You know, when the kids were in grade school, their grades were pretty consistent. Helena got straight A's and every teacher loved having her, even if she was a bit too gregarious. Will got mostly A's and B's, with some C's because his teachers hounded him to keep turning stuff in.
Now, you ask?
Now they are in Junior High and none of their teachers feel inclined to chase down assignments, and rightly so. This causes what I call the ROLLER COASTER EFFECT.
At the beginning of each term, each child firmly declares that they are going to get that $100.00 I keep promising either of them for a 4.0 on term grades. This might seem like a lot of money, but it was pointed out to me that it is the cheapest college tuition there is because of scholarship opportunities. I concur.
For about 2-3 weeks, they do fairly well.
After about that length of time, however, something happens to their motivation. Helena forgets to do an assignment and a grade drops. It seems once that happens, she stops trying for anything other than passing scores. Her grades do a graceful swan dive and bottom out about 2 weeks before the end of term. It seems that when her GPA drops below that magic line of 3.0, she pulls it in gear and works her way back up to the 3.0, where she finishes off each term.
And Will?
He starts each term at around 3.5. By the time we reach that 2 week warning of the end of term, his grades have just screeched down the ROLLER COASTER OF DEATH and are bottomed out BELOW a 2.0!!! This is when it all hits the fan.
This is the part of the roller coaster that I don't like. I become the 'bad guy', because all privileges, activities, and sports come to a crashing halt until the grades return to an acceptable level. I end up printing up his current reports and highlighting each and every missing assignment. He has to stay after and meet with each teacher. He has to stay up late every night catching up on the work he neglected. That means I have to stay up late every night to ride him so he doesn't get distracted and fail to do it. Last night he worked until 11:30 p.m., then got up at 6:30 a.m. to get to 7:00 a.m. Jazz Band (which he wants to quit, but I won't let him until he gets the grade in there up to a passing level).
Have they ever received the $100.00? No.
Doesn't this roller coaster sound oh so fun?
Why am I telling you all of this?
Have you ever noticed that every mother you talk to has 'the chosen' children? I mean EVERY mother? Everyone around me has children that maintain a 4.0 while acting as student body president, captain of their sport team, president of their church youth group, taking private music (or what ever other fill in the blank you want to put there) lessons, and spending weekends volunteering at the local old folks home. And all of this at the tender age of 13! Yup. To listen to the mothers when they get together and expound upon their offspring, you would think that the whole neighborhood of kids accidentally went off daisy gathering and missed the translation of the City of Enoch!
So, how does this make the rest of us feel about our own children when they fail to live up to their own potential? Like we don't like to hang out with those mothers and their supposedly perfect progeny! How uncomfortable to be friends with perfection!
Oh how I hate this roller coaster! I think, though, that it is probably a normal part of adolescence and learning to take more responsibility upon themselves. Sure hope it is a short ride!
Yeah, and those other moms? I think most of them are seriously delusional!
For about 2-3 weeks, they do fairly well.
After about that length of time, however, something happens to their motivation. Helena forgets to do an assignment and a grade drops. It seems once that happens, she stops trying for anything other than passing scores. Her grades do a graceful swan dive and bottom out about 2 weeks before the end of term. It seems that when her GPA drops below that magic line of 3.0, she pulls it in gear and works her way back up to the 3.0, where she finishes off each term.
And Will?
He starts each term at around 3.5. By the time we reach that 2 week warning of the end of term, his grades have just screeched down the ROLLER COASTER OF DEATH and are bottomed out BELOW a 2.0!!! This is when it all hits the fan.
This is the part of the roller coaster that I don't like. I become the 'bad guy', because all privileges, activities, and sports come to a crashing halt until the grades return to an acceptable level. I end up printing up his current reports and highlighting each and every missing assignment. He has to stay after and meet with each teacher. He has to stay up late every night catching up on the work he neglected. That means I have to stay up late every night to ride him so he doesn't get distracted and fail to do it. Last night he worked until 11:30 p.m., then got up at 6:30 a.m. to get to 7:00 a.m. Jazz Band (which he wants to quit, but I won't let him until he gets the grade in there up to a passing level).
Have they ever received the $100.00? No.
Doesn't this roller coaster sound oh so fun?
Why am I telling you all of this?
Have you ever noticed that every mother you talk to has 'the chosen' children? I mean EVERY mother? Everyone around me has children that maintain a 4.0 while acting as student body president, captain of their sport team, president of their church youth group, taking private music (or what ever other fill in the blank you want to put there) lessons, and spending weekends volunteering at the local old folks home. And all of this at the tender age of 13! Yup. To listen to the mothers when they get together and expound upon their offspring, you would think that the whole neighborhood of kids accidentally went off daisy gathering and missed the translation of the City of Enoch!
So, how does this make the rest of us feel about our own children when they fail to live up to their own potential? Like we don't like to hang out with those mothers and their supposedly perfect progeny! How uncomfortable to be friends with perfection!
Oh how I hate this roller coaster! I think, though, that it is probably a normal part of adolescence and learning to take more responsibility upon themselves. Sure hope it is a short ride!
Yeah, and those other moms? I think most of them are seriously delusional!
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