Parent Teacher Conferences

I'll be the first to admit that I am not enamoured with the traditional school system.  It is designed to (mostly) meet the needs of most people.  One thing that I do like is Parent-Teacher conferences.  Around here the school actually shut down for two days every so often and parents and teachers meet.  I don't remember this from when I was a kid, but it seems to me that going in for an educational "check up" is a great idea.

Charlie and I do this every so often informally, but I thought I'd post it here.

Wonder Boy is growing and maturing at an amazing rate.  He is my strong willed child.  I don't like to toss that phrase around but really he is.  He is also  . . . umm, how shall I say it?  quite impulsive and has a hard time controlling his temper.  This is still a challenge for him, but the outbursts are not as frequent and having Little Bear in the family has encouraged him to step up and really be a  leader in the family.  His school work is coming more easily this year.  I'm not sure if that  is because of the materials that we are using this year or because we really slowed down with the work and let his social/emotional maturity catch up with his academic abilities.  Almost all of the trouble that he gave us over school last year is gone.  Wonder Boy is a voracious reader and reads at least 1-11/2 hours a day.  He is also enjoying his tae kwan do.

 

Jophus is excelling in math and doing well in reading.  His struggle to settle down has led me to wonder if he has sensory integration  difficulties. He is still doing gymnastics and expressed an interest in being on a boys team.  We did explore that possibility, but he is not ready for it.  I think that he will change to another gym so that if his skills improve, he can do that.  The gym that we go to now does not have a boys teams and they don't really prepare boys for competition.

Pookie is struggling with whining and temper fits.  I can't say that I'm all that surprised.  There have been so many changes in the past six months.  She still is not potty trained, but she is getting better.  We have been making a real effort to give her more one on one time for the past week or two and that seems to be helping.  On the other hand, her sense of humor is really starting to shine, and she seems like such a big girl.  I can hardly see my baby in her at all.

Little Bear is changing and maturing so quickly.  When he first arrived in our family I felt as though someone had loosed a wild animal into the house.  It was frustrating and exhausting.  I could understand how a child would throw himself into a full fledged temper tantrum or put himself into shut-down mode because he was told not to stand on the dinner table.  Bear is still emotionally very immature, but he is also very attached to us and that put a huge fear to rest.  Right not I think he is beginning to have fears and need reassurance that this is his home forever and he will never lose us.  We have decided that Little Bear may have some hearing loss and need to have that tested soon.