Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Happy Valentines Day!

This morning B handed me TWO boxes of chocolates - one heart shaped box of "Pecan Delights" and a box of chocolate covered cherries. He also got the kids a small box of chocolates each - which they ate at 7:30 am.

We relaxed all yesterday morning since I think we're still tired from Saturday. After dropping off W at school, J asked me where her new big workbook was and she did another page of making sentences out of new vocabulary words (like arbitrated and baleen). We played a game of chess after that.

K got her report card and it stunk, so B and I decided she is to have no computer or phone indefinitely. I know taking away privileges is so not effective, but I felt I had to do something. She's been lying to us, being very disrespectful, and overall not listening to anything we say. I've had enough and even my mother said to tell her that homeschooling is going to be the only option (wtg, ma). I had a talk with K saying that it's obvious she is learning nothing in school and that the only reason she goes is to be a part of who's wearing what, who likes whom, and the rest of the girly gossip. Looking at me with this face on that I wanted to slap, she interjected with, "you are NOT homeschooling me". I explained to her that she won't even know any of these friends in 2 years since they'll all be in different high schools. These kids don't care about their grades so now you don't either. I told her how many wonderful things she could be doing with her time right now, how much time she'd have to write those beautiful stories and poems. How she wouldn't fall behind at all and would probably jump way ahead of her peers academically. K even admitted that her best friends are from the dance studio - which doesn't involve school at all. So socially, she'd not be lacking. I would like this to be K's last year of school. I'm sure she'll soon understand that homeschooling will be better for her than these NYC public schools where latest reports show that only 43% graduate on time. Yikes!

Keep us in your thoughts, please.

Link of the day (you may have to register for nytimes - it's free):
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/14/nyregion/14graduates.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

4 comments:

Deanne said...

Definitely! I hope K does realize soon that HSing would be so much better for her. And it would really strengthen your relationship with her and vice versa.

Wish I could say something as deep as you did this morning, but I'm wiped out. :) I'll be thinking of you guys and praying for your decision about K's schooling.

Anonymous said...

I think that you are making the right decision. I know if I lived in NYC I would choose homeschooling. There are just way too many kids to get the attention that each one needs. I live upstate in a big school district and I don't even want to think about when my boys get older and start telling me they want to go to school. I hope all goes well for you .

Anonymous said...

Wowee. Maybe this is just what she needs. I tell you if I had had the option not to ever have to worry about not having done my homework, having bombed on tests and bringing home a scary report card, I would have taken it.

Anonymous said...

Has she(K) read Grace Llewellan's
Teenage Liberation Handbook? Maybe it would be the push she needs. Goodluck!