I’m thankful to say that as we slid into the last few days of the month of February, it seemed that healthwise, everyone in the family took a turn for the better and we were able to finish out on a strong note, with everyone in school every day this week. I only had to go pick up one kid early, and that was for a mild ankle sprain which is already recovering enough to be back to classes with no “devil sticks” as Natalie used to call her crutches.
I was really disappointed today to hear from Ellie the saga of overt bullying she underwent from a classmate, not just one instance, but on going throughout the day. She went to the school counselor to talk about it, but was so distraught she couldn’t be comforted. The counselor caught me in the parking lot as I was picking up Natalie after softball practice and I told her I couldn’t believe this mean-girl stuff is already happening in third grade. She said it’s already happening in FIRST grade! I blame Disney TV starlets and shows that glamorize snap-back sarcastic dialogue… and parents who give first graders phones. Who are these people?! I could go on a rant, believe me… for now I have to figure out how to support my kids in this kind of environment.
Our kids – and by our, I mean that on a societal level – our kids need so much prayer and understanding and support. I know there are so many (diagnosed or otherwise) neurological differences, mental health challenges, learning difficulties, which all play into behavior and socialization. Added to that the negative effects of social networks, technology and the media, broken families and the impact of various kinds of addictions, and it’s really unsurprising that even the youngest kids act out as they do. Navigating these waters is a complicated process.
We’re hoping that our experiment in sports participation will be successful for the older three this season. Looking at the schedule it seems overwhelming, with daily practices, plus weekly track meets and softball games. Hoping against hope that they can all keep their grades up, homework turned in, and that we can get everybody to all their events and still keep the home fires burning for the rest of the crew.
Here are a few shots from a relaxed Sunday afternoon at Grandma’s last weekend.
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