When we had our third child and all he** broke lose, we prepared ourselves for our first 8 hour drive to the Wyoming farm from our house in Utah. We knew with 3 kids, one of them a newborn, it might take longer than the allotted 8 hour time. So JaDee and I adopted a new family motto for all family trips:
Low Expectations.
This little phrase has saved us from countless episodes of useless frustration. For instance, Low Expectations allows you to not get mad when you drive 500 miles and your kid pukes every 50. Low expectations lets you be happy when you have pulled out of the parking lot of the gas station only to hear "I have to go potty," 10 minutes down the road. Low expectations insures you aren't disappointed when you spend money on a dinosaur museum and your kid cries when the sound effects blast through the room.
Lately, however we have felt the need to change the motto to
Just below Par
This is in reference to Carter's grades. Oh that boy. Much like with Ethan getting his tongue stuck, Carter has not learned to turn assignments in on time, or at all. We dig through his backpack and find all the "0s" just sitting there!!! After riding him hard all this second quarter he has an A in English, his worst subject. Only to get the email today that he did not turn in a "Bookmark" assignment.
Oh and this bookmark has been talked about all week. It has been in the back pack since last Monday when we missed school for the ice storms. It was a hand drawn , well, bookmark.
So that A now has been defeated by the 0. And it wasn't like he failed vocabulary or didn't get an essay done, he forgot. to. turn. in. a. bookmark.
ARRGHHHH!!!!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
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12 comments:
Since I don't have school age kids, I only have a teacher's perspective on this. Kids like that drive me crazy too. Why don't they just turn it in?! Maybe it's because I'm not like that, that I have a hard time relating to people who are. But also, a book mark bringing your grade down?! That should be worth like 10 points.
My brothers used to do the same thing! Oh my mom used to get frustrated. She'd spend forever "helping" them on a big project, and then they just would happen to forget to turn it in. Like I wonder what goes through their heads when the teachers says, "Okay everyone, it's time to turn in your bookmarks." But seriously? A bookmark should not be worth enough points to bring down a grade. Gee how I can't wait until my own kids are in school :)
I think it's a boy thing, and they out grow it. This to shal pass...and if it doesn't just stick his tongue to a pole;) Dang Boys!!!!
By the way...I love the new blog layout, very cute, very Nicole;)
My daughter does this too. Drives me nuts! I know I never gave my mom this much trouble when I was in school. Makes me wonder what I'm being punished for.
Hey there! My son who always turned everything in in elementary school has this year learned to forget to turn in assignments in middle school. He has had forgiving teachers, but still. Just started to forget this stuff now? I do think it's more of a boy thing.
LOVE your new layout. I want one!!
I feel your pain...and ours didn't "pass" - but we still love the kid! I think that is why I am going gray!
Thats like having money to pay bills and not paying them. I HATE that. Let me know what you do, Im sure Ill need the advice in a few years!
I hear ya' sister . . . 16 years old, a junior in highschool and it's the SAME thing. . . you'd think the kid would be tired of hearing me harp on the same subject, but noooooooo! :-) I totally don't get it . . . all I have is myself and my brother to compare it to, and we were not like that AT ALL. OH, well. I wish I could tell you it will get better, but what I can tell you is hang in there!
I love the low expectations motto. Disappointment will only arise when your expectations are too high. Like this past weekend for example.....visiting the inlaws. Always frustrating/make me throw temper tantrum experience. This weekend I had zero expectations....and guess what? It was even slightly pleasant. That and Ryker slept for 3 of the 4 hour car ride home....and I read my book the WHOLE time. Pleasant I tell you :)
I love it, Nicole! Several years ago my family adopted the motto “Low Expectations” but we ended up settling on “No Expectations.” It’s great! No disappointments…ever!
You know what really sucks? When your kids are homeschooled and they still forget their homework and projects! And yes, it is totally possible.
You almost perfectly described our trip to Utah a mere two weeks ago! I'm adopting "Low Expectations" as our new travel mantra. Thank you.
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