First Grade Blues
I am still steaming from this morning.
Every child at some point will disappoint their parents. Heck, they will do it several times a week. Of course we never tell them that--or they will end up with my kind of self esteem.
But, I digress.
My child has done many things in her little life that I don't like, but this mornings betrayal I can't seem to let go of.
Garren of course chuckles at how upset I am with it, because he is sure all kids are devious and try and take the easy way out of things. He himself was apparently an expert at that as a kid as well.
Let me back up.
This morning Gracie still had some lingering sniffles from yesterday. All of our allergies are just on over-drive lately. I can only assume it is from the difference in "whatever" here in Mechanicsville from where we were. You add that change, plus the attempt the weather is making to change seasons and we have been really going through the tissues.
This morning is like yesterday morning and she is slow to motivate to get ready for school. I give her some extra medicine to try and dry up her nose, and she eats breakfast. I asked her if she was okay and she says "yeah" like Eyeore. So, as the morning routine goes on I double check her forehead--not even bed warm, I look at her, she looks anxious, but not sick. She doesn't cough at all.
Here's where I apparently made my mistake.
After several times of talking about how she will have to keep blowing her nose and getting tissues all day--and she might give someone else the "germies," I ask her "Gracie do you not feel well enough to go to school?"
My child looks at me and says "no."
Well, that was all I needed to hear. I was sure she was really sick.
My Gracie loves to go to school. My Gracie used to cry and complain when I made her stay at home when she was sick. My Gracie used to tell me she wished there was school on the weekends too!
But today My Gracie looked at me and lied!
I know she has lied to me before, but she is lousy at it just like her momma. She starts to grin and can't help but smile or giggle when she lies. Of course the smile fades when I tell her she is in double trouble because she lied to me about whatever it was.
But, this morning, she looked at me with sad eyes.
I told her okay, and I asked her to lay on the couch until Thomas woke up so he would stay down as long as possible.
I went back to our room and told Garren. He informs me that she is to stay down and in bed all day.
I had to go and get milk for Thomas, so I figured I would remind Gracie of the sick day rules.
I look in the living room where Sprout is on, but there is no Gracie. I figure she is in the potty, so I go fix the milk.
Then, I hear noises.
They are coming from the play room where I find Gracie playing with Thomas' train set!
I calmly tell her to lay back on the couch and remind her of what her daddy had said. This of course leads to a very upset Gracie. Which, you can't blame her.
I take the milk upstairs and tell Garren where I found her. I didn't think anything of it, but he goes down to talk to her.
Minutes later and stomping sounds up the stairs, and a slamming door my eyebrows raise.
Several more minutes after Garren has gone in her room to quash the tantrum, he reappears and tells me he is taking her to school.
I was in shock. I thought how could he punish her by making her go to school sick. That's when he tells me that she confessed she wanted to stay home so she could play. He tells her if she is sick she has to stay down and rest so she can get better. He gives her a choice, lay down and rest for the day, or go to school.
She choose school.
Now remember, she had already told me she felt too sick to go, not 30 minutes earlier.
She follows her father in to our room and I don't think I hid my disappointment very well at all.
A better, more well rested mother would have realized that this is just more proof that she doesn't want to go to school.
But, My Gracie had just lied to me in a way that she had never had before--so I was still reeling.
I helped Gracie get dressed, pulled her hair back, quickly packed her lunch and snack and drove her to school.
I signed some sort of tardy slip, gave her a kiss, and she walked to her classroom.
We had talked in the car about how we could discuss this more at home, but she was to focus on school today and be a good student.
I am more determined than ever to get to the bottom of this.
I have several running theories:
*She is new to the school and the other kids are leaving her out because they don't know her
(unlikely since Lilly is also new, and she tells me she has fun playing princesses and super girl with several others at recess.)
*There is some issue on the bus that she isn't tell me about
(unlikely since the bus driver has them sit by grade level, and she tells parents at the stop EVERY little detail over anything that has happened on the ride home--clogging the decent of all other kids including my Gracie as I wait impatiently for her to finally get off!)
*She can't understand or is struggling with something during the day
(She is incredibly smart, so I don't think it is academic, but it could be some part of the day and a way that the teacher explains directions)
*She can't see or hear well enough.
(Garren is convinced she needs to get her eyes and hearing checked, but I secretly tested her vision with reading a book and she was fine, and as for the hearing--she gets so lost in her world and so focused she blocks everything else out--the same as her father!!! She can hear just fine when she is paying attention)
*First Grade is hard
(I have heard from so many teachers and parents that first, third & fifth are the hardest years for kids. But, since Gracie is so far ahead academically, I am not really convinced of this either)
My most logical assumption (and more so after talking to Candice this afternoon) is that First Grade is just plain different!
In preschool you learned a little and played a lot.
In Kindergarten you played a little and learned a little.
Now, in first grade it is all work all the time. There aren't "centers" and "free time." She sits at a desk and they use the entire school day for learning.
I am leaning more toward this answer as the most logical. She won't talk to me much, but she has let a few things slip like "we are at school longer than Kindergarten!" (which of course isn't true). "We have only gotten to use our clipboards once!" (Meaning, most of the work is likely at the desk) "We just sit there!" (Again, no centers, no free time, work all the time).
I have been given several suggestions from people on Facebook, and I really appreciate that input, and I will continue to work with Gracie at home. And, we will conquer this loathing of the First Grade. But, I am game for any other suggestions or thoughts--especially if you have been through the First Grade blues with your child!
Every child at some point will disappoint their parents. Heck, they will do it several times a week. Of course we never tell them that--or they will end up with my kind of self esteem.
