Monday, January 23, 2012

Warning flags and guerilla warfare…….

Raising a kid is part joy and part guerilla warfare.

~ Ed Asner

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking the past 24 hours about consequences.  EVERYTHING we do or say has a consequence.  I know that.  I’m trying to teach  remind my almost 13yo son, Crash, that lesson/fact/point.  Somehow in the past 6ish months, it’s slipped his mind.

Now let me say- my son is QUITE capable of earning an “A”.  So don’t even start on me and the whole “his abilities” thing.  Crash is VERY smart.  CRASH got VERY lazy this quarter.  I saw is coming down the pike.  I warned him.  About every other day….he didn’t believe me….and he did nothing to stop the tsunami that would become his life under my thumb!

I let him “fail”.  It’s not failing, it’s a '”C” in language arts, but it’s WHY he got the “C”. 

One of the hardest things that a momma can do.  To see it coming  and let the consequences happen. 

Let me set the stage for you, readers digest version.

Crash has one teacher that allows them to turn in homework at anytime during the quarter without penalty. 

REALLY – what the HELL is that teaching them?"  Oh here, I’m just kidding, it’s not really due tomorrow but I’m going to tell you it is and you can just do it whenever.  Because homework is not supposed to help you review the material we just worked on or anything….YEAH – like that is freaking reality…:No employee, you just do that whenever – we’ll wait”. 

It ticks me off if you cannot tell.

I said first quarter “Crash, don’t get in the habit.  This is not reality and it’s a BAD habit, and it’s bad habit that is going to trickle over to your other classes.  Do the work when it’s assigned”. 

He didn’t listen.

Second quarter just closed and he had several missing homework assignments for language arts and guess what..they had penalties for being LATE!

I TOLD YOU SO!

Oh wait, I’m a mom, I should not say that!!!! 

So, his lack of doing homework brought his average down …to a C.

So this MEAN Momma, as I SAID I WOULD DO, after warning flags, flares and fireworks, had to start the take-a-ways.  (No relation to Cousin Jethro math (the goesinta’s).

I take-a-way his beloved little shark fin hairdo.  That went bye bye on Friday after school.

Hanging out with his buddies, or his bro’s as he calls them, I take-a-way that too.

I take-a-way his cell phone. 

And TV and Playstation 3 rights.  GONE. GONE. GONE.

Because he got a “C” in Language Arts.  Because I said I would.  Because there are consequences. 

Natural and MOMMA’s!

(This Momma law will be in effect for at least 4 weeks.  I have been in contact with the LA teacher and I will continue to monitor his work on a daily basis.  In 4 weeks, if the same thing is continuing to occur, or not occur in this case, he will NOT be allowed to tryout for middle school soccer.  Just the way it has to be.)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love you!! This sounds like our conversation a few weeks ago!!! You're a good mama!! The time my mom did this to me in middle school was the best thing she ever did and probably why I am not as neurotic about things being due on time as I am now!
Angie

Shelia said...

You are so right!!!! That's the hardest part of being a momma i think - having to enforce those consequences. We want them to be able to do things and have fun but if they don't ever have consequences they'll never survive in the 'real' world one day. Good Job, Stay Strong and one day he will be grateful to you.
My kids are in the Union County School system and they have assignments like that - just due whenever it's finished. Really !?! That's teaching them responsibility? Good Luck