School Daze
Back to school night was last night. A revelation. My children apparently do not know how to behave themselves in public.
We've always tried to not be 'those' people - the ones everyone stares at, with the wild kids? Last night has proven, yet again, that we are indeed THOSE people.
I've always sworn that our kids are different from yours. I'm not sure how we ended up with four little people with such diverse, STRONG personalities. And it's not as if we've been oblivious to their behavior in the past - they've lost privileges, we've left places early, not done some things due to one reason or the other. They just don't seem to be learning from their mistakes.
In Evie's classroom last night I was appalled to see that she had one sticker on her 'good behavior' card. One. The next-to-lowest child had 3. Some had 15. Apparently Evie had more, but she's lost them due to squirming and talking in class. Of course, it's the other kids' fault, for talking to her - this from the child who talks non-stop all day long. My response was, no, you allowed yourself to be drawn in by their conversation. In hindsight, maybe only having one sticker on your card is better than being called to the principal's office for splashing water on kindergartners in the bathroom - which is what she did during the first week of school last year.
William? He's just oblivious. His jacket has been riding around the floor of the bus for the last 3 days because he didn't realize it was his. I thought it was in his backpack & didn't notice it was missing until I looked for it this morning.
Sarah and Jason act like the 2 and 3 year-olds they are. They're bad enough to take out in public as it is, without Evie running around like a dog on all fours and William 20 feet behind you doing God only knows what.
My key mistake was to not tell them what I expected of them before we went inside. In clear words, that they would then repeat back to me. I tend to forget to do that when Matt's with me (I don't know why), but it's something I usually do when I take all four of them out by myself.
I'm hoping that Evie's behavior will settle down a little bit once the newness of 'back to school' wears off - it seemed to last year. I'm hoping that she will remember to act her age and set an example for her brothers and sister, instead of devolving to their level. In the meantime, things will get stricter around here until attitudes improve. And she can just FORGET about getting a pet anytime soon. Harried Mom out.
We've always tried to not be 'those' people - the ones everyone stares at, with the wild kids? Last night has proven, yet again, that we are indeed THOSE people.
I've always sworn that our kids are different from yours. I'm not sure how we ended up with four little people with such diverse, STRONG personalities. And it's not as if we've been oblivious to their behavior in the past - they've lost privileges, we've left places early, not done some things due to one reason or the other. They just don't seem to be learning from their mistakes.
In Evie's classroom last night I was appalled to see that she had one sticker on her 'good behavior' card. One. The next-to-lowest child had 3. Some had 15. Apparently Evie had more, but she's lost them due to squirming and talking in class. Of course, it's the other kids' fault, for talking to her - this from the child who talks non-stop all day long. My response was, no, you allowed yourself to be drawn in by their conversation. In hindsight, maybe only having one sticker on your card is better than being called to the principal's office for splashing water on kindergartners in the bathroom - which is what she did during the first week of school last year.
William? He's just oblivious. His jacket has been riding around the floor of the bus for the last 3 days because he didn't realize it was his. I thought it was in his backpack & didn't notice it was missing until I looked for it this morning.
Sarah and Jason act like the 2 and 3 year-olds they are. They're bad enough to take out in public as it is, without Evie running around like a dog on all fours and William 20 feet behind you doing God only knows what.
My key mistake was to not tell them what I expected of them before we went inside. In clear words, that they would then repeat back to me. I tend to forget to do that when Matt's with me (I don't know why), but it's something I usually do when I take all four of them out by myself.
I'm hoping that Evie's behavior will settle down a little bit once the newness of 'back to school' wears off - it seemed to last year. I'm hoping that she will remember to act her age and set an example for her brothers and sister, instead of devolving to their level. In the meantime, things will get stricter around here until attitudes improve. And she can just FORGET about getting a pet anytime soon. Harried Mom out.
Oh boy! My son had undetected ADD throughout elementary & middle school. So in kindergarten at a Mother's Day tea I went to, the teacher (who retired that year) put her hand on his head in an attempt to calm him down. Apparently he liked to rush thru the work and get to the fun stuff too much. If she had given us some insight that ADD could be an issue for him at that time instead of just being nasty, his education would have been so different. So, yeah... he was my main challenge. Meri used to cry and sometimes I'd get a call from her on her teachers cell phone just to talk...