But, I digress.
My child has done many things in her little life that I don't like, but this mornings betrayal I can't seem to let go of.
Garren of course chuckles at how upset I am with it, because he is sure all kids are devious and try and take the easy way out of things. He himself was apparently an expert at that as a kid as well.
Let me back up.
This morning Gracie still had some lingering sniffles from yesterday. All of our allergies are just on over-drive lately. I can only assume it is from the difference in "whatever" here in Mechanicsville from where we were. You add that change, plus the attempt the weather is making to change seasons and we have been really going through the tissues.
This morning is like yesterday morning and she is slow to motivate to get ready for school. I give her some extra medicine to try and dry up her nose, and she eats breakfast. I asked her if she was okay and she says "yeah" like Eyeore. So, as the morning routine goes on I double check her forehead--not even bed warm, I look at her, she looks anxious, but not sick. She doesn't cough at all.
Here's where I apparently made my mistake.
After several times of talking about how she will have to keep blowing her nose and getting tissues all day--and she might give someone else the "germies," I ask her "Gracie do you not feel well enough to go to school?"
My child looks at me and says "no."
Well, that was all I needed to hear. I was sure she was really sick.
My Gracie loves to go to school. My Gracie used to cry and complain when I made her stay at home when she was sick. My Gracie used to tell me she wished there was school on the weekends too!
But today My Gracie looked at me and lied!
I know she has lied to me before, but she is lousy at it just like her momma. She starts to grin and can't help but smile or giggle when she lies. Of course the smile fades when I tell her she is in double trouble because she lied to me about whatever it was.
But, this morning, she looked at me with sad eyes.
I told her okay, and I asked her to lay on the couch until Thomas woke up so he would stay down as long as possible.
I went back to our room and told Garren. He informs me that she is to stay down and in bed all day.
I had to go and get milk for Thomas, so I figured I would remind Gracie of the sick day rules.
I look in the living room where Sprout is on, but there is no Gracie. I figure she is in the potty, so I go fix the milk.
Then, I hear noises.
They are coming from the play room where I find Gracie playing with Thomas' train set!
I calmly tell her to lay back on the couch and remind her of what her daddy had said. This of course leads to a very upset Gracie. Which, you can't blame her.
I take the milk upstairs and tell Garren where I found her. I didn't think anything of it, but he goes down to talk to her.
Minutes later and stomping sounds up the stairs, and a slamming door my eyebrows raise.
Several more minutes after Garren has gone in her room to quash the tantrum, he reappears and tells me he is taking her to school.
I was in shock. I thought how could he punish her by making her go to school sick. That's when he tells me that she confessed she wanted to stay home so she could play. He tells her if she is sick she has to stay down and rest so she can get better. He gives her a choice, lay down and rest for the day, or go to school.
She choose school.
Now remember, she had already told me she felt too sick to go, not 30 minutes earlier.
She follows her father in to our room and I don't think I hid my disappointment very well at all.
A better, more well rested mother would have realized that this is just more proof that she doesn't want to go to school.
But, My Gracie had just lied to me in a way that she had never had before--so I was still reeling.
I helped Gracie get dressed, pulled her hair back, quickly packed her lunch and snack and drove her to school.
I signed some sort of tardy slip, gave her a kiss, and she walked to her classroom.
We had talked in the car about how we could discuss this more at home, but she was to focus on school today and be a good student.
I am more determined than ever to get to the bottom of this.
I have several running theories:
*She is new to the school and the other kids are leaving her out because they don't know her
(unlikely since Lilly is also new, and she tells me she has fun playing princesses and super girl with several others at recess.)
*There is some issue on the bus that she isn't tell me about
(unlikely since the bus driver has them sit by grade level, and she tells parents at the stop EVERY little detail over anything that has happened on the ride home--clogging the decent of all other kids including my Gracie as I wait impatiently for her to finally get off!)
*She can't understand or is struggling with something during the day
(She is incredibly smart, so I don't think it is academic, but it could be some part of the day and a way that the teacher explains directions)
*She can't see or hear well enough.
(Garren is convinced she needs to get her eyes and hearing checked, but I secretly tested her vision with reading a book and she was fine, and as for the hearing--she gets so lost in her world and so focused she blocks everything else out--the same as her father!!! She can hear just fine when she is paying attention)
*First Grade is hard
(I have heard from so many teachers and parents that first, third & fifth are the hardest years for kids. But, since Gracie is so far ahead academically, I am not really convinced of this either)
My most logical assumption (and more so after talking to Candice this afternoon) is that First Grade is just plain different!
In preschool you learned a little and played a lot.
In Kindergarten you played a little and learned a little.
Now, in first grade it is all work all the time. There aren't "centers" and "free time." She sits at a desk and they use the entire school day for learning.
I am leaning more toward this answer as the most logical. She won't talk to me much, but she has let a few things slip like "we are at school longer than Kindergarten!" (which of course isn't true). "We have only gotten to use our clipboards once!" (Meaning, most of the work is likely at the desk) "We just sit there!" (Again, no centers, no free time, work all the time).
I have been given several suggestions from people on Facebook, and I really appreciate that input, and I will continue to work with Gracie at home. And, we will conquer this loathing of the First Grade. But, I am game for any other suggestions or thoughts--especially if you have been through the First Grade blues with your child!
can i offer naother one? allergies are making her feel a little sleepy and run down, not sick, but not 100%?? dont we have days like that? maybe instead of being sure she was lying, is it possible she is just blah? (sometimes i give my kids well sick days... when we have all had enough and are exhausted and not 100%)
ReplyDelete