Yes, we’re having another WTF Wednesday around these parts. Captain Science, after two wonderful weeks, has been on a slow decline this week, culminating in a full blown stomping, screaming fit. Yes, he’s been assessed for all those things you’d assess a child for when he is pitching a stomping, screaming fit (that was part of our barrage of testing before leaving public school). He doesn’t have any specific problem. He’s just throwing a hissy.
My theory is that we relaxed the prison-style homeschooling too quickly, because he was being so good and agreeable. We probably needed to continue to apply it for another two weeks beyond the improvement stage. Instead, we were too quick to relax and reward, and now Captain Science is back to having meltdowns. Gotta say, the kid is a master manipulator. I’m sure he’s just waiting for one of us to go try and empathize with him or attempt to understand why he’s acting like this.
Honestly, I don’t care why. I’m the adult. He is the child. I’m not going to be yanked around by a 9 year old with a bug up his butt. I’m done with sympathizing, empathizing, or in any way trying to explore his motivations. I do not give a rat’s patoot about his motivations. It’s behaviors that interest me, and his are going to change.
So, back we go to lockdown. We’re divesting him of his worldly toys and pleasure reading, too, in the interest of full blown attention to what needs to get done. We might be taking the door off the hinges again, as he’s been slamming it this week in his fits of tantrum. We aren’t scaling back any curricula, but we aren’t adding to it, and he might miss out on next week’s board game class if he can’t improve in the next six days. We’ll go to Patchfire’s house for science, then come straight home with no playtime.
At least Officer Daddyman was home to witness the sound and the fury. Also, I didn’t get even remotely upset about this magnificent display of jackassery (at least, not externally), so Captain Science didn’t accomplish getting a rise out of either of us. He is going to learn he can’t control us, but he had better damn well learn to control himself.
Ticked off mama is ticked off.
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[...] Weekly Rewiewins by Smrt Mama Feb 05 2010 TrackBack Address. The week started out pretty terribly, but slowly improved, peaking with today’s [...]
OMG, were you at MY house yesterday? Granted, Lydia’s hissy fits have chilled out a bit. Yesterday she threw her pencil, shoved her papers, stomped off to time-out, attempted to stick her tongue out at me behind her teeth, and generally was a pain in the butt over nothing.
Seems perfectionistic tendencies, hormones, and general I’ve-freaked-because-this-MIGHT-be-hard create spectacular fireworks displays on occasion around my house.
Have you had anyone tell you it is your fault yet? I can do that for you if you like, but usually there are plenty of home school moms lined up just foaming at the mouth for the particular honor of telling you how their children are instantly obedient. Blech.
Ooh! I can do this one! MY son never gives me any lip. He’s very sweet, and follows directions when I give them without a fuss.
Granted, my son is 18 months, doesn’t talk, and I give directions when I know he’ll be receptive, but hey. MY kid is wonderful! XD
People really do that shit? That’s just insane. I hope Captain Science manages to pull it together and soon, Mama. In the meantime, well done, and I hope it’s short-lived. *hug*
John Rosemond has a book called Teen-Proofing. Capt. Science isn’t quite a teen yet but I wonder if Rosemond would have some helpful things to say?
(I really like Rosemond’s Making the Terrible Twos Terrific, but I’ve never cared for a kiddo as old as Capt. Science. Well, I did, but he had multiple disabilities, so behavior management wasn’t a big deal.)
I’m really not a big fan of John Rosemond, I have to say. I’m not the most child-centric of people, but I find him to be very dismissive of children in general. Plus, anyone writing “scripture-based” parenting books is suspect in my book.
I see. Some of his books are secular–the two I mentioned above are. He’s also not as out there as, say, Dobson (blech). But yeah, he’s pretty conservative.
I went to hear him speak and found him to have mostly helpful things to say, and a few I disagreed with. So I took what I could use.
His column has been published in our paper for the last 20 years or so, I swear. The more I see of his over all attitude towards children, the less I think of him.