Why I Have Gray Hair

It's been awhile since I've had a posting about the kids. Really, they are what got this whole blog going, so, you wonder… why haven't I posted much about Aidan and his preschool experience?

Ok, here's the deal. Four year old… preschool… pretty standard stuff, right? Lets just say it hasn't been all A B C's around here.

It started out simply with a call now and then from school like I posted about last year. What was mildly funny at first, quickly became very not funny as the calls continued and we were asked nicely to offer Aidan some other educational opportunities.




Yes, my four year old was kicked out of preschool.

Let me just say, nothing says "Parent of the Year" better than packing up your child's things from a school after he's been kicked out for misbehaving. I really thought I couldn't feel any lower until… it happened again. You see, we tried another school, a special Montessori school even, and it only last two weeks before the director called me at home and asked me (not so nicely) not to bring my child in the next day, or ever.

In Aidan's defense, I do blame this school at least partly for overreacting and making some situations worse at times. For instance, I was called one day because Aidan was "using his fingers as a weapon and shooting at other children." Huh?! It turns out, he was just playing Spider Man and was pretending to shoot webs, but still, he was punished and I was called for that? We're talking about a 3-4 year old boy here! I was then informed that he was an "unremorseful child" because he wouldn't say he was sorry (when being punished for something he had no idea he did wrong). Overkill much?


But Aidan is, and has always been, a ball of fire! I know he's "that one child" in the class of 15+ that every teacher dreads. The disruptive one. The defiant one. The one that takes extra effort in a class with already over-extended resources.


Well, at least I always have stories to tell my grandma to make her laugh. She was a school teacher for 40 years, and nothing got her laughing harder than when I had to pick up Aidan one day because he had bitten his teacher… in the butt. She had bent over after taking a toy away from him, so she was kind of asking for it, right? Or the time in church when Aidan started singing "Hi Ho the Dairy-O! There's a Poopy In The Pool!" at the top of his lungs when the pastor told us to have a moment of silence (always my most fearful statement with Aidan around.) Or when he got his head stuck in a railing at a restaurant.


Over the summer we worked really hard with Aidan to overcome his "problems." He's just really really spirited and demanding. He is bright, lively, funny and an extremely outgoing happy child! He actually has an amazing attention span and can color or paint for up to an hour or more.




I was so disappointed that the other schools were so willing to just give up on him and boot him out into the cold! I know he's a challenge, but he's also a child with two parents who are working desperately hard everyday with him and will do anything to help him succeed! We've used positive discipline, mixed with an appropriate amount of NEGATIVE reinforcement as well, and have really smothered him with as much attention as any child could want.

The good news - Preschool #3 seems to be doing the trick! The teachers are fan-freaking-tastic at this new school! There's a big sign on the wall that says "All children are capable of success!" Thank you!! The new school offers the children LOTS of physical activity and lots of outside time, which is really key for a very active boy. I have talked for hours with his teacher and was very up front on day one what his challenges are. She didn't seem phased and was pleased when I instructed her not to let him get away with anything and to set very strict guidelines and boundaries with him, so he knows exactly what's expected of him. That has been another key to working with him. Aidan can sniff out weakness in a guardian a mile away and he tests every limit he can find, and they've done a wonderful job really reeling him in.

He's been at his new school for two months now, and he's already learned more in that time than a year anywhere else! He does have his occasional bad days, although they're very few compared to before. For instance, I did get a call on Friday because he had decided to take off all his clothes and was refusing to get dressed. Yes, I had to go pick up my naked child from preschool.


As usual, I ask myself, why is it always my child?


All this drama, and we haven't even hit Kindergarten yet.