Where are we today?

I keep reflecting on a couple of things that happened this week. And I wonder how we got here. Above all, I wonder how on earth I'm going to navigate these waters and raise my kids in this place we've gotten to.

The first is something that has happened several times in my decade (and then some) of teaching.  A student telling me they were going to tell their mom on me. It struck me differently this time.  Not because it instilled the fear it was intended for, but because this child and many others truly believe that the school/teachers should be in fear when handling disrespectful behaviors and the student should not have consequences.  Driving home, I got the giggles. I was picturing my angel, who never does anything wrong at school, (please note my dripping sarcasm here) saying those same words at school.  And better yet, when she did come home and tell on her teacher to me!  I can tell you, my daughter would get pretty much the same response as I would have gotten from my mother, father, grandparents and anyone else involved in my upbringing.

I love my daughters both more than I could ever begin to describe.  I listen to and validate their feelings and I listen with the understanding that they are children.  They are kind, caring children, and they are ornery girls who act on impulse and then act in self preservation after the fact.  Children don't want consequences and will gladly pass them off on the nearest warm body.  Now in the end, I'm blessed that so far, they come clean pretty quickly.  That may be because they have learned that honesty gets them in far less trouble.

Now all that being said, have I always agreed with my child's teachers? Nope.  But I've never addressed it in front of her, my daughter, and I'm kind when working with the teacher.  Also, being a teacher, I try very hard to make sure I leave the teacher outside my daughter's school and only the mom goes in.

This week, my little darling got a note sent home from school.  It just so happens that last weekend, she learned a new joke.  Her dad and I both told her NOT to tell the joke at school and explained that it was "not school appropriate."  The note said that she told the joke to her whole class! Then went on to say that she, the teacher, didn't think she understood that it was not okay at school... I let the teacher know that she did understand and knew it wasn't okay, but chose to ignore us.  You know you want to hear the joke: What do you call a bumble bee ghost?  A Boo bee!  She also decided to lay in her chair and 'swim' during writing time. It was an out of the box day I guess.

The second thing is the most recent date that didn't happen... But this is already too long so it will have to be another post.