We’re having quite a thunder storm tonight, complete with blinking lights and crying children. Whoo-hoo! Who knows if I’ll have internet by the time I finish writing this. Maybe I’ll have to post in the morning. We shall see.<\/p>\n
What a horrible, rotten, no good day. Basically describes my life right now. Of course there are good things. Very good things. I have a husband who loves me, beautiful children, a house with a non-leaking roof, food in the cupboards.<\/p>\n
But good lord, when will Erik get adjusted to kindy? I walk on egg shells every morning, hoping to keep things calm and happy. He doesn’t want to go, no matter what. He doesn’t want to get dressed. He doesn’t want to eat. He just wants to sit and cry or scream. I don’t know which is worse. The crying, because it hurts my heart or the screaming because it enrages me.<\/p>\n
Then he’s a mess when he gets home. He’s already wet his pants at school twice. He says he has no friends. What happened to Mr. Social? Mr. Friendly? What the hell is going on? <\/p>\n
Of course, the first thing I do is try to get some food in his belly. That always improves his mood if he’ll eat. Half the time he just starts wailing inconsolably. I alternate between compassion and anger and guilt. If I was a better mother I might be able to calm him down before I want to pinch his head off.<\/p>\n
Heaven forbid we have to go out and do any errands after school. I try to do the errands before he gets home, but that’s not always possible when his sister decides to take a four hour nap. <\/p>\n
I would say I’m about ready to homeschool, but I know there’s no way I could handle being his teacher all day long. He doesn’t listen to me. He doesn’t answer my questions. When I try to get him to talk I can count on one of three responses: 1) He just repeats everything I say. 2) He says “on your head.” Or 3) He says “taco banana taco.”<\/p>\n
Imagine trying to have a conversation when those are the only three things your conversation partner will say to you.<\/p>\n
I’m about ready to stick a banana up his nose.<\/p>\n
I knew the first week would be tough, but I thought it would get better. Are all new kindergartners having this much trouble, or is it just him? It breaks my heart to see him so unhappy, but it also drives me into a rage when he comes home and won’t cooperate and I just want him to listen and do what I ask for once in his life and he won’t. I eventually come completely unhinged. Having a toddler in the picture doesn’t help. She’s a good baby, but sometimes she can be clingy, as toddlers are. Sometimes she bites, hits, throws things, pulls hair. Sometimes she just wants her brother’s attention (you should see her joy spasms when the bus pulls up) and he refuses to give it to her. How do people with three or four or five or ten children function? We have a lady at karate with 9 kids and she always seems so calm and in control. <\/p>\n
I feel like I am going completely insane. I’m ready to walk out of here and straight into a mental institution. <\/p>\n
It has to get better, right? RIGHT????<\/p>\n
Next topic:<\/p>\n
I’ve clarified my thinking on the homework issue.<\/p>\n
1) I am going to write a letter to the teacher to let her know my thoughts\/plan. I will tell her to let me know if Erik is having trouble with a concept or needs to practice a certain skill. I will let her know that busy work will not rule our home life.<\/p>\n
2) If Erik needs help with a concept or needs additional practice with a certain skill, I will make sure we complete the homework. <\/p>\n
3) I am not going to let busy work create even more drama in our lives. The school has him 6 hours a day. They don’t need to send any more busy work home.<\/p>\n
4) I will give him help if he wants\/needs it and encourage him to do his homework.<\/p>\n
5) If he is resistant and it is busy work, I will set the timer for ten minutes. He will only be allowed to sit and do homework during that time, unless he finishes it (correctly) before the timer goes off. When the timer goes off, we’re both done.<\/p>\n
6) If there are consequences at school for not doing homework Erik will have to face those consequences. I am not going to be the busy work enforcer and I will let his teacher know that.<\/p>\n
Tonight’s homework was to write his name in “kindergarten style” five times. He was happy to do it and it was a skill he needed to work on. I’m glad we didn’t have to have a battle tonight and I didn’t need to test my resolve. Not getting stressed out over homework sounds really good in theory. I don’t know if I am going to be able to be so nonchalant about it when it comes down to the real deal and he won’t do whatever it is he is supposed to do. I was a straight A student who never questioned authority. I am sorting out my thoughts about homework now to try to avoid a complete meltdown (on my part) later. <\/p>\n
I feel really bad about all the homework I gave out when I was a teacher. I should have thought more clearly about my objectives and only gave out homework that really mattered. I had no clue how stressful kids’ lives could be. Homework was never a problem for me, so it didn’t occur to me that people actually had a good reason to hate it. Even when I was working, I was always able to get my homework done. It helped that one of my co-workers was a math major at the local university. Math was my demon.<\/p>\n
New topic: <\/p>\n
How about I leave you with a lovely little tidbit that will have you laughing all night. My sister wants to go on a mission trip to Fiji. She’s apparently found God and God is telling her that he needs her in Fiji. He’s also telling her that I’m supposed to fund this trip. Does God not know I’m an atheist? <\/p>\n
And no, she doesn’t know why God needs her in Fiji or what she would be doing there. She’ll just let God tell her that when she gets there.<\/p>\n
Also, I’m supposed to buy her a complete set of cloth diapers for her new baby. <\/p>\n
Go ahead and looked confused. Our expressions will match.<\/p>\n
She’s not pregnant, but she is preparing for her next baby. If there really is a God, there is no way she’ll become pregnant again. I’m an atheist, though, so I know biology is the important thing here. <\/p>\n
If there really was a God she wouldn’t have any children at all since she can’t take care of them. <\/p>\n
But can you imagine telling someone they are going to buy you a complete cloth diaper stash? Even if you were pregnant?<\/p>\n
Honestly, if she does get pregnant and has a girl and Elsa is potty trained I’d be willing to give her my stash. I hate selling my diapers and would be happy to see someone use them. I’d really prefer to give them to an LJ friend, though. One that I know would treat them correctly* and really use them. Not sure if the friend will find out the sex of her baby or if Elsa will be potty trained in time to pass them on, though. I do have several gender neutral diapers that would be useful. Let’s all cross our fingers that potty training will happen sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n
*I can’t imagine my sister would have the patience to wash them correctly or buy the right kind of detergent. Often time she doesn’t even wash her own clothes. They constantly buy new socks and underwear because she doesn’t want to do laundry, so she’s going to wash cloth diapers? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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