Everybody Knows How to Raise Children, Except the People Who Have Them.

This week has been more of a headache than I would like to admit. Let me start out at the top and by top I mean with the oldest kid.

I have access to all of the kids grades online and keep track of them mainly to make sure they are turning their work in. This week I pull his up and he has numerous missing assignments in 3 classes and is failing all of them. So... I get on his ass. I write down each assignment for each class and explain to him that he has to get them turned in before today, the end of the 6 weeks. I make him attend tutorials and complete the work he has in his folder at home vs allowing him to play games. Did it work? I haven't a clue yet. We will see come Monday. If it didn't... guess who won't have a laptop or Xbox in his room? Oh, and to top it all off you know what he had the nerves to say to me?? "It isn't that big a deal mom, I only need a 70 to pass." NOT the kind of thing you say to your mom. He's going to be in shock when he finds out he won't get the laptop or Xbox back unless he has above 80 in all subjects! 


Moving on to the next kid. He has struggled from the moment he started school at 4 years old. The subject he struggles the most with is math. From 2nd grade to 5th grade he has yet to pass a TAKS or Benchmark test. He has attended summer school and tutoring multiple times over the years and nothing seems to help. Before Christmas break his teachers decided it would be best to have him tested for learning disabilities. Well, the results came back two weeks ago and he tested to be above average on everything. He doesn't have a learning disability and doesn't qualify for assistance. Fine. So now we wait until March to see if he can pass the TAKS on his own. If he doesn't he can retest in May and if he fails again he can attend summer school, again. If he fails the last time he will not be promoted to middle school.... OVER MY DEAD BODY! 
See, in 2nd grade I begged and pleaded with school officials to hold him in back for another year. They told me that he was making great progress and they didn't think it was necessary. So here we are 3 years later and the talk of retaining him is coming into play. I couldn't imagine what something like that would do to him. He has been with these same kids since kindergarten and just when he's looking forward to going to middle school with all of them it's yanked away! I can't allow it to happen. Of course I'm holding out hope that he does so well on the test in March that none of this will even matter. BUT... I'm prepared to fight if it comes down to it. 


and now... the last one.
He got in trouble this week at school for putting his hands on another kids neck. Why did he do something like that? Because the kid wouldn't stop acting like a turkey! SIGH