My 7 year old was so unhappy about going to school today. I almost had to drag him out of bed and push him out the door. It doesn't help that the weather is cold and rainy. He's still in PS and we're going to start homeschooling after this school year. I told him he only has to get through 13 more days and 2 of those will be end of the year field trips and 1 will be field day. He kept saying "I don't LIKE going to school!" and I kept repeating that he just needs to get through 13 more days. I'm sure that seems like a lifetime to him. At our insistence, his teacher stopped keeping him in for recess every day because he hadn't finished his work. She's only sent unfinished work home twice and last night it was because he needed to write ONE sentence! At home, he did it in a few minutes and drew a picture to go with it! He also told me there's a girl in his class who has joined some of the boys in making fun of him and now she's pulling his hair and hitting him. Why do our kids have to put up with this? A friend said today that her son got off the bus with a black eye yesterday after being punched. I need to keep telling *myself* that it's only 13 more days!
I agree. Take him out today. He is only 7 and it isn't like he is going to be learning anything the last 13 days. He is only going to get picked on for 13 more days. Take him on a "filed trip" just you and him.
I agree with Mandiana and MonkeyMamma. There is nothing to be gained by forcing him to endure this torture even one more day. Let's put this scenario into adult terms: Let's say your son is 25 and working a job where his boss is unethical and doesn't step in to prevent his coworkers from assaulting him physically and verbally. Does he quit? No. Because if he sticks it out just a little while longer, he'll get that promotion. Does he report it to the police? No, because abuse is tolerable if it's temporary. Sadly, this is the lesson he's going to learn for these last 13 days. Just endure. It's almost over. Rescue will come... eventually.
I am new here and am in the same boat you are. My son is 61/2 and finishing PS K. My older daughter who is finishing ps 3rd grade asked me HS her next year and so I am very excited about that. Back to my DS. He has missed a lot this year mostly to having strep 4 times and the flu 3 times. But there were days he wanted to stay home and I let him because I felt he needed mommy time and going to all day K was a HUGE adjustment. Also in MO it is not a state requirement until kids are 7 to be in school so it was not a big deal to me. However there were days that I made him go because I didn't want him to think he could just stay home all the time. When the bus pulls off our street we wave to each other until we can't see each other anymore then I go inside with my 2y/o and cry. I feel like I'm sending him off to boarding school or something. He begged and made me promise to come eat lunch with him today because the other boys bother him and he can't finish his lunch. So at 10:30 (my breakfast time his his lunch time...how insane then no snack until 3) I get ready to leave and my battery is dead. Talk about guilt!! To know he will be looking for me and how disappointed he will be...my heart breaks! Oh, back to him missing so much school, I had the school threaten me that the resource officer would be called and how my son should go to summer school to catch up. From that point to next report card (a three week period) he somehow managed to get caught up.(Which I argued with the teacher that he was never behind.) After laughing about it I was very mad! I'm all for pulling him out for the rest of the year. What can they possibly teach him that you can't in two weeks and how do they know if he is sick or whatever. What can they do? Lean on God. He will help you!((((HUGS))))
I would pull him out. Missing 13 days is not going to matter...most of them are fun filled anyways with no real education going on.
I think you should be your son's hero here and rescue him from the bullying he is going through every day. That is insane for a child to have to endure for even one more day. Bring your son home and let him have the summer to feel safe again. Praying for all the kids in the same situation who will not be homeschooling next year.
I agreee with the early summer break! What are they gonna do mark him tardy?> I am sure his next school ( home school) won't count that againsthim!
I don't know your situation, but it's very difficult for me to imagine a situation where my son is being bullied - with no respite - and I would repeatedly send him back for 13 more days.
I DON'T agree...let him stick out the last few days...I am sure it is not all bad, I am also sure that he is looking forward to the field trip days. I am pretty sure this was posted as a bit of heartbreak/rant and I don't think she deserves to get ganged up on. She has obviously thought about it and felt it was valuable for him to finish up. finishing a commitment is a good thing. Working through your "notice" is a good thing.
Aw, now...I've been reading this thread, and I don't think the others are "ganging up" on her. Working through your notice at a job is fulfilling your commitment to the team. His presence at school does not affect the team. In fact, he is more like a consumer in this situation. He is a customer of the school, and he's getting bad service. I think the others were just telling the mom that it's ok to for him to walk out on a bad education. I viewed that as freeing words rather than judging words. She's the mom; she'll do whatever is in the best interest of the child, and I think everyone here respects that.
I don't think anyone was gangin up on her. She asked for advice and based on the situation as she told it we simply told her our opinion. She certainly does not have to take our advice and I really don't think anyone here was trying to be mean. We just feel bad for the little boy.
I don't know what I'd do if my son was being bullied. We decided to homeschool next year for 100% sure about 2-3 months ago, I let my son decide whether to come home right then or finish up the school year. He chose to finish up the school year. We have today, Thursday and 1/2 day Friday left. He started asking not to go last week, but I made him, because he had the choice to come home, but chose to stay in school. But he isn't bullied, does well in class, likes school for the most part. No major issues. But with what you described, I'd most likely pull him out now....
Thanks everyone for giving your opinion. At least you reminded me that I really can pull him out today, tomorrow or any other day if needed. He decided he wanted to finish the year because he wants to go on the field trips and to field day. I know I could take him to those places, but he is looking forward to having some fun days at school, so it seems he wants to stick it out for 11 more days. He told me that his nose was running and a girl smacked his knee and told him to blow his nose "right NOW!". He has a great sense of humor, so I decided to make the situation a little silly. I joked with him that she must be really tiny if she could only reach his knee and he started laughing at that thought and it really relieved the stress. When he left this morning I told him not to let "that knee high girl bully him" and he left the house giggling and skipping.
I'm glad he is looking forward to those field trips! I hope he makes it through the last 11 days smiling and happy! Good luck!
TAKE HIM OUT. Um I don't mean to yell-but after today its 12 more days...which is what adults get off fromwork.... But seriously-the damage a few days can do to a kid is really overwhelming. and the absolute worst was on the end of year field trips-he would look SO forward to them and the kids would make everything horrible for him. My son was bullied and would CRY about going to school - even now if you say, "Josh-you can always go back. Just tell me." He freaks out and is like,"NO!!! It's fine-I'm just frustrated. I DO NOT want to go back where those mean kids are." It's been a year. I'm just saying..... anyway-I hope his last "satint" is the exact opposite of my son's experience!!!!
You might be thinking that he has to finish THIS year to have a complete year accomplished before you start homeschooling NEXT year. Well, the GREAT news is you can finish this year at home with lots of love and fun and next to no schoolish type stuff (or none at all). You will NOT ruin his academic future, but you may just give him the BEST thing of all--your love and acceptance and a chance to feel good about himself. One thing about homeschooling--you can go the route of school-at-home, or you can go radically different. Throw out grades (1st, 2nd, etc), throw out grading papers-just watch his progress, throw out expectations that are beyond his level, and throw out the idea that everything has to be learned from a textbook. At this tender age---I would urge you to let him relax, even deschool for a while. Let him explore his interests and just have fun. He will learn, he will grow, and the best place to grow is in a loving environment. I commend your decision---go for it!!!
