Apparently its a thing for kids in middle school to meet at our local shopping center and just hang out. I've heard about it from one of my mommy friends who have kids Ian's age. Only her kids are a bit more popular than Ian and seemed to be moving at a faster speed in doing new things.
We recently had a teacher workday and the kids found themselves with a free day. Ian gets a text the night before from one of his friends asking if he'd like to meet at this shopping center the next day. Ian comes to me and asks if its ok?
Ian (totally nervous): So um, Brian texted me and would it be ok if I met Brian tomorrow at University Mall?
Me (not letting Ian know that I knew it was totally a thing for kids his age to hang at the mall): What's the plan when you get there?
Ian: What?
Me: Yeah, when you get there, what will you do?
Ian: Um, you know, I'll have some money and my phone (saying this in a very nervous voice).
Me: Ok, fine with me. Just let me know what time I should drop you off.
Ian comes back in my room 5 minutes later and says Brian just texted him and he is being forced to go ice skating with his younger sister and her friends so tomorrow is off.
Ha! I had to laugh. These kids are trying so hard to be independent and make plans. But as quick as a snap of the fingers, their plans can change and they have to do what their mom wants. This kid Brian sounds like a good kid. I haven't met him but I like him already.
Ian, Sam and I decided to go to Dave & Buster's during our day off. As we are walking inside Ian tells me that if we see anyone we know, I shouldn't say hi. He is torn between wanting to go to Dave & Busters and not wanting to be seen with his mom and sister. It's a tough age to be.
Showing posts with label middle school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label middle school. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Monday, September 18, 2017
Lost and Found for the win!
Ian is having a tough time acclimating to Middle School. If you ask him how it's going, he'll reply with "I'm scraping by." I'd like think he is doing better than just scraping by, but maybe the transition to a much bigger school is more challenging than