School stuff

Lately, we've been getting a lot "I don't want to go to school" statements, complaints, and even tears from someone who always LOVED going to school. We got to the bottom of it (or so we think): apparently, the amount of school work that needs to be completed every day in the classroom, the darn software program on the computer, the bubble maps arrows, etc. are overwhelming my sweetheart. While we always encourage her to do her best, work her hardest, and complete assignments in class and at home, I have to admit that there is a lot of work involved... for a six year old. And unfortunately, being the creative, spunky, and non-conventional kid that she is, not paying attention entirely to all the teacher's directions or instructions leaves her wondering what needs to be done, asking more questions than the teacher would like, and getting in a little bit of a rough spot. I'm not overly concerned, just feeling bad to see her sad and discouraged. I'm a bit bothered by some of the teacher's remarks after I sent her a very innocent email asking for some pointers in helping Ella master the "bubble maps" so that she is not afraid to go to school because of them. She said amongst other things that "she was very concerned about how Ella would be able to handle her classroom responsibilities this semester..." Kind of big statement... this is a kid who scored almost perfectly on her prior report cards. Oh well...

And as it turns out, she had mastered the concept of bubble maps and did her very own yesterday after school on a piece of paper.  It was the software that was giving her a hard time. I just couldn't stand seeing my bright and confident child now feeling desperate because of this.  She told us the name of the program and it's now purchased and installed on the home laptop. You should have seen the joy on her face when she realized that she could do this at home too. Practice that is, so she can become more confident in her abilities to do it. I'm all about fixing problems, as I'm sure all parents are. If we lack somewhere, the only way to "fix" it is by working at it/practicing, right? While practicing at home is no substitute for paying attention in class when the teacher models or explains, I know from experience that it's not always easy to just watch someone do it once and then be ready to do it yourself right away. It takes time and practice. And since she's willing to work hard at it, that's what I want to give her: the opportunity to practice.

I most definitely want to raise a confident and hard working child, who likes school and feels comfortable there. I want her to know that is she has a problem, we can always work it out together and that she is never alone. She can always trust us adults to help her through it.

So anyway, this has been on my mind a lot and I'm finally starting to feel better about it, and hope and pray so hard that she is too. There're only a few things more heart-breaking than dropping your child off to school in tears...

The bubble map she made yesterday by hand all by herself: