F$&k School........
Tales of a frustrated parent......
My kids are bright intelligent little people with amazing observational skills and extremely logical and thoughtful. My daughter will debate you better than any presidential candidate. My son will ask u such soulful profound questions about the most existential aspects of life. I’m not worried about their future prospects i know they will be fine.
The issues i have are in school academics. My children are struggling going through the motions of common core math and reading. I have done everything to help. Cut back on overtime, paid for tutors, and downloaded every app and made every effort to help them excel. So many thousands upon thousands of dollars to help them along. Yet i got to parent teachers conference and they tell me i need to do more or my children may be held back. My children get up go to the bus stop by 715 start school at 810am and get out from their after school program at 530pm. We get home by 6 and proceed to eat dinner while we do home til 830pm and then it’s time for showers and bed. So from 715-830 everyday my children are overwhelmed by school. The truth is i need the after school because they provide summer camp which i couldn’t afford otherwise.
My concern with school is the social aspect. My son takes incredible pride in being a big brother. Constantly consoles his sister for not knowing something by attributing it to her only being in kindergarten and him understanding because he is in 2nd grade. He is hyper aware that he is behind the other kids in class. He in excited every time he passes a reading level he gets excited. He comes home chest puffed out and announces like a returning champion, “I am now a level H reader.” If he gets held back or if she does that social aspect of his sister catching up to him will crush his confidence. If she is held back and being aware that she is much older than the kids in her class is a huge deal.
So here we are struggling through school again. Making adjustments finding money for tutors again. Finding help to assess them again. I know children mature at different rates and perhaps the way they are teaching now differs so much from when i went to school that it seems to be catering to different style of learning, one that I’m unfamiliar with. I am a frustrated parent trying to find a way to help my kids. I know as adults they will be fine. That’s a long time from now. Right now i just want my babies to be okay. Not great not good just okay.......Whatever it takes.
