Back To School...UGH!!!

Tomorrow starts a new school year for my kids and another year of torture for me.

My daughter bounces out the door every morning looking forward to school (which she considers a social club) and I shove my sixteen year old out the door saying "Just two more years if you pass this one"!! (By this remark I am trying to encourage him in the only way I know how).

My daughter isn't an "A" student, but she tries hard and has never been a problem. She is loved by all her teachers and for the record...is just too sweet to be hard on (maybe that is one of our problems).

My son...God help us, is another story all together. He is the smartest of my three. He can debate like nobody's business, he can tell you any historical or scientific data...he can even tell you why America is in such dire straits....and most of the time I agree with him. He HATES to be judged by numbers or letters ( that is his explanation for his GPA).

My daughter had her orientation at the middle school today, and got assigned to the team of teachers that had my son two years ago. In each classroom that I went into, after I told them that I was Zachary's mom and they had taught him two years ago...their first comment was "Zach was the smartest kid I ever taught".

Not that he passed their class with flying colors, but they saw the potential that I see on a daily basis.

He is a genius, he is my way to an early retirement...if ONLY we can get him out of school.

He fights the system, he fights the rules and he fights the entire concept of a controlled environment. My boy is a rebel...albeit a smart one.

But what I cannot instill in him is that at his age, you JUST have to play by the rules, you have to surrender to authority, and you just have to "PLAY" the game...not fight it at every turn.

Last year by the end of the school year...I had spent more time with the ninth grade principal than I had my husband. I look forward to meeting the tenth grade principal and I am certain by May, we will be well acquainted.

He is a good boy. He doesn't do drugs (a trip to the county juvenile detention center for a drug test guaranteed me that) ...Just checking after a rebellious period. But you have to keep a close watch on your kids, I am not one that will not keep a check on a floundering sixteen year old...and be caught off guard when it is too late.

I have come to realize that he is a pistol. He is loaded with information, facts and data that blow me away on a daily basis. He just doesn't like school. He doesn't like the fact that they judge and grade him on whether he gets a paper signed, or a progress report signed.

But how do I tell him that this is the way it works? How do I tell him that unless you come out of high school a millionaire...life is a hard ,hard road...even if you ARE smart?

I pray for him daily...and he probably prays in his room at night that I will leave him alone.

Guess who's prayer's will get answered first?

I have no reservation in saying that he is the smartest, brightest sixteen year old I have ever met.

Someone please tell me how to help him succeed, how to let him finally see his potential, and how to stop my heart palpitations every time a new school year starts.

Just thought that since I had this blog, I would throw it out there to you and see what came back.

Please help me help HIM.

Till next time..COTTON

My middle child

My middle child is 15 years old...going on thirty. He is so intelligent that sometimes I wonder who his real parents are! Unfortunately he doesn't like to put forth much, if any effort into his school work. His arguments are vast and varied. Number one: he hates that you are judged by grades and numbers. Number two: All his teachers are mean and unrelenting. Number three: the whole world is against him. I guess that third one goes for most all fifteen year olds. My oldest son was so easy going and sweet at fifteen.... I should have known I had my repayment coming. My son has ADD. He was diagnosed in kindergarten. (his second time through) I always say he liked kindergarten so much, he did it twice !! In third grade he started taking medicine... and immediately started making straight A's. I wasn't really crazy about him taking a stimulant; as he had no hyperactivity, just the inability to concentrate. The next year, a new drug came out strictly for focusing. It was not a level two drug and was not a stimulant. I felt much better about him being on this new medication, and his grades were still high. By the time he hit the fifth grade, the "Rebel" in him began to rear it's ugly head. He said it was his body, and he didn't want to put drugs in it. I thought to myself " I'll remember that when I catch you smoking pot when you are a teenager!" But I thought I'd let him try it his way. It has been a constant and uphill battle from the moment he quit taking his medication. He is so bright and smart; but refuses to use his ability in school. He can tell you about ANYTHING or knows more about history, government, and science than any college professor that I ever had. Yet he can't pass Algebra. Let me rephrase that... he doesn't TRY to pass algebra. Let me give you a small example of his thinking.. even at the age of 5. It was before I took my kids to church. I grew up in the church, and had loving Christian parents. If the doors were open; we were all there. But I slipped out of the habit in my twenties, and preferred to "home school" my kids in religion... usually listening to "Jesus Christ Superstar" booming on the stereo while we picked up around the house on Sunday mornings. On Easter, we were driving in my van over to my sister's house for dinner. My son was in his car seat in the back, and as we passed a church with the three crosses on their front lawn, I commented to him; "you know they put a nail through each of Jesus' hands, and through his feet when they put him on the cross. " To which my 5 year old replied quite calmly... " I thought they hung him with a rope." I was glad he could see me trying to suppress my laughter, and said "no, they just call it hanging from the cross. " He asked me why there were two other crosses; to which I replied, there was a robber on either side of Jesus. I went on with my lesson.. saying, "you know what Jesus said to all of the people that did that to him, right before he died.....He said I forgive you". My son looked quietly out the window, and said " Well, I would have said: I Will GET you." I remarked, well that is why your name is Zachary, and his name is Jesus... and we will all be in church next week !! It just amazed me how his little 5 year old brain worked. He has continued to amaze me over the years with his knowledge; although his report cards hardly show it. My husband said if we can just get him through school, he will probably be the next Bill Gates. Recently though, he told me he is tired of making bad grades, and will apply himself more towards his school work. I hope that he does. His father and I are waiting for him to come out of the fog that he seems to be struggling through, and live up to the huge potential he has. Every teacher he has comments on his intelligence, and great gift of debate.... he would make an excellent lawyer...he has been told this by the principal who called him into his office one time for a chat. I pray for all my kids, and I pray for my sanity almost as much. Kids are the greatest blessing as well as the greatest challenge that life can throw your way. Enjoy them as much as you can, because time seems to go by in the blink of an eye. My oldest is 21, and it seems like yesterday he was watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, playing Tee ball, and still liked me to tuck him into bed at night. I hope I am not aging as quickly as them....unfortunately we all know that I am!!