Saturday, December 03, 2011

Difficult

So Ellie came home with a note from the teacher two weeks ago that she was being "Difficult".

My first response:  Duh, I already know she's difficult.  I'm not quite sure what you want me to do about it form here.
Case in point, she's recently learned how to ride her bike, including how to start with one foot on the ground and the other on the pedal.  Out of the blue she decides she no longer wants to do it that way, she'd like to do it her way -- which is putting both feet on the pedals and THEN pushing and going.  We were on the side of the road for over 20+ minutes as I refused to help her, because she already knew how to do the way that works.  We could SEE the children down the street playing (where she wanted to go).  Was that sufficient motivation to not do things her way?  No. 

After a back and forth by email we figured she was being "my way or the highway" with her new math teacher {{don't ask me why she wants to count 2+18 by starting at 2 instead of 18 - she just DOES!!}} and not listening and she's been struggling doing work on time.  Her teacher even had the Timer Fairy visit and give Ellie her own special timer at the start of school to help her with time management.  The teacher had stopped using it because Ellie had done so well with it.  Well little Ellie doesn't adjust to change well and cried - and then tried a little good ol' 6yo manipulation "They are confused, I was being good!!  WHY DON'T YOU TRUST ME??!!"

Oh. My. Lanta.

The next week we got the car and she didn't have to be at school by 715 anymore, so she got more sleep and we provided a little incentive for obedience . . . . aaaanddd

She's gotten "Outstanding" behavior every day since then.  To celebrate she got a princess tea party on Saturday . . . Now if we could just get the outstanding behavior to continue at home.  Sometimes it just feels like she has a little bottle of obedience and respect for authority and she uses it all up at school - and boy is she done being good by the time she gets home.

Do you know what difficult is?  Homework with a 6yo.  So much homework.  No time for anything else but homework practically.  :-/  I say release the Gitmo prisoners and sentence them to helping 1st graders with homework.  They'll be begging to get out of that punishment, fo sho.


ps I have a sneaking suspicion the teacher is inflating her behavior grade a bit so she doesn't have to deal with me via email again :-/  Ah the life of a involved mother.

No comments:

Post a Comment