Me: "What the heck are you doing in here?"
Crash: "I got into trouble."
Me: "AGAIN?"
Crash: nods
I had to go find the neighbor kid before he got on the bus so I told Crash he was in big trouble and went down the hall to find Spike and the neighbor boy. (He needs a nickname too as he is over all the time).
When I got back to the principles office, Crash and I went in and sat down. Here's where the story gets ridiculous.
The principle proceeds to tell me how my son had formed a gun with his thumb and finger and (gasp!) used it like a gun! His teacher asked him to stop and he did. A few hours later, he did it again this time using the desk for cover. He informed me that Crash had insisted that over the course of a few hours he had forgotten. (So.....?) The principle didn't believe that he could have forgotten in just a few short hours.
I just stared. I didn't know what to say. For one, IT WAS HIS FINGERS! That is almost the first toy a little boy ever comes up with. Seriously!? Two, my son can't remember what he was told to do five minutes ago and he was surprised that he didn't remember after three hours?
I asked if he was disrupting the class and was given the run around and told the same story. How he shot, stopped, forgot and shot again. The principle will call me tomorrow to let me know his punishment. If he gives Crash detention, I swear I am going to go get him. I don't think he should be punished for something all kids do, especially boys, as long as it wasn't disrupting the class. I just think this is stupid. Am I over reacting? I honestly don't think I am but then again, I tend to go Mother Bear when someone is picking on my kids.
I come from a family of die hard dedicated teachers, most retired. It is hard to explain just how sacred the educational system is held in my family. We have watched it decay. From the student behavior to the bureaucratic micromanagement right along with our culture, our families, and our economy. I'd think real hard about home schooling if I had it to do over.
ReplyDeleteA professional teacher should be able to deal with most things with out needing to send a kid to get punished. How can you teach him the respect adults when they are so...damn stupid.
Dennis, my husband says the same thing...why are we surprised by how kids treat adults, when the adults treat kids so poorly.
ReplyDeleteI don't even understand the problem. He wasn't threatening anyone, so who cares if he was playing around with unloaded fingers, unless of course they weren't pointed in a safe direction:)
No, you're not overreacting. "Zero Tolerance" is one of the many reasons we are spending billions every year on schools that don't educate our children. They're too busy maintaining BS to teach.
ReplyDelete(And I'll be the first parent in line demanding that kids be punished for ACTUALLY disrupting school.)
You are not over reacting. Just more gender bias in the schools. A boy will make a gun from a piece of bread while most girls won't hence it is the perfect "weapon" to use against boys. The teachers and principals wax all dramatic about it and proclaim it an affront as major as selling drugs or building bombs.
ReplyDeleteNext they will be demanding you have him analyzed and put him on drugs of course.
Home schooling, especially for boys, is the only answer.
Hi Gracie.. I just dropped by and read this. Although I hate to say it,Just do some good old "I'm Gonna call my lawyer" threatening. They usually get all nervous.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing wrong with being a mama bear :)
You are not overeacting, the school is. Tell them that in no uncertain terms, and that you will not abide by this punishment. I also suggest telling the principal about all the real guns you have at home, and to quit being a Nancy's Blouse.
ReplyDeleteAny authority the school has over your kids comes from you. Refuse to delegate authority to do this. You have 10 times the authority the pricipal has, use it. Your kid, your rules. Idiotic Policies be damned.
ReplyDeleteDennis: Thanks, damn stupid seems to pretty much sum it up.
ReplyDeleteagirlandhergun: He was "shooting" at the stuffed animals in the classroom. So I guess it depends on point of view if it was a safe direction. The Teddy would probably argue for him getting detention :)
Suz: That's why I asked if he was disrupting the class. From what I understand they were all playing games. Even the teacher refused to answer that question.
PioneerPreppy: He is on ADHD medication but it has more to do with keeping him from putting his brothers in the ER than anything else. I have thought about home schooling but I am afraid it would be a disaster for us. Crash and I butt heads all day long and I honestly doubt my ability to teach him what he needs to learn.
PISSED: I don't need a lawyer, lol I can scare them all by myself. :)
TinCan Assassin: that is pretty much the plan. If the school doesn't call me to tell me what they are going to do (what they THINK they are going to do) I have instructed Crash to call me.
Thanks everyone, I was starting to think I was coming off crazy. I was just shocked that this would even be an issue.
I feel your pain. My son (also been put on ADHD meds, mostly because the teachers don't want to have to "deal with him", (Heck by their standards, all the boys in the class would be drugged.) once drew a picture of an Army gunner truck, with his buddies and him as soldiers on both sides of the gun. Needless to say the teacher freaked, and the principle flagged me down after school. His behavioural therapist just laughed- "looks to me like he is a 8 year old boy!" (side note: the thearpist and I have spent many an hour discussing the collapse of the American school system)
ReplyDeleteNow my daughter, on the other hand, wears her Miranda Lambert tshirts to school (blazing crossed pistols and angel wings), does an art project on the 2nd Amendment complete with a Penn. Longrifle and placed amongst the top to be displayed, without anyone batting an eye! WTH?
I'll stop now, I tried to volunteer at the school, to help out a spend more time with my son, but I had to stop because I was leaving each time more and more upset and didn't want to cause issues and make things harder on my kids. I could rant on forever!
Midwest Patriot, sounds like the school is very gender biased. Didn't you know that pictures like your sons indicates a troubled personality and he will one day bring a gun to school and shoot all of the bullies? pfttt. Whatever. I totally see why things like that raise a red flag, but c'mon. These are young kids. They play with toy guns, they draw things they read about and hear about and see on TV. I could see if he had drwan a picture of himself shooting another kid he didn't like, there could be a problem. I guess letting them watch the history channel, military channel, or any of the discovery channels are bad now?
ReplyDeleteNot at all over-reacting. You've run afoul of a ridiculous interpretation of a ridiculous zero tolerance policy. This I promise you, their policy does not actually say they can punish him for this specific situation. I would read up on it and see what it says. Go all Sun Tzu and use their own tools against them.
ReplyDelete