Picked the kids up from school today. Dane had a field trip to a farm to see Monarch butterflies. They also saw a water snake in a pond and lots of other cool stuff and made some butterfly crafts. Very fun day for him.
He was clamoring to tell me all about his field trip, which delighted me. Then I asked Deanna about her day. Suddenly, from the back of the van, Daelyn (who had been home alone with me for 2 hours and miraculously forgot about this until just that moment) announced that he had gotten his name on the board.
Now, before Daelyn started Kindergarten, I was convinced that the teacher would need IV's every afternoon after spending several hours with my son. Turns out, he's really very good. He sits quietly, listens to directions, and doesn't jump out of his seat constantly. This was a huge surprise to me. He's way better at school than at home. Maybe all the work I've done with him really DID get through.
He got his name on the board for leaning back in his chair with two legs off the ground. I stay on top of my children constantly at home about that. It breaks the chair legs and weakens the backs of the chairs and we can't afford new furniture because they feel like leaning (I've got the lecture down pat). Scoot your chair up or back, whichever you need to keep all four legs firmly planted on the floor.
The last time he got his name on the board (last and only other time) was when they were having reading groups last week. The teacher has got to be able to work with one group of children at a time, so the others have fun stuff to do, like Play-doh, but they are not allowed to speak. She is very unforgiving about talking during reading group - because she HAS to be. It can get out-of-hand very quickly if she doesn't keep tight order while she's working with just a few children.
Apparently, she had explained to them that they were not allowed to talk. Then, while working with one group, she heard someone talking.
"Who was that talking?" she asked. (She called me later to explain why Daelyn had gotten a frowny face for the day so I wouldn't freak out and told me the whole story - she's very thoughtful about the parents.)
"It was me, Mrs. Phillips," Daelyn admitted. She looked around and her parent-helper for the day wasn't in the classroom.
"Daelyn, go put your name on the board," she directed, then told me in astonishment that he got his little self up from his desk, went to the board and scratched a few letters on it in chalk that stood for his name. No complaints, no rationalization, no fussing. Just went and put his own name on the board. She was quite impressed, but it didn't compare to how favorably impressed I was.
Today, he got his name on the board for the second time. Kindergarten is an adjustsment and I don't expect he'll never get in trouble, but I sure hope it's less frequent that weekly in the future.
After Daelyn told us his story in the van, I explained that, when in school, you must respond the first time you're told. Then, to take some of the sting out of a mild scolding on top of being disciplined in school, I turned to the dog, who was sitting in the front passenger's seat.
"And when you're in school," I told him loudly so everyone in the van could hear, "if you don't SIT the first time you're told, you'll get your name on the board, Donovan."
Laughter all around. You could feel the tension break. Then Daelyn spoke up from the back of the van.
"Mama," he asked, "when does Donovan start school?"
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