ReplyDeleteI feel for you!!!
Oh Jen...I'm scared. I don't know how my kids are ever going to handle school. I can't even get them to sit with me for 10 minutes to look at letters and my boy is getting up in the middle of the night to steal candy from the pantry.
ReplyDeleteHe ate a pack of gum last night.....
Wow... all your comments make me feel NORMAL!!! All I ever read about are the perfect fams in blog land! :)
ReplyDeletehugs to ya girl. We are having peaceful time from stuff like that. After a few years of terror...and not enjoying taking them anywhere..I needed it. Here is to the peace that will be yours someday. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jen, don't feel bad... we felt bad because we were extra chatty with Mrs. Young. I really did not mean to spend that amount of time with her. We should have let you go first. Some days at the Wagners are exactly what you described. It could always be worse
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to not spelling out my expectations when my husband is present. Why, oh why, do I stop doing that when he is there? It makes such a difference.
ReplyDeleteLoved the "Harried Mom Out"... can I say that, too?
Oh I know how you feel. I think every parent feels that way some of the time. Especially having 4 kids like we both do.
ReplyDeleteOur school doesn't let kids attend back to school night. Isn't that weird? My kids always do much better if I talk it out with them before big events too.
Your kids are all so young right now. It was probably just a bad night. Your daughter will probably get more stickers for good behavior once things settle down and she gets used to school again. It's a hard transition from summer break back to school rules.
XOOX
Jen
I am so glad I am not the only one!!! They get so excited some times, they cannot control themselves! Poor Momma!
ReplyDeleteGirl, I hear ya! Isaiah is the strongest willed child I know. I keep telling myself that this will benefit him later in life...for now, it just get's him put in "rest and recovery"...SIX times in the first THREE weeks! WTH?! "This too shall pass"...that's what I keep repeating to myself.
ReplyDeleteI noticed on your "bookshelf" that you have the Outlander series. How did you like it? My friend Julia told me I should read it. I've been looking for another good series/saga/trilogy to read.
Hope your weekend is nice and relaxing. <3
I'm sorry :( I'm starting to feel like "that" family too. My oldest is now seven, and sometimes I feel like we're reverting back to when she was 2! She's definitely testing more boundaries and, in general, is having a hard time obeying these days. Add to that a short-fused 4 year old, and a baby who has definitely "found her voice", and that's us! I do try to tell them my expectations before we go someplace too, but sometimes I forget, and that's never good!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness. Yikes. I think we do that where we forget to tell them stuff when daddy's there because maybe we are hoping he will? Cuz I do the same thing. Sounds like Evie is like me when I was in school. Most commonly heard phrase from a teacher of mine: "Macey, quit talking and stay on task." : )
ReplyDeleteThe relief I am feeling that my boys are all back in school cannot be measured and neither can the guilt I feel when they walk out the door in the morning and all I can think of is, "I have the next 6 hours with no children." I have waited 12 years to have the house to myself and you will get there too.
ReplyDeleteIs it bad that I'm laughing?! But, I'm laughing WITH you. {Only cause I have 4 kids, too}.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry all will right itself as they get a little further along.
We always have issues at the beginning of school. I think it's a matter of just settling in {and down}.
xoxo ~Lisa
Stick to your guns, girlfriend.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the world of having a 'spirited child'...or at least that's what they say we should call them...
ReplyDeleteRiley is the kid that will go into the girls washrooom to tease them/embarrass them...or splash water at his friends...or...not sit on his chair properly until eventually he falls off of it and disrupts the entire class...oh the joys!
Lately it's been back talk though...and I cannot stand it.
I think everyone feels like they are "THAT" family every now and again. Hang in there and just take comfort in the fact that you are not alone....
ReplyDeleteoh man - I'm glad to hear that I am not the only mom who has "those" kids - I don't know what happens - when we get in public and I am not 100% focused on their behavior - little monkeys come out
ReplyDelete