late nights, early mornings

This child o'mine is learning to manage his time.  Between work, school, homework and all of the extra-curricular he has going on right now, Henry is burning the candle at both ends.  We are learning time management and the importance of coffee in the morning.  Scheduling and down time.  Asking for what we want (time off) and taking what we need (rest).

If only the device in his hands most of the day didn't rule his world.  Such a time suck, but no amount of prodding gets him to put it down...  until he falls fast asleep and then I sneak over to the couch and hide it for a while.  The rule in our house is that the electronics are plugged in a kitchen outlet at night.  Rest is more important than the 2 am tweet from a friend.  Always.  I am so thankful that I held off until he turned 16 to get him aforementioned device.  I would do it all over again.

This junior year may be the hardest yet.  He will survive.  The internal compass will start to find true north and a path will appear before him.  I believe.  Life's lessons learned in a such a short adolescent time frame will compound and mold him even more into the person he is to become.

the feeling is mutual

It might be drawing near to the end

of the school year when...

• my kitchen table is no longer available for eating and looks like something like this on a daily basis
• we run out of glue sticks and double-sided tape from the dollar store faster than I can replenish it 
• the request for a tri-fold poster board has me hitting three different stores because I'll be darned if I'm willing to pay $6.99 for something that's going to be thrown away immediately after graded {dollar store had one that he liked best of all...  for $1}
• you go to bed nightly before the kids do, by almost ninety minutes
• the boys wake up looking exhausted and needing a 5-hour energy shot just to get moving and to the breakfast table (no, I didn't give them one)
• titles of homework in a Word document show increasing less descriptors for what they are and more of how he feels
• morning routine now includes statements like, "what's left to do?" and "don't forget to hand that in", as well as printing copious amounts of documents that suck up the last of the printer ink

 

Yes, folks, it's almost time to be finished with 6th and 8th grade for the year in our house,

and most importantly, no more nagging about late and missing work to get the grade*!

 

Come on, June 5th!!

 



*anything higher than currently failing five classes due to missing homework