I was going through my son's backpack yesterday looking for his homework, and I discovered something much more frightening than fractions and book reports. There was a story there that Cameron had written. His stories are usually about things that he likes; "I like Washington because my best friend lives there.", things like that. This newest one was about Andrew and me. The things he likes about us. It was a short story. Imagine my horror when I read his words...
"I like my Dad because he barbecues when we don't have any food. I like my mom because she sometimes lets me play video games before homework."
Now, if one just skims over that, then it might not seem so terrible. But if you pay attention to what it really says, you'll understand why it bothered me. His teacher now thinks that we have no food and that I am a slacker mom who doesn't care if he does his homework or not. Call out the welfare police and child protective services! And let me pose this question: if we have no food, what exactly is Daddy barbecuing? Has everyone checked to make sure their pets are still secure in their backyards? (Incidentally, I just realized I've been mis-spelling barbecue my whole life. Maybe if I had done my own homework instead of all those video games...)
Secondly, if you knew how much time and effort and patience and work Cameron's teacher and I have put in to helping him do okay this year, you would know just how embarrassing it is to know that his teacher read that video games before homework comment. Not that it isn't true; I do sometimes let him play before homework, but it sounds very wrong after how hard we've worked.
So what's next? Will Cameron eventually become smart enough to realize that most of the things that go on in our house would make excellent material for blackmail? "Mom, if you don't let me stay up later, I'm going to tell everyone at school that you go pee with the door open." We've already gotten to the point where Cameron feels comfortable shouting out his father's favorite vocabulary words in the middle of Ethan's soccer games, (not curse words, mind you, they are far more creative than that). I know it will get worse, I just can't imagine how.
"I like my Dad because he barbecues when we don't have any food. I like my mom because she sometimes lets me play video games before homework."
Now, if one just skims over that, then it might not seem so terrible. But if you pay attention to what it really says, you'll understand why it bothered me. His teacher now thinks that we have no food and that I am a slacker mom who doesn't care if he does his homework or not. Call out the welfare police and child protective services! And let me pose this question: if we have no food, what exactly is Daddy barbecuing? Has everyone checked to make sure their pets are still secure in their backyards? (Incidentally, I just realized I've been mis-spelling barbecue my whole life. Maybe if I had done my own homework instead of all those video games...)
Secondly, if you knew how much time and effort and patience and work Cameron's teacher and I have put in to helping him do okay this year, you would know just how embarrassing it is to know that his teacher read that video games before homework comment. Not that it isn't true; I do sometimes let him play before homework, but it sounds very wrong after how hard we've worked.
So what's next? Will Cameron eventually become smart enough to realize that most of the things that go on in our house would make excellent material for blackmail? "Mom, if you don't let me stay up later, I'm going to tell everyone at school that you go pee with the door open." We've already gotten to the point where Cameron feels comfortable shouting out his father's favorite vocabulary words in the middle of Ethan's soccer games, (not curse words, mind you, they are far more creative than that). I know it will get worse, I just can't imagine how.
2 comments:
LOL. just remember he did say "sometimes" not all the time:)
Okay, you're starting to scare me now. Is it too late to send mine back??? ;)
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