All I can think of as I start this post, is that line at the very end of one of my favorite movies, Dumb & Dumber -- "Just when I think you couldn't possibly get any dumber Lloyd, you go and do something like this, and TOTALLY redeem yourself!" -- This would be how I've felt about you, dear Colton, as of late. Only not the dumb part....those words would be replaced with "make anymore poor choices".
Let's suffice it to say you've been testing the kindergarten waters lately. Can I remind you -- since you probably won't read this for some time, that your Kindergarten discipline chart goes like this --
- Green is GREAT
- Yellow is a warning...time to slow down.
- Blue - this is your angel life. You walk laps for 5 minutes of your recess and are removed from the activity.
- Red - You're done. You lose all of recess to walking laps and you parents get a phone call about your behavior.
In the past week you've gotten two blues and a red. I've used the words disappointed about 50 times. You've done a LOT of extra chores and wrote sentences (you did not like either of these additional punishments). I talked to your teacher for about a half an hour one night, and you've promised me multiple times that "Today I'm going for green, Mom".
You do get "brownie points" for being honest and spilling your guts that you weren't good that day at school, no sooner did I walk into Pam's to pick you up. Kudos on the honesty.
To be honest, your transgressions aren't horrible -- you talk to much in class (yes, you get that from me....sorry kid.), and you can't keep your hands to yourself (that might be from Dad...he likes to teach you how to roughhouse.....right before bedtime). The not following directions the first time you're told -- that's probably you being a bullheaded first born. You get that from both Dad and I. Sorry again. But you KNOW better than to do these things. We've talked about it. You know how to make good choices. I've told you to make good choices over and over and over and over.....and yet, you haven't this past week.
But you were honest. And you did give your best, and today -- low and behold, you only got a yellow. It's not great, but it IS improvement. Small victories, right?
Needless to say -- I've been beating myself up as a parent over these reds & blues, because I don't know what to do to make you behave in class and I can't possibly tell you one more time to make good choices, knowing you'll make good choices. You're going to screw up sometimes. That's human nature. I'll love you anyway. But then today, as I stopped to get the mail on my way to Pam's to pick you up...silently talking to God, begging him to have helped you to a Green day -- I got the most amazing letter. Maybe a sign from God to tell us that "hey, you're doing okay Mom & Dad....hang in there".
So yes. I might have gotten the weepy glees over you picking up paper towel off the dirty school bathroom floors...but hey, it was the first day of school, so it couldn't have been THAT dirty, right? Colton -- you're a great kid with a great heart. You are so smart and haven continually impressed Dad and I with all that you are learning in school. It's amazing to be honest. The other night you whipped out that you knew what syllables were and Dad and I about fell over -- then did a crash course on google to remind ourselves about syllables and how to "sound it out".
Let's suffice it to say you've been testing the kindergarten waters lately. Can I remind you -- since you probably won't read this for some time, that your Kindergarten discipline chart goes like this --
- Green is GREAT
- Yellow is a warning...time to slow down.
- Blue - this is your angel life. You walk laps for 5 minutes of your recess and are removed from the activity.
- Red - You're done. You lose all of recess to walking laps and you parents get a phone call about your behavior.
In the past week you've gotten two blues and a red. I've used the words disappointed about 50 times. You've done a LOT of extra chores and wrote sentences (you did not like either of these additional punishments). I talked to your teacher for about a half an hour one night, and you've promised me multiple times that "Today I'm going for green, Mom".
You do get "brownie points" for being honest and spilling your guts that you weren't good that day at school, no sooner did I walk into Pam's to pick you up. Kudos on the honesty.
To be honest, your transgressions aren't horrible -- you talk to much in class (yes, you get that from me....sorry kid.), and you can't keep your hands to yourself (that might be from Dad...he likes to teach you how to roughhouse.....right before bedtime). The not following directions the first time you're told -- that's probably you being a bullheaded first born. You get that from both Dad and I. Sorry again. But you KNOW better than to do these things. We've talked about it. You know how to make good choices. I've told you to make good choices over and over and over and over.....and yet, you haven't this past week.
But you were honest. And you did give your best, and today -- low and behold, you only got a yellow. It's not great, but it IS improvement. Small victories, right?
Needless to say -- I've been beating myself up as a parent over these reds & blues, because I don't know what to do to make you behave in class and I can't possibly tell you one more time to make good choices, knowing you'll make good choices. You're going to screw up sometimes. That's human nature. I'll love you anyway. But then today, as I stopped to get the mail on my way to Pam's to pick you up...silently talking to God, begging him to have helped you to a Green day -- I got the most amazing letter. Maybe a sign from God to tell us that "hey, you're doing okay Mom & Dad....hang in there".
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| PROUD MOMMA AND POPPA GRINS GO HERE!!! |
Keep up the great work, kiddo. Keep working and "trying my very best" for green. We know you can do it, you just have to remember to....yup....MAKE GOOD CHOICES
haha...so cute! And great note from the school! I've heard of more schools doing that and glad to see that schools have learned that praise works wonders. :)
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