Getting children to school

Monday through Friday during the school year really causes my fibro symptoms and depression to flare up! The 11 year old is difficult to wake up and get out of bed, it takes no less than 30 minutes of me shouting for her to get up. Then we go through the drama of getting dressed! Always an excuse, clothes don't fit, can't find what she wants to wear, etc...... Getting the clothing around the night before does not help, she changes her mind about what she wants to wear, forgets something, whatever..... More excuses. Then we start the search for the sweater and book bag.... again, attempting to prepare the night before does not work. The 5 (almost 6) year old is not a huge problem, she just tries to mimic her sister's behavior but she does not stick to it, she is easy to redirect.

By the time I get them to school I am exhausted!!!! I have tried everything...... Talking to staff at school to see if there is a problem hasn't helped, no punishment I can give has any effect other than to make the home a battlefield! She is an Honor Roll student, so it's not an academic problem. I guess I just have to deal with it until she (I hope) graduates.

Funny thing is, she wants to go to a charter school next year that has a longer school day and a longer school year!!!!!

I remember going through all that as a child, back in the day when parents hit their children with belts. I did not, however, get away with a flat out refusal to go to school!!! I would never want to hit any of my children with a belt, but a spank on the rear with my open hand may prove helpful, but you can't do that these days.... We have to treat children as miniature adults..... reason with them instead of spanking. I do not agree with those that use a spank as a first response or slap anywhere other than the rearend (clothed), nor do I advocate beating a child, but they are NOT mini adults! They do not have the life experience or reasoning abilities that one would hope an adult would have and sometimes words are NOT enough to teach them whet they need in order to grow up responsible adults.

From what I've written above, one would be inclined to think I spank my kids. I don't. I have heard atleast 3 cases where a parent was at least investigated by Child Protective, locally, for spanking. These cases happened at 3 of our area malls, if I recall correctly. I don't know what the outcome of any of them were, but my children are my life and I'd rather not risk putting them through that. And, also, there is my fear that a spanking in the heat of the moment could let the temper I've worked so hard to repress escape and escalate the situation, so, though I believe spanking is a last resort kind of discipline, I do not practice it.