Well, two weeks off was nice, but returning has been less than a picnic.
Monday night we all got home and Ethel was sitting at the table with Daddy and her homework was out on the table.
Monday night we all got home and Ethel was sitting at the table with Daddy and her homework was out on the table.
So, I read the days' homework for the week, and asked Ethel about a picture that was in her backpack. I was calm and friendly in tone, and she fell apart. Zero to bitch in zero. Weeping, sobbing, whining, you name it.
Have I just been teleported? Wasn't I just in my dining room with my daughter? Hm, must have taken a wrong turn somewhere between "This is a great picture" and "Did you do this today?".
This culminated in a 15 minute penalty box (room time, 15 mins) and Daddy had to hold the door shut (still the ghetto door, must find solution this month) amidst the crying and screaming and beating the door. Good times.
Last night we agreed to do Monday and Tuesday's home work, and we couldn't get past what to have for snack before homework. She wanted something we didn't have, and this resulted in collapsing to the floor, screaming, yelling, and being belligerent. Another penalty box plus another 5 minutes, locked in Fred's room b/c his door knob is turned around. In the end, she completed Tuesday's homework, so tonight we are left with Wednesday plus Monday (teacher collects it all on Friday).
She told me during dinner that she has been tired all day this week. Gee, ya think? She then fought me on dinner. Daddy rested the other spoon in the pasta, so there were two "brown spots" on her plate of pasta, and she wouldn't eat it unless we took it off. Mommy snapped. Off to bedtime we went. She was asleep by 7:10, despite fighting me when we first got into her room. This poor kid is so tired she can barely function by the time she gets home. I am so sad for her. I am so fed up.
So we talked about tonight in great length this morning. I told her what she would have for snack after school, I told her we would do both nights' homework, and I told her that since I work at home tomorrow, I don't have to wake her up before school tomorrow. I tried to prep her the best I could. Then another blow.
One of her classmates and friends moved before Christmas, and finished up his time at our school. He started at his new school this week, so she gets dropped off at school alone. Well, she's the only kid from our day care at this school now. Since she's in kindy and the kindy kids wait outside 'til the bell, we arranged for her to wait in the office. Her classmate used to wait in the office with her, so she had someone to talk to. She's told me in the past she doesn't like doing that, but, with another kid with her it wasn't too bad. Now, she's the single solitary kid in the office for about 25 minutes. The office staff are in there, teachers mill around, but she is the only kid, left to sit.
Wow, now if that isn't something to make a working mom feel guilty, I don't know what is. It just works out that our school has to get dropped off first based on distances and start times for all the schools they go to. It's unfortunate, but we worked it out this way at the beginning of the year. Next year Ethel will wait outside and this won't be an issue, but for now it's our reality. I feel so badly for her. I told her I'll call the school secretary and see if there's any chance Ethel can help with something, sit in the library, and I'll ask her teacher if she can help her teacher with something in the morning. I may even ask the principal about it next week at the PTO meeting. My heart breaks for her.
I'm hoping for a better ending to the week. We need our lives to return to some state similar to that which we were at before vacation. Ethel really needs it.
Have I just been teleported? Wasn't I just in my dining room with my daughter? Hm, must have taken a wrong turn somewhere between "This is a great picture" and "Did you do this today?".
This culminated in a 15 minute penalty box (room time, 15 mins) and Daddy had to hold the door shut (still the ghetto door, must find solution this month) amidst the crying and screaming and beating the door. Good times.
Last night we agreed to do Monday and Tuesday's home work, and we couldn't get past what to have for snack before homework. She wanted something we didn't have, and this resulted in collapsing to the floor, screaming, yelling, and being belligerent. Another penalty box plus another 5 minutes, locked in Fred's room b/c his door knob is turned around. In the end, she completed Tuesday's homework, so tonight we are left with Wednesday plus Monday (teacher collects it all on Friday).
She told me during dinner that she has been tired all day this week. Gee, ya think? She then fought me on dinner. Daddy rested the other spoon in the pasta, so there were two "brown spots" on her plate of pasta, and she wouldn't eat it unless we took it off. Mommy snapped. Off to bedtime we went. She was asleep by 7:10, despite fighting me when we first got into her room. This poor kid is so tired she can barely function by the time she gets home. I am so sad for her. I am so fed up.
So we talked about tonight in great length this morning. I told her what she would have for snack after school, I told her we would do both nights' homework, and I told her that since I work at home tomorrow, I don't have to wake her up before school tomorrow. I tried to prep her the best I could. Then another blow.
One of her classmates and friends moved before Christmas, and finished up his time at our school. He started at his new school this week, so she gets dropped off at school alone. Well, she's the only kid from our day care at this school now. Since she's in kindy and the kindy kids wait outside 'til the bell, we arranged for her to wait in the office. Her classmate used to wait in the office with her, so she had someone to talk to. She's told me in the past she doesn't like doing that, but, with another kid with her it wasn't too bad. Now, she's the single solitary kid in the office for about 25 minutes. The office staff are in there, teachers mill around, but she is the only kid, left to sit.
Wow, now if that isn't something to make a working mom feel guilty, I don't know what is. It just works out that our school has to get dropped off first based on distances and start times for all the schools they go to. It's unfortunate, but we worked it out this way at the beginning of the year. Next year Ethel will wait outside and this won't be an issue, but for now it's our reality. I feel so badly for her. I told her I'll call the school secretary and see if there's any chance Ethel can help with something, sit in the library, and I'll ask her teacher if she can help her teacher with something in the morning. I may even ask the principal about it next week at the PTO meeting. My heart breaks for her.
I'm hoping for a better ending to the week. We need our lives to return to some state similar to that which we were at before vacation. Ethel really needs it.
Oh, poor Ethel. Readjusting to the routine and finding it includes changes is just so hard. Twenty five minutes must feel like an eternity to a kindergartner but she is safe and that's what matters most. Oh, the two brown spots on the pasta dish meltdown? Been there, done that. Often.
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