test, and an Academic Level of Achievement test (which basically is a battery of a billion questions that will tell them what level he's in for math, reading, writing and language). And maybe, just maybe after 2 years of me telling them that he's bored... and that he's operating at a level far past what he's actually doing in school.. they will listen and give him some challenging things to do. I'm not holding my breath. But I am making good progress on my resolution to drink more beer.
3 comments:
I have every confidence that someday in the not too distant future, one of my sons will do the exact same thing, and I will get a hold of you and you will talk me down off the ledge and get me to spare his life because you will have been there first. Bottoms up.
The speed of school admins seems to rival the snail's. I hope they get their heads on straight and do right by your son. Good luck!
Kevin was treated a lot the same way over something and the other kid didn't get in trouble at all, and it stinks, esp. when we KNOW that we have good kids. Trouble seems to follow my son around, though.....I'm sure we'll make it. Right?
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