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All kids wonder what they will be when they grow up.
Then you graduate high school and figure it out. That's what I did. I knew I wanted to go to college. I knew I wanted to also have a career while raising kids. I choose the teaching profession for several reasons.
And I taught. And I loved it. And taught some more. And I loved it. And then I didn't like teaching so much anymore.
Some kids have to go to summer school. They need it in order to maintain skills they learned over the school year. The government provides this for them.
Other kids go to summer school to enrich their learning. And some go to summer camps to enrich an area of interest whether it be drama, sports and nature.
And some kids stay at home. Sleeping in late, enjoying lazy days of playing in the neighborhood, going on those dreaded errands with Mom and moving at their own pace.
I don't think there is really a right or wrong to any of these. Each kid is unique and has different needs, and each family also has different needs.
One summer we put my son in a camp. It was a great camp, lots of fun activities and counselors you felt safe leaving your child with. We did it to give him a chance to work on his social skills. That was a flop. On the last day when the kids were saying goodbye to him, using his name, he asked me how they knew his name. Of course, I wasn't expecting huge social skills gains, it was a science based camp. But because he has a huge interest in science I was hoping this would help facilitate some social interaction. His counselors also lovingly gave him the nickname 'mini Bill Gates'. Not money well spent.
Dear Son,
I know you love summer. And I love summer too! Really, who doesn't? The carefree days. Taking things slowly. Playing.
It's also time for me to see you and all that you have grown and changed from last summer. Without having to battle you with homework, keep up with school stuff and meetings, there's more time to just hang out. And enjoy each other in different ways.
The other day you were out playing with the neighborhood kids and didn't want to come in for dinner. It got me remembering one of your favorite books from when you were younger - Love You Forever
"You don't want to see what they want you to see. You want to open your mind to the possibilities." my son told me the other morning on the way to school. I asked him where he had heard that (assuming the answer would be his teacher or some class discussion). Nope. TV. Avatar to be exact.
So, after the surprise of something good coming out of watching a cartoon I asked him to give me an example.
My son asked me one night, after hearing a commercial for them on the local radio station.
So, I told him. Didn't even think about it - just answered the question as if he had asked what we were having for dinner. I told him it was a form of birth control and it also protected against some STD's.
He then wanted to know the details about it. Do you swallow it like the pill he sees me take every morning? How well does it work?
So, I told him that info too. Except I wasn't sure on the exact effectiveness.
OK. I'll start out by saying this could very well be a controversial post. And I'll also add, I do not have both sides of the story. I only have what's been reported in the news.
Last Wednesday Fairfax County Public Schools teacher Maria Waugh (who has been a teacher for 16 years) had a choice to make. A special ed student was not listening to her directions and physically attacked her. In the process of getting him (a 12 year old) off of her, she also got physical with him. He told his parents. She is now charged with a misdemeanor assault. And she has resigned from the school system.
Continue reading "Is It OK For A Teacher To Defend Herself?" »
Because it's Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive day. Brought to you by the National Association of Letter Carriers.
It's so easy to do:
Continue reading "Why I'm Putting Out Food By The Mailbox Saturday" »
Yea, I know. April is over. Autism Awareness month is over. It's May now. Time for a new topic.
Right?
Not necessarily. For parents with children on the Autism Spectrum, life doesn't go back to being typical because April is over.
As many of you know from reading my posts and my blog site, my 9 year old son has Aspergers Syndrome, part of the Autism Spectrum Disorders.
While volunteering at my son's school, which I worked at last year, a former co-worker asked me something today. She said "I've noticed you've gained weight this year - I thought you might be pregnant - are you?!"
Where I grew up we didn't have sidewalks. Houses were on 2 acres. Traffic? Non existent. Shopping? Had to drive to the one street in town that had the shopping centers and grocery stores. Movies or a trip to the mall? Head over to the next town or farther.
And more importantly to a child? Playing with friends? Mostly arranged by parents. Because of the distance between houses and lack of kids in most areas. Don't get me wrong. I had plenty of play dates where we ran through the woods and played pretend. I also had 3 siblings and we definitely got into our share of mischief around the yard. But I didn't have the advantages of living in a neighborhood full of kids.
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