But I Don't Want to go to School

 But I don’t want to go to School

                                          by Judy

 

It is back-to-school time again. For reasons unknown to me my last child did not like school. My other children welcomed the opportunity to get out of the house, socialize with their friends, and perhaps gain some knowledge. Not so David. I don’t remember at what age he began throwing the tantrums each morning. I just remember the battles.

“David, is your homework in your bag?” I asked.

“No, can you help me with it?”

“David, are you dressed and ready for school?” I asked. There was no answer. “David, are you out of bed?”  There was still no answer. “Don’t make me come in there,” I warned--all to no avail.

Each morning I entered his room, threw back the covers, pulled him out of bed, and led him to the breakfast table. He enjoyed breakfast. He did not like dressing for school. “I don’t like this shirt and these jeans don’t feel right. I’m not wearing them,” he said.

“Okay, how about these?” I said and held up another pair of jeans and his favorite shirt.

“No, I’m not going to school today,” David screamed with flailing arms and stomping feet.

Thus began the negotiating for the day. I’m happy to report I won most mornings. Oh sure, there was that one morning I paid him $5.00 if he would go to school without the tantrum. The older kids have forgiven me now, although it took them about twenty years to do so.

I don’t remember my first child, or even child number two or child number three presenting their cases against going to school so strongly. If they did, I stopped the tantrum in its early stages. I was stronger and not nearly as tired back then. Working full time and keeping up with four kids, a dog, a cat, and a workaholic husband kept me tired—very, very tired. Oh, yes, it was easier to pay the kid to go to school than to argue with him.

Turned out it was a good experience to pay the kid. It kind of prepared me for those tuition checks later in his life. While he never reached a time when he actually enjoyed school, there were a few days in high school which he enjoyed. They were mostly the days with an early dismissal time. There were also college days which he enjoyed. But none of those days were as happy as the day he graduated from college. Oh yes, that was a happy day, not only for him, but for his dad and me, too. We were pretty tired of writing those tuition checks.