What happened there, then?

What makes your darling little angel turn into a raging, stubborn ogre for the whole day? Answers on a postcard, please...

Image Credit - Calvin & Hobbes

B's turning point this morning was, well, I don't really know, and I'm sure he doesn't know either. It just kind of happened all of a sudden. From sitting on my bed, bopping to Jessie J on the radio while I dry my hair, to a wide-eyed, pout-lipped, foot-stomping uncontrollable nightmare. In one fell swoop.




How did that happen, then? I must have looked away for a second.

The outcome?
A bathroom floor swimming in soapy water.

A bedroom door creaking in its well-slammed hinges.

 

A little boy with a half-washed face and unwashed anything else this morning. Who eventually gave in and ate a tiny half a carrot slice with his dinner (yeah, victory!) before he got his yoghurt. And who'll not be seeing his scooter or his knights' castle for the next week or so.

A very stressed out, worn out mummy who for once, let it get to her and had to sit in the car once the little ogre was in school and have a bit of a weep. Who felt very sorry for herself for a while, and wished she didn't have to deal with this on her own all the time. And who wishes there was a bottle of wine chilling in the fridge right now.

But who knows her little angel will show himself again tomorrow.

Just as well.

teacher trouble or problem parent?

Today B's school had a P1 'Open Day' today. Actually, an Open Half Hour. Arranged for parents to come into the class with the children and for the children to show us around their workbooks and the classroom and the walls to see all the different activities they do and what they have been learning.

I also assumed this would be an opportunity to grab a few minutes with the teacher. Given B's new teacher is only 4 weeks into the job (after his original one went off on maternity leave), and because we haven't had a proper parents 1:1 since September, I thought this would also be an opportune moment (and the only chance we've had) to meet the new teacher and see how B is settling in with her.

B seems to like her, although the transition to the new teacher I think was difficult for him, understandably. And he has a little pal whom she used to teach in her previous school and reports from him were positive (or as positive as a 6 yr old can give).

So am I over-analysing or being overly sensitive to be slightly peeved that, on approaching the teacher during the Open 'Day' (there was no attempt from her to approach us) and asking generally about B, her first comment was "why, do you have a problem?" Why does she automatically assume there is a problem? Am I not entitled, as an interested parent, not to mention a council tax payer, to enquire as to my son's progress in school without the assumption that I am a difficult parent? This is only my second interaction with this new teacher, the first being equally defensive from her (in my opinion), and so I am not feeling entirely at ease right now.

And when she suggested that maybe she should have had a 'meet the parents/teacher' session when she first started, I had to bite my tongue as I had assumed this would happen but never did. Again, am I being too demanding of B's school/teacher? Is there no time for such 'luxuries' in today's curriculum for 'meet the teacher' opportunities?

I know in a few years time I will look back and wonder what I was getting my knickers in a twist about P1 for as there will be far more challenging times ahead I'm sure, but at the moment this feels important to me.

A week of two halves

So half-term is over and it's back to 'normality' tomorrow.

It's been a half-term of two halves for me. The first half meant I actually got to spend some time with B which didn't involve nagging him to get out the door at 8.30am for school, which I sometimes think is all I do! We got to lounge about in the house, playing silly games, rolling about on my bed, playing with his favourite cuddly toy cats. We went out and met a friend for a cuppa/juice and cake, went to the park, went out on his bike - hell, we even got to go to the beach (and it wasn't too cold...).

The second half of the week was very different. B went to his dad's and I was left scrabbling about trying desperately to fill the time so I didn't notice how empty the house feels without B there.

Apart from working thursday and my evening class on Wednesday, my attempts to busy myself failed somewhat, partly due to no-one being able 'to come out and play'. I regularly struggle with this in itself, going from resenting my friends for being too busy, to chastising myself for thinking like that, back to wondering why everyone has forgotten about me... these are in the gloomiest moments when I am on my own. This week, this happened on Thursday evening. A few glasses of wine probably didn't help, neither did catching up on Sky+ ER re-runs - god, I didn't remember so many episodes being so depressing!

At least I did get to speak to my wee boy every night via the mystical powers of t'internet/webcam, which made me smile for a few minutes.

And so the 4 'sleeps' without B plodded on, and I forced myself to go out on Saturday, to see the lovely George Clooney in The Descendants. So I guess it's not all bad!

And then to today, when I got my wee boy back again, along with a great big kiss.

Back to the school run tomorrow, earlier starts, rushed mornings, running to beat the school bell... my relief at getting back to normal again probably won't last too long when we're still floundering about at 8.37am tomorrow morning!

And I don't think B has got a proper grip on the 'permanence' of school yet, either. He asked me once again today, why he has to go back to school, cos he's "done school now". Yeah, ask me again when you're 17.

Resolution - Failure!

Day 1 of Resolution (see previous post)
Result: FAILED

Didn't take long, did it? O what a failure as a parent I must be.

In my defence, B was obviously aiming for the Gold Medal in the Most Bad-Tempered / Stubborn Boy Competition this morning in his reluctance to go back to school. A competition he surely would have won by a country mile.

My patience and calm (outer) appearance was eventually shattered, as I tried to coax him into the bathroom while he stomped, humfed and then eventually punched (ohhhh yes...) his way round the flat for a good half an hour or so. Not even threatening and then following through on removing his most prized Santa present (a playmobil Knights Castle) encouraged him to change his ways. Oh the humanity!

So my gold medal-winner ended up going back to school with a dirty face and no teeth brushed. Luckily he relented enough to at least get his clothes on. Believe me, if I'd had to take him in his robot jammies, I would have.

So it's back to Square One tomorrow re: Resolution. I must dig out that Mediation book...

Normality resumes...

Thank the Lord, finally back to school tomorrow for B, after 2 and a half weeks of holidays, about time too!
Christmas hols always go by too quickly, but this past week has not exactly flown by... been a proper struggle to keep him busy and occupied. And no chance of a lie-in! 5 year olds (or at least, mine) don't do holiday lie-ins...

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to try not to shout at him so much! More than anything because it does no good and just makes him more stubborn than before... But I have given myself a reprieve until after school starts back as we have both been driving each other cuh-ray-zee this week. So Resolution begins tomorrow!

Of course, back to school for B means back to 'work' for me. I say 'work', cos sometimes it doesn't feel like a "proper" job. After 10 months with no work, I AM really grateful to have a job. But I know this one is a short-term thing only, and because of that, I'm struggling to commit to it like I should. Not helped by the fact that it's limited hours, cr@p money, no desk-space of my own. God, never happy!!

I have to put some serious thought into what the heck i'm going to do to get some decent flippin money in 2012. I don't want to flounder in a job I don't really want for too long, but if I don't figure something out soon, I'm going to end up doing exactly that. I thought that would be my life in 2011, don't want it to go on for another year.

Lots to think about. At least my other Resolution of trying to re-start the blog is kinda working...