So....I got a job. It's a great job and it's at my children's school. I didn't take to the sitting at home alone all day with nothing to do as well as I thought I would and so I volunteered everyday until they started feeling bad that they weren't paying me and hired me out of pity.
Meanwhile, school's out for the summer and I am now the mother of a middle-schooler. Fucking hell. I aged ten years just typing that shit.
His "promotion ceremony" was Friday and it was great. I cried like a baby. Seriously. It was embarrassing. I did ok until the principal declared them the class of 2020....and the music was playing....and...and....cue the "ugly" cry.
I honestly cannot rave enough about the teachers that we have had since coming to Maryland. Every single one of them has been absolutely spectacular. I wish I could pack the whole lot of them up and take them with us when we leave.
My oldest will no longer be in the same school that I work at, but my youngest will be moving up to into it. Which means that he will no longer have to go to daycare. Yay! I really like our daycare provider, and he did too. But it will be wonderful to have that money to put towards other stuff from now on.
Soooooo.....
there is my update. I've got a lot going on for the next three weeks, but it all should be fairly blog-able. My mother is renewing her vows to her husband of 25 1/2 years, so we're going down home for that. Then I'm leaving my rugrats with my mother and heading to my best friend's house!! Then it's on to my dad's and back home for more working. I might throw all my guys out at the end of the summer for a visit with my MIL while I stay home in the peace and quiet and watch all the episodes of Game of Thrones and read until my heart grows three sizes larger and I'm ready to deal with a house full of guys again.
Yay summer!
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Dealing with ADD
Yesterday, I took my oldest son in to start the ADD screening process.
I've tried for three years to find some way to avoid this. To find something else that worked; vitamins, supplements, structured schedules and discipline. And nothing has worked. His grades continue to drop with each new layer of education, and his emotional well-being is faltering with them.
His teacher this year has been great....this has been the hardest school year he's had so far. I'm sure next year will be even worse if we don't get him the help he needs. In the letter that his teacher wrote for the doctor yesterday, he said that while he was not a medical professional qualified to diagnose Billy, having dealt with his own ADD and that of several students since, he fully believes that Billy has the most severe case of ADD that he's ever witnessed.
My brother had ADD growing up. I used to get very upset at the fact that my mom allowed my brother to get away with so much more than she did me. And now, while I still don't think it did him any favors to be allowed his way so often, I can understand her motivation for it far more now that I would have otherwise.
There's not much that comes easily to Billy. He struggles for every single grade he gets. Homework and tests and the mental struggle that comes with those things causes him to become frustrated, angry, and ultimately depressed. I can't count the number of times he's cried and sobbed that he's just too stupid to learn because we've gone over the same math problem ten or twelve times and he still can't get it. Seeing that day after day makes you want to make something....anything....easier for them.
I also grew up seeing my brother ostracized and bullied because of his difficulties. And while I'm sure that there were also mean children who gave him shit for the fact that he had to take medication, it was the adults in his life that were by far the cruelest and most ignorant. Most of these adults were family members, which means that my son will also have to deal with them (although not on a daily basis like my brother did, thank god). I'm preparing myself for the battles that I know will be coming. I've already had a couple family members tell me that "all he needs is a belt across his bottom".
What these family members are too ignorant to understand is that by all accounts, Billy is a well behaved child. His teachers love him and say that his issues definitely aren't behavioral. He's sweet, listens well, and behaves as he should.....he just lacks the ability to focus and is extremely easy to distract. And I refuse to spank a child that is trying his hardest and is just unable to do it. To do so would be cruel.
When his frustration and anger leak out and cause behavioral problems at home, I do correct him and he is disciplined because I do not want him to think he can use his problems as an excuse for bad behavior. Generally, some time in his room to cool down and regroup does the trick. I'm not saying he's perfect....he's mouthy (gets that from me) and stubborn (gets that from his dad) and he pushes his boundaries often. He's a normal 8 year old kid.
*sigh* So I'm terribly conflicted about this whole thing. On one hand, I'm glad that this process has started so that I can get my baby the help he needs. Make his life a little easier. Give him some confidence and a chance to truly enjoy his education. On the other, I wish I could delay this or hide it so that he doesn't have to deal with the close-minded, ignorant shit that comes with it. I'm lucky that I had my mother and brother's experiences to draw on for this. Billy deserves all the help, love, and support that we can give him.
I've tried for three years to find some way to avoid this. To find something else that worked; vitamins, supplements, structured schedules and discipline. And nothing has worked. His grades continue to drop with each new layer of education, and his emotional well-being is faltering with them.
His teacher this year has been great....this has been the hardest school year he's had so far. I'm sure next year will be even worse if we don't get him the help he needs. In the letter that his teacher wrote for the doctor yesterday, he said that while he was not a medical professional qualified to diagnose Billy, having dealt with his own ADD and that of several students since, he fully believes that Billy has the most severe case of ADD that he's ever witnessed.
My brother had ADD growing up. I used to get very upset at the fact that my mom allowed my brother to get away with so much more than she did me. And now, while I still don't think it did him any favors to be allowed his way so often, I can understand her motivation for it far more now that I would have otherwise.
There's not much that comes easily to Billy. He struggles for every single grade he gets. Homework and tests and the mental struggle that comes with those things causes him to become frustrated, angry, and ultimately depressed. I can't count the number of times he's cried and sobbed that he's just too stupid to learn because we've gone over the same math problem ten or twelve times and he still can't get it. Seeing that day after day makes you want to make something....anything....easier for them.
I also grew up seeing my brother ostracized and bullied because of his difficulties. And while I'm sure that there were also mean children who gave him shit for the fact that he had to take medication, it was the adults in his life that were by far the cruelest and most ignorant. Most of these adults were family members, which means that my son will also have to deal with them (although not on a daily basis like my brother did, thank god). I'm preparing myself for the battles that I know will be coming. I've already had a couple family members tell me that "all he needs is a belt across his bottom".
What these family members are too ignorant to understand is that by all accounts, Billy is a well behaved child. His teachers love him and say that his issues definitely aren't behavioral. He's sweet, listens well, and behaves as he should.....he just lacks the ability to focus and is extremely easy to distract. And I refuse to spank a child that is trying his hardest and is just unable to do it. To do so would be cruel.
When his frustration and anger leak out and cause behavioral problems at home, I do correct him and he is disciplined because I do not want him to think he can use his problems as an excuse for bad behavior. Generally, some time in his room to cool down and regroup does the trick. I'm not saying he's perfect....he's mouthy (gets that from me) and stubborn (gets that from his dad) and he pushes his boundaries often. He's a normal 8 year old kid.
*sigh* So I'm terribly conflicted about this whole thing. On one hand, I'm glad that this process has started so that I can get my baby the help he needs. Make his life a little easier. Give him some confidence and a chance to truly enjoy his education. On the other, I wish I could delay this or hide it so that he doesn't have to deal with the close-minded, ignorant shit that comes with it. I'm lucky that I had my mother and brother's experiences to draw on for this. Billy deserves all the help, love, and support that we can give him.
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