Well, here I thought the parenting lesson I was struggling with the most these days was "learning to pick your battles". Tonight I've come to the realization that the area that I am floundering on is "letting my child fail and live/learn from those consequences".
I have noted on previous posts how smart Isaac is and how we have struggled for the past year and a half with his apathetic-to-school-grade-performance attitude. I had hoped Isaac, through the course of this last semester's consequences of poor grades (revoking computer usage and eventual pulling from club soccer roster), would recognize the direct corollary to his actions.
Imagine my shock and disappointment when he brings a sheet of paper to me this evening to sign which indicates he is failing Drivers Education class. The class is just 4 weeks long, with 2 hours of class time a day. We paid $450 for the class and have had to juggle busy schedules to support getting him to/from class and driving lessons in inclement weather (he rides his bike otherwise). This is week 3 and apparently Isaac did not recall when an assignment or a test was due, which has resulted in a failing grade to-date.
Kudos me, I did not spontaneously combust in a fit of fury and angry condemnation. This is a big growth step for me. I DID ask him to explain to me what I was looking at and what it meant. I asked him what happened that got him to this state. I asked him how he planned to recover. And then I clearly explained to him that if he fails this class, he will reimburse the costs. I also noted that his dad and I would need to discuss what long term impacts this would have on his transportation options to extra curricular activities going forward.
And now I must sit and wait... through another round of lessons lived/learned that aren't mine to own. Parenting is a bitch sometimes.
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