This week has steadily declined. I am so annoyed.
Today as I walked down the hall at the school to volunteer, I happened to notice that BoyTwo was on the floor in his aide classroom. It looked like he was sort of playing with a chair. There is a desk with a 'teacher' chair in there. Evidently, he had refused to do any work and proceeded to take the chair apart and was supposed to be putting it back together. Part of me wanted to say, 'Why isn't he in the principal's office right now?' The other part of me understood that the aide was standing her ground and making him put the chair back together. It's funny though, how quickly he managed to do it once I was in the room. He missed recess and instead wrote an apology note to his teacher. His class won a pizza party in a school wide contest and that was today. I made sure that he saw what he was missing and then brought him home for a nap. If he's going to act like a baby, I'm going to treat him like a baby. It's so frustrating that I have to be so extreme with him. He showed absolutely no remorse or disappointment in missing recess or the pizza party. Even his apologies are pathetic. But we make him do it hoping that someday it will click. He finally showed a flicker of emotion (upset) when I tucked him into the crib that we still have on hand for when my baby nieces and nephews are over.
In the mean time, I received an email from one of BoyOne's teachers telling about his less than stellar behavior. 'Playing basketball with paper, refusing to do work, roaming the classroom, defiant, being sent to the hall for being disruptive and refusing to stop behavior when asked.' was the laundry list. By the way he's failing two of his four classes. I also had a report from his bus driver that he is refusing to sit down. So, no more bus either.
Seriously?!
Gotta run! I'm off to the junior high to pick up Mr. Thinks-he-can-do-what-he-wants because surprise! he can't do what he wants.
Happy Friday.
I work in middle school in special education. We have a fairly new student who acts somewhat like you describe your sons. Not exactly, of course. I think some of my student's problem is that he can't read. Most of the time, when he is asked to do something that involves reading or writing, he has a fit. I think he's also realized that he can get away with doing whatever he wants during last period (like wander the halls with a teaching chasing after him - even one time the police came to get him and take him home...so he still didn't have to do anything). I also think much of what he does is learned behavior - he's learned that if he just sits in the corner or walks away or talks back to people, the teacher is just going to talk to him; he's not afraid of that. I...but who am I...think he needs a very controlled environment. Otherwise, he seems to be like a small child who may react to physical punnishment. However, we can't physically punnish him. I'm not saying this as a suggestion. I'm just swapping stories. In my limited way, I kind of understand.
ReplyDeleteThinking about you Steph. How next week is better.
ReplyDeleteI don't even know what to say. God must have installed some serious patience in you!
ReplyDeleteOh Steph.
ReplyDeleteHow did the crib nap go? I so would have done that. I think more than anything these kids want to be big or bigger than they are and treating them how the act - rather than their age - is the biggest jolt of reality and it seems to make them actually care a tiny bit about their behavior? Alex was so nonchalant about having privileges taken away. It would drive me crazy! It was suppose to make him feel bad and want to do better but he didn't care and then it dawned on me. He's gone TEN YEARS without video games, ipods, skateboards, etc. What's two days or two weeks? But to treat him like a little guy when he thinks he's a tough guy? Oh, that wounds him. He still hates to hear it when I inform him his actions are more on par with an eight year old than an almost 14 year old.
Hope this week is better!