Organization Is Out the Window
The first week always knocks me for a loop. It's EXHAUSTING!!!! Why?! I think it's several things:
1. standing all day.
2. Interacting all day.
3. Adjusting to new routines.
Here are a few things from this week.
1. I hate hate hate teaching my kids to be organized. It requires CONSTANT reiteration. They don't just get my brilliant plan the first day. Their little light bulbs do not flame up with understanding, acceptance, and reverence for my brilliance. They balk. They gripe. They don't want to empty their lunch boxes and put them on the counter for the next morning. They don't want to empty out any things they don't need for the following day. They don't want to leave their bags in a spot near the front door. They want to leave the lunch boxes in their bags. They want to leave the old stuff in their book bags to clutter up for another day. They want to leave their back backs all over the kitchen table or the couch- so we can't eat dinner or sit down. They don't want to gather up or pack for extracurricular activities. Helping the next morning to be a smooth exit requires a lot of nagging, ignoring, and sighing on my part.
2. I love Andrew. I love him. Last year I started calling him My Special Snowflake. He's a bit of a . . . . flake. He doesn't mean to be. Like last year, when we were on our way to HIS baseball game and as we're walking out the door I said, "Grab your cleats." 2 miles from the house . . . he realizes he forgot his cleats. At this point, I am so used to this stuff, I don't even get mad anymore. It is just . . . the way it is. He is always apologetic. When he does goofy things like that . . . he asks, "Am I being your Special Snowflake?" Yeah man. Yeah, you are. I have been pretty nervous about middle school because of his flakey tendencies. He has to keep up with school supplies, cross country supplies, and his lunch. This first week has been okay. I think next week will be okay. It'll be after that that we start losing stuff. They haven't issued lockers yet, so that's a problem. He has to carry everything for now. But once he starts leaving stuff in his locker, I can't say it's going to be great. By then he'll have a laptop to keep up with also. The past 2 mornings he has had clothes crisis-es. Yesterday he had no socks. Today he had no shirts. Now. Here's the thing- I was caught up on laundry. It was all washed and dried. Here's the other thing- we bought him plenty of shirts to wear (they have a school uniform). This evening, I went into his room, and we went through the pile of clothes he hadn't put away- oh. Wouldn't you know it- there were several socks. There were some in his drawer too. Turns out- they weren't matched, so he thought he had none. Once they were matched . . . he had at least 5 pairs. Then we found several shirts- in his drawers. (not in the shirt drawer though. In other drawers. Why do I bother teaching organization????? It does NOT work!) I also reminded him of the polo shirts he insisted on having because he promised he would wear them. Then I asked, "Where are your clothes from this week? I haven't seen them in the laundry." A fifteen minute panicked search of the downstairs, the laundry basket in the bathroom, and Doug's car (only one of those is an acceptable location to leave clothes- for the record) turns up with . . . nothing. Now he's in panic mode. Where are they?!???! He didn't lose them!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so annoyed. What the heck is he doing with his clothes every night- when I say- "get your school clothes and put them in the laundry?!" I stomp into his room and they're right there as you walk in. I literally had to walk on one- to get in his room. I rolled my eyes, shook my head, and yelled out, "Special Snowflake- they were in your room on the floor!" He's as surprised- because he KNOWS he put them in his laundry basket. Yep. I bet you did, dude. I bet you did.
1. standing all day.
2. Interacting all day.
3. Adjusting to new routines.
Here are a few things from this week.
1. I hate hate hate teaching my kids to be organized. It requires CONSTANT reiteration. They don't just get my brilliant plan the first day. Their little light bulbs do not flame up with understanding, acceptance, and reverence for my brilliance. They balk. They gripe. They don't want to empty their lunch boxes and put them on the counter for the next morning. They don't want to empty out any things they don't need for the following day. They don't want to leave their bags in a spot near the front door. They want to leave the lunch boxes in their bags. They want to leave the old stuff in their book bags to clutter up for another day. They want to leave their back backs all over the kitchen table or the couch- so we can't eat dinner or sit down. They don't want to gather up or pack for extracurricular activities. Helping the next morning to be a smooth exit requires a lot of nagging, ignoring, and sighing on my part.
2. I love Andrew. I love him. Last year I started calling him My Special Snowflake. He's a bit of a . . . . flake. He doesn't mean to be. Like last year, when we were on our way to HIS baseball game and as we're walking out the door I said, "Grab your cleats." 2 miles from the house . . . he realizes he forgot his cleats. At this point, I am so used to this stuff, I don't even get mad anymore. It is just . . . the way it is. He is always apologetic. When he does goofy things like that . . . he asks, "Am I being your Special Snowflake?" Yeah man. Yeah, you are. I have been pretty nervous about middle school because of his flakey tendencies. He has to keep up with school supplies, cross country supplies, and his lunch. This first week has been okay. I think next week will be okay. It'll be after that that we start losing stuff. They haven't issued lockers yet, so that's a problem. He has to carry everything for now. But once he starts leaving stuff in his locker, I can't say it's going to be great. By then he'll have a laptop to keep up with also. The past 2 mornings he has had clothes crisis-es. Yesterday he had no socks. Today he had no shirts. Now. Here's the thing- I was caught up on laundry. It was all washed and dried. Here's the other thing- we bought him plenty of shirts to wear (they have a school uniform). This evening, I went into his room, and we went through the pile of clothes he hadn't put away- oh. Wouldn't you know it- there were several socks. There were some in his drawer too. Turns out- they weren't matched, so he thought he had none. Once they were matched . . . he had at least 5 pairs. Then we found several shirts- in his drawers. (not in the shirt drawer though. In other drawers. Why do I bother teaching organization????? It does NOT work!) I also reminded him of the polo shirts he insisted on having because he promised he would wear them. Then I asked, "Where are your clothes from this week? I haven't seen them in the laundry." A fifteen minute panicked search of the downstairs, the laundry basket in the bathroom, and Doug's car (only one of those is an acceptable location to leave clothes- for the record) turns up with . . . nothing. Now he's in panic mode. Where are they?!???! He didn't lose them!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so annoyed. What the heck is he doing with his clothes every night- when I say- "get your school clothes and put them in the laundry?!" I stomp into his room and they're right there as you walk in. I literally had to walk on one- to get in his room. I rolled my eyes, shook my head, and yelled out, "Special Snowflake- they were in your room on the floor!" He's as surprised- because he KNOWS he put them in his laundry basket. Yep. I bet you did, dude. I bet you did.
Mom shouldn't throw stones when she forgot PENCILS! Hahahahaha
ReplyDeleteOoooh- well played!!! You're totally right. He's still more disorganized than me though. :-)
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