This morning was a little rough, to say the least. Aside from having to get up at 5am to make sure my 9th grader gets it together in time, I needed to wake my 6th grader early today so he had time to take a shower and do his homework that he thinks should never be attempted until 30 minutes before it's time to leave. Said 6th grader also must attend "truancy court" (which he loathes) on Mondays because he (my honor student) missed 20 days last school year, all of them excused. Doesn't matter. Anyhow, every Monday morning he throws a tantrum, digs his heels in and refuses to go when I say, "time to leave." So now I have to threaten this child's life, threaten to take away everything he loves to do, threaten to spank him with a belt, scream... You get the picture. Yeah....
You'd think that this Monday class was something horrid but it's not. It's simply an accountability program set up to make kids aware of the importance and gratification of showing up for school and life in general. His biggest and only issue with going is his turn at being in the "hot seat" in front of the truancy judge and two councilors each and every Monday before going to class. It's not in front of the entire class; just in front of the visiting judge and councilors....and Mom. But he hates being singled out and put on the spot. He immediately turns red and his voice gets shaky. To him it's the same as a slow painful death....Every Monday. He gets made aware of his accomplishments from the week before, then made aware of any improvements he could make. Not a big deal. It won't kill him.... But I might.
Guess what today's topic was. Violence and how to prevent it. What did he get from Mom this morning?....Violence! What did he do before reminded why he was up this early to begin with? Play a violent combat style video game. What was projected onto the big screen at "truancy court?" Extremely graphic (and inappropriate, in my opinion) images of violence and the results of such violence.... i.e., AK47 wounds, gunshot wounds to the skull with brain matter hanging out, a bare chested woman (yes!) showing the huge scars of her extensive, life-saving surgery, a bullet wound in a dead baby's skull... and it goes on! This little show was presented by a local trauma surgeon trying to impress upon these kids (none of whom have disciplinary records at school) the impact of today's violent society. Okay, we get it!!
I see my son off to class, head home, check my Facebook account and get inundated with posts regarding "forgiving one another, turn the other cheek, treat others as you want to be treated, save the animals, feed the hungry, turn from your angry ways, love your enemies...." Is this a conspiracy? Am I missing something? Am I a bad mother? Seriously? Or is God telling me something that I'm just not getting? If anybody has any suggestions about how to get an extremely strong-willed child to do what you need him to do WHEN you need him to do it, then clue me in....PLEASE!
