there's always got to be one

    For someone with "mama" as part of their blog name, I tend to be increasingly reticent when it comes to actually talking about (or particularly sharing any images of) my kids. Part of that is out of respect for their privacy and dignity as small people, and part of that is a nod to my ex-husband's (ex- and largely imaginary) lawyers.

   That said, sometimes a mama just has to brag.

   My boys have had a banner year. Middly went from "probably going to fail first grade" to "nothing below a B in any subject within his control* in the second grade," and Little Child as y'all are aware ditched the g-tube and has continued to not just eat by mouth but GROW and TRY NEW TEXTURES AND FLAVORS. Those are goals I personally set for them at the beginning of the year, and I promised them that if they met those goals they could do ANYTHING THEY WANTED with their hair when school was out. Sometimes when one of them was really struggling, he'd try and think of a way to get me to back out first ("what if I want a mohawk that's TWO DIFFERENT COLORS?") (to which I would say "you do your end, and I'll find out where to buy the dye for it and charge up the clippers"). Therefore:

Figure One: Devastatingly handsome smiles of sheer unbridled glee not pictured to preserve anonymity. Your loss.

   As for Big Child, this year he won the President's Award for Educational Excellence, but I am no more permitted to touch his hair any longer than I am the totally sweet Presidential Seal pin that came with that. Every six weeks his father takes him to a barbershop for "The Ivy League" of "Official Hair Styles for Men and Boys" fame, and that is that.

   I suppose there's always got to be one.

 

 

*   He does still have an "M" (stands for "Minimal Progress"--it's what they give the lower grades instead of an F here) in Handwriting, which I think is an awfully able-ist subject to even grade students on. HOWEVER! Just last week the school FINALLY listened to me and had him assessed by an OT, who determined that he DOES need help and modified his IEP accordingly, and therefore I do not give two shits for the "M" in Handwriting. My kid has a documented genetic condition that causes both hypotonia and hyperflexibility, as well as a learning disability that makes it very difficult for him to concentrate on complex tasks, and therefore grading his ability to control a pencil and form letters is about on par with grading a visually-impaired student's ability to recognize colors. SCREW your M, MFA Elementary School! Someday I will be able to buy that kid an iPad and he'll blow ALL of you away with it, and in the meantime YES YOU WILL provide him with services to make the best of his bendy little fingers' writing (dis)ability.

Comments

[AAL]

A friend who teaches special ed has lots of students with IEPs allowing for iPads (many of her students -- who are admittedly low functioning -- have them). I don't know if he'd qualify to get one, but it's worth a shot!

[Ina]

AAL just said what I was about to say. I've been told (for mine) that, too...worth checking out. And who the eff actually grades handwriting anymore?

[Bionic baby mama]

Screw handwriting. I was a super nerd in school and thought I was just not the kind of kid who was smart enough to be a straight-a student, because I knew I would never get an a in handwriting, even though I tried very hard. Nothing at all to do with being a year younger than everybody else and ambidextrous.... Would it have killed them to notice that?

Congratulations to everybody! Love the hair.

[winecat]

Love, love, love the hair. Sorry to miss the accompanying smiles.

[K]

That is some bogus whatnot to grade (GRADE!!) handwriting. Bogus and antiquated.

[Kali]

Handwriting is such bull. I can score damn near the genius level on an IQ test and started college at 14. My writing literally looks identical to when I was told it needed significant improvement back at age 8. Grading on things like that is ridiculous and a terrible reflection on a person.

[Navhelowife]

I know that an M in Handwriting, esp given the issues is aggravating, but I will say that handwriting trouble can be an indicator for some students of deeper issues - sometimes it is vision issues that the child can cover up in everything else, but when it comes to copying letters or copying from the board.... sometimes it is undiagnosed OT issues, sometimes it can signal a learning issue...
So as much as I know the aggravation of your child (or yourself) a lower grade than you'd like to see, it can be important. It led to you being able to add some OT to his IEP...for me, it was the realization that I needed glasses!

And yes, many people have bad handwriting. My father's was terrible and he was one of the smartest people I've ever known - so it's not a reflection of intelligence, just a reflection of fine motor skills and some other things like that. And it is still important to be able to write quickly and neatly...can't use an IPAD on the ACT or SAT for most of us, and still have to be able to take pencil and paper notes in class...so handwriting still needs to be taught. I don't think it should factor in the whole "grade" thing in elementary school, just simply because so often it is a developmental issues. The program Handwriting without Tears is a great one - especially if an older kiddo needs some help improving handwriting - not for appearance sake, but so note taking and essay writing in class is physically faster and easier.