I had all manner of plans for tonight, the biggest one was scoring my students’ assessments. But instead I spent the evening helping my daughter identify and finish missing assignments, because evidently their grading period ends tomorrow.
It’s so hard to guide an ADHD child through middle school. And I’m a middle school teacher! I should know all the tricks of the trade but instead, when it’s time for me to help my own kid, I just feel exhausted from helping my students all day. I’m swimming in middle school hormones and attitude literally all day. It’s as challenging as you might imagine.
She is figuring it out. And learning a lot about how to manage different teachers with different policies and procedures. These hard, sometimes painful lessons will serve her well in high school and beyond. But right now it really sucks.
And it’s exhausting.
I also think I’m coming down with something. My ears hurt and my throat is twitchy. I’ll probably wear a mask tomorrow even if I test negative.
Im glad we have almost no plans this weekend. I need to rest and recharge.
And score those assessments.
One’s own child is different from children at school/group function. Each of you have different patterns with each other than with a non-family person. Deep breathing helps. Remembering to stop and consider how you would react if it was non-family student can help. Asking one’s own child how they want you to help sometimes helps. Asking what sort of routine for the next grading period would help them not have so much pile up is fair game AFTER everything is caught up AND you both have had a good night of sleep.
Between RSV, flu and covid….. yes, glad you will wear mask and be testing. HOPE HOPE HOPE you are not coming down with one of the nasty threesome. Hope same is true for rest of your family. Am convinced you all need a quiet peaceful healthy weekend for recovery.
Best wishes and thank you for writing.
I’m kind of relieved to hear that about middle school- I’m not a parent, but I’m kinda sorta stepping into a step parent role…(My boyfriend has 2 kids, and is also widowed). So, he asks me questions to navigate ….and while I’m HAPPY to help…. sometimes I chalk things up to middle school- it’s a hard time/age and I think it’s a bit different here from where he grew up in Europe, so hearing from someone who deals with middle schoolers all day that it’s a hard age makes me feel SO MUCH BETTER- like I’m not giving him shitty advice! LOL (To be fair I have been through it with my nieces/nephew so I’m not a complete novice, but it’s different).