On the First Day

Last night I apologised to my son for having yelled "all day."
Tender hearted kid that he is, he said, "It's understandable."

I told him I would try better tomorrow.

He replied, "Today wasn't as hard as yesterday."

"What do you mean? I asked him. "Was yesterday harder academically or do you mean attitude?"

His reply was, "Yesterday I didn't know what was going on all day. My brain wasn't caught up. Today, I knew more about what I was doing. It's just because we hadn't done it in so long. But it's like this," and he gestured to the book in front of him, meaning reading, "well, now."

Why would it have NOT occurred to me that the kids might have trouble "switching on their brains" to start school? It's tough for me: having to keep them on track and not be distracted--I expected that! But, I saw it as an obedience issue--not an issue of adjustment to get their heads back in the game.

We both agreed that today should be "even easier."

It does get easier the longer we do it, but again, I'd thought it was an obedience issue, getting used to having limits and boundaries and so on. I thought it was a relationship issue. And, here, at least for my son, it's just a matter of being familiar with the material.

It isn't personal.
Whew.

I think I can breathe now.

(And that confession is highly motivating to remain consistent, too.)