My son is a bit odd; he comes by it honestly. He is a good kid, though. Ever since he was little he was a very loving child. Always hugging and “sharing the love” as he would say. When he started school he continued to behave this way. I remember having lunch with him one day at school. I believe it was for Mother’s Day. At one point he turned to his friend and said, “That is my mom”. Then he turned to me and told me he loved me. The other parents looked at me and smiled. You could tell they sometimes wished their child would do such a thing, in public. My son is 12 now. He is not as affectionate, but does have his moments.
Today he is in CAPS at school. This is considered out of school suspension and held in a separate building on the school grounds. They also have in school suspension. He is not allowed to ride the school bus to or from school. I guess this would be the main difference between out of school and in school suspension. Because they are both held on campus and in the same building. It is one way to get the parent’s involved in their kids behavioral issues.
I guess I should explain how he got into CAPS. He got into a fight with another boy. Hitting, kicking, a binder was involved. I apologized to the principal when she called and she apologized for the inconvenience it was going to cause me. See, being nice has its rewards. Funny how both my son and I reacted similarly to the news. Accepted the error of the situation, understood the school policy, and apologized for having gotten in to trouble in the first place. No sense ranting and raving.
This is not so bad. He used to get in trouble all of the time. He has gotten into trouble about once a year since fifth grade which is a vast improvement over his multiple suspensions in first and second grade. Would you believe there was an emergency exit strategy in place for the kids just in case my son lost his temper? It is not funny, I know. But try sitting in a room with administrators while discussing such a thing. Think about the humor of a small child causing such a stir. I did not laugh, but it was hard.
I do care. I just do not see the point in getting angry or overreacting at these situations. See, my son reacts to those types of reactions. If I speak calmly he responds much better. Sometimes if I laugh, then he knows I find some humor in the situation although it is a serious concern. It also shows him I love him no matter what. Like I said, he is a good kid.
