'Scuse Me While I Kiss The Ground

[WebScorpion]

My daughter is the middle child and "sandwiched" between two boys. I'm still trying to figure the two buys out. If it doesn't come with a joy stick that says Nintendo or Wii they want nothing to do with it. I sometimes feel like Jed Clampett trying to talk with Jethro.

That's because girls learn to communicate between the ages 1 and 2, but boys learn to communicate sometime in their 40's...if they're REEALLY smart.

[GAC]

That's because girls learn to communicate between the ages 1 and 2, but boys learn to communicate sometime in their 40's...if they're REEALLY smart.

I just gave my oldest boy what for last night. He graduates this year (keeping fingers crossed there), and I got an email from one of his teachers that he was failing her class. Failing is bad enough, but he goes to JVS, and it's the class (field) -Information Technology - that he wants to major in at college next year.

I got a little upset at the teacher because the grading period ends Monday, and she gets ahold on me on Friday?? And this is not the first time this has happened. And I am getting sick and tired of hearing teachers tell me that they can't get the kids to turn in their assignments. Who is running our schools? He has assignments as far back as January that, according to her, have never been turned in. So why did you wait till almost April, and the end of the grading period, to notify me the parent? Really pees me off!

So I gave my son the dickens. But he showed me where a bunch of those lessons were completed and stored on the school's H drive for the teacher to review. He's in a laptop program where the school provides the kids with a laptop. So I told him that he has this weekend to go through and get whatever ones on that drive completed and show it to me. Most of them are short assignments. I'm then going to have a nice talk with that teacher and a few others at that school come Monday.

But I told my son that he can probably kiss college goodbye, because no school is gonna admit him with grades that are C's and D's. And what bugs me is that this is one intelligent kid. He has no initiative, no drive to want to excel opr do things that don't interest him. We've had these talks over and over again, and it's somehow not registering. It's almost like talking to a family pet where the animal just sits and stares back at you.

It reminds my of that scene from Caddy Shack where Ted Knight says "Well, the world needs ditch diggers too!" He may very well be doing that.

[WebScorpion]

It never ceases to amaze me how kids with the same genetic mix can have such completely different personalities. Your boy sounds like my 17-year old daughter. She's a dreamer and she loves to live in the moment, she has no clue what the future will bring and I really don't think she cares...yet. I watch and despair as she slowly closes one door after another on her future. She wants to be this or that depending on the moment, but she has pretty much destroyed her chances of going to any reputable college by failing classes and barely passing others. She seems to just want to get out of school and 'live', but I fear she has no idea what 'living' is like. She is extremely intelligent and works hard when her heart is in the work. It drives me completely crazy, but when I really think about it, that's just the way she is...it's not the way I would live my life, but then again, it's not my life it is HERS. She's a beautiful, fun-loving girl and she is just a blast to be around...really, I think she's going to have a great adventure of a life and she's going to enjoy every moment of it. So I just try to give her advice and enjoy being part of her life. I'll always be there for her and I make sure she knows that. She's my first child...the one who taught me what true unquestioning love is...I really didn't know what love was until I looked into her helpless little eyes 17 long years ago. Now, I just try to enjoy the gift that God gave me and understand the lessons he's trying to teach me through her. Sorry, didn't mean to get preachy, but I thought it might help you cope with the difficulties of dealing with your child/adult/teen. Every life is different, but we all get our share of pearls...try to appreciate the beauty as it passes through your life.

[GAC]

Oh there's no doubt that I unquestionable love him.

And then there are times I'd unquestionably love to smack him upside the head. :

He's just so affable, with little care in the world. And that's probably due to the fact that he, like so many kids today, have so much, and have always had everything provided for him. It's like he thinks it's never gonna end, and he's never going to have to go out into the world and fend/provide for himself.

He's a darn good kid, and I've never really had any trouble with him, nor has he ever gotten in any. He's not going to do anything that might involve risk.

He has Asperger's Syndrome, which falls in the autism classification. He's a very intelligent kid. He just has a motivational problem at doing anything he doesn't like, or if he thinks it's just not worth pursuing.

But he actually has a girlfriend now -well, at least she calls the house every night for the last 6 months. He's decided he needs to get his driving permit, so I'm taking him out this weekend to do so. I think seeing his younger sister getting hers, and the fact she is a step ahead of him, kinda bugs him.

Whatever it takes to motivate the boy!