Last week ended with a whimper. Friday was a half-day of school and both kids really needed the long weekend. It was obvious, especially for the boy, that the days had taken their toll and they had basically “had it” by week’s end.
This week, the lass has been quite content with going to school. I daresay she even seems to look forward to getting to her class and her teacher. She still has a smile when she gets off the bus at lunch time.
The boy has no compunction voicing his displeasure at going to school. He repeatedly states “I don’t want to go to school.” Initially, I thought he was trying to start an argument. But the way he continues to say it, I now think that it’s a sort of prayer for deliverance. The Wife and I both do our best to ignore him.
He seems to be heading for a showdown. It’s possible that he’s working up the courage for an all out act of defiance one morning where he refuses to go out the door and get in the car. I say this because he’s dragged his feet a little more each day on the way out- like he’s testing the waters so as to measure our reaction. Though whether he’ll take it another step remains to be seen.
We’ve attempted the usual sorts of persuasion to help his attitude, but without much success. The funny thing is he seems to enjoy school once he’s there- it’s just the “getting to there” that’s the issue. It’s possible that he’s just surly in the mornings. But his morning attitude during summer vacation wasn’t this poor.
It’s also possible that it’s part of the process of being a six-year old. But that’s a topic for another post.
2 replies on “I Don’t Want to Go”
…time to query the teacher … maybe it is common, maybe he’s just tired of the long hours, maybe he’s suffering from the dreaded: ‘Joey Rust’ syndrome !!
The teacher actually addressed it at the open house. She said it’s a big adjustment and she typically takes about 6 weeks before she really starts to get going in classes. In the meantime, she said to expect the kids to be grumpy.