ATTENTION!!!! Education hindered for lack of a belt!!

I got a call from my daughter's school. The vice-principal advised me that my daughter was not wearing a belt. He said, "The school dress code mandates that all children must wear a belt to school, ma'am." I said, "Alright, but it will be a little while before I can get it to her." So anyway, I arrived at the school about two hours later due to the fact that I had arrange an early lunch break with my supervisor, and then drive forty-five minutes to my house to get the belt. Upon my arrival, I found my daughter sitting in the office. I asked her how she knew when to come and get the belt. She said, "Mom! I've been sitting here since they called you this morning!!" I was stunned! They kept my child out of class for two hours over a belt? It's not like her pants were falling down!! This really concerns me. Since when is  a belt reason enough to keep a child from learning? The school officials knew that I was bringing the belt, and yet they kept her out of class! Where does common sense compromise with policy regarding such a minor issue? I have had it with this mess!

Dry Humor Please!! Stirred, Not Shaken....

A Mother, father, and four children are at the dining table having supper. An argument rings out among three of the four children. The fourth child is quietly eating his supper, seemingly oblivious to the argument. One of the three arguing is desperately trying to convince the other two that she's right, but with little success. She cries out "You ALWAYS tell me I'm wrong!" The fourth child looks up from his supper and says "Now THAT'S where you're wrong!!"

The Ugliness Within

Where Does Your Beauty Lie? Does it lie within your heart? Or is it a lie itself? I'm tired of materialistic little divas that care about nothing more than their appearance. No matter what you do, if you don't have inner beauty, then you are very ugly indeed.


"What's wrong with that lady?" a three year old said,
and pointed directly to the young woman's head.

"She looks kinda funny!", said a smart boy of four.
"Her skin looks like someone has worn it before!"

The young woman was stunned by the brutal, true comments.
She tried to forget, but the harsh words would torment.

Where had she gone wrong? She'd done everything!
Botox, enhancements, and tanning and creams!

She thought she WAS beautiful, but these children say she's not!
She visited the powder room of the very next shop.

The hatred she felt when she looked in the mirror!
The wrinkles and lines could not have been clearer.

"I hate children!" she thought, to soothe her hurt.
She was glad she'd decided to NEVER give birth. (stretch marks, she'd heard, were some what of a curse!!!)

"What good was a child with it's interference?"
She would not have been able to keep up her appearance.

Now she goes on with vanity in her heart.
Searching for beauty in bottles and jars.

She cares not that true beauty comes from within.
She desperately fights a battle she can't win.

Remember her story, if for only this purpose.
The ugliness within can rise to the surface.

The Divorce, a child's perspective...

"We're getting a divorce." I heard my father say.
Suddenly, his voice seemed very far away.
"You will be getting a new house and new school.
But you will have to learn how to live by new rules."
I looked up at him and said with fear in my heart,
"Do you have a new job, and when do you start?"
"I will not be going!" He said rather cheerily.
He seemed almost happy at the prospect of leaving me.
I said "Please let me stay!! I promise I'll be good!!!"
He sternly said "NO" and that was all there was to it.
I looked at his face. There were no tears in his eyes.
I didn't want him to see the ones welling in mine.
So I made the journey to a place I'd never known.
One thing was for certain. This house was not home.
My mother was so sad. She cried all the time.
She found it hard to deal with her worst fears realized.
"We're getting a divorce." I considered what that means.
could it possibly include not just my mother....but me?
My siblings had already gone off to college,
pursuing their dreams and furthering their knowledge.
My father had stayed until they were ready to leave,
but for some reason he seemed to just give up on me.
He never came to see me. He hardly ever called,
so I chose to believe he didn't love me at all.
Many are the times I've heard the man say he's sorry,
but forgiveness, to me, seems like a mission impossible.
I can't help but compare my father's life to my mother's.
I don't think it is fair that she had to suffer.
I resent the tenderness that I see him show
to a woman who has no children of her own.
I love the woman. I honestly do.
But I resent her presence in my heart through and through.
When I look at my children, I am filled with confusion.
How could any parent ever want to leave them?
One thing I am sure of is that they will always know
that I truly love them, and I will never go.

Siblings

What is a big brother?
What do they do?
My young son inquired
when I broke the news.
As I sat there and thought
about how to answer,
I remembered my brothers
and I remembered my sister.
The oldest was stoic, angry, and mean.
I thought he hung the moon,
but he never liked me.
My sister was my teacher,
my enemy, my friend.
I wound up holding
great respect for her in the end.
The last was the kindest
in every way.
He could always make me laugh,
even on my worst days.
Then I remembered
my years as the youngest.
I wonder if they knew
how they held my interest?
I know I was a pain,
always getting in their things.
But I wanted to be like them,
so I pretended to be.
So what is a big brother,
and what do they do?
As someone's little sister,
I can give you some clues.
Keep your heart open,
and welcome the love,
that is surely coming
from this gift from above.
Leave your door open,
although it will help
to put dearest belongings
upon a high shelf.
Open your eyes
to the role you will play.
Remember the future
depends on these days.
Open your ears
and be willing to listen.
Nothing will mean more
than your ongoing patience.
Open your mouth
and be free with advice.
It's value to your sibling
can be given no price.
Open your life
and make a little space.
You can rest assured that
you will not lose your place.
Becoming a big brother
means good things are in store.
You will find that in our family,
there's always room for one more.

No Child Left Behind or Pandora's box?

To me, NCLB is nothing more than saying "We pass children to the next grade whether they can perform or not!" The school administrators seem bent on keeping the facts about NCLB a dirty little secret. I am seeing more and more children failing in later years because they were pushed through kindergarten before they were ready for first grade. The schools are practically requiring that a child of six be able to read fairly well when they enter first grade. I'm sorry to say that there are children out there that are not mature enough at the age of five to learn to read that well. NCLB guidelines are causing educators to pass these children to first grade without showing readiness to learn. Once in first grade, the children have to work very hard to catch up. Many can't do it and fail. What would the harm have been in giving those children another year in kindergarten? What would the difference have been?
I have seen the difference for myself. My oldest daughter was "immature", so to speak. She simply was not ready at the age of five to take on the tough curriculum laid out for her in kindergarten. I saw her struggling and I never imagined that the teacher would pass her into first grade without her having mastered the requirements to begin first grade.  I was thrilled when she passed! I patted her on the back and told her how proud I was of her hard work. Little did I know that she had not really passed. She was "passed on" but she didn't "pass".
At the start of first grade I knew something was wrong. When I encouraged my daughter to do her homework, she would stare at the paper and cry. I looked at the schoolwork itself, and I could see why. She wasn't ready to do that kind of work. At best she had mastered some sight words and the sounds of the letters, but she wasn't reading fluently. By the time she sounded out each letter and formed the words, the meaning of the sentence was lost. I could see that she was very anxious about going to school every day. She cried most mornings and begged me not to take her. She was physically ill a few times from the dread she experienced each day. The teacher was impatient with her, and my little girl was miserable.
I went to the school and sat down to meet with my child's teacher and the principal. The teacher asked me why my child could not read. I responded that I did not know. Wasn't that her job? I told them that my daughter had only mastered sight words in kindergarten, Who was supposed to teach her to read? Me? Where was the information given to parents regarding their role in their child's mastery of reading? I worked with my daughter on all work sent home, but I was never under the impression that I was expected to teach my child to read.
I asked the principal to please put my daughter back in kindergarten. She needed the extra year to get ready for first grade. The principal refused, citing NCLB as her reason. I didn't know then that a simple call to the board of education could have reversed her decision, and my daughter could have had another chance at a successful start in school. My ignorance led me to allow my daughter to struggle, be treated poorly by frustrated teachers, and to feel like a failure. She grew to hate school in that year of first grade. She lost any desire to learn and failed in higher grades. My curious little girl who always asked "Whassat?" about EVERYTHING, who used to pretend to "read" to her dolls, and who looked forward to kindergarten very much, is now a depressed young lady who thinks she's stupid no matter what I tell her.
I have since seen four others through various levels of school since then. I learned with my first child's experience that there is much to be said for letting your child feel successful, even if it means a later start that some other children. I made the choice to fight for my children and combat the effects NCLB tries to put on their shoulders. If you see your child struggling to keep up in kindergarten, and the teacher passes them to first, remember this: Success makes a child eager to learn. Failure takes away the will to learn altogether. Don't let NCLB ruin your child's chance at a successful start in school.
Please leave your comments and share your own experiences. I am a caring person who will go the length to help you if you need help. I welcome opinions, negative and positive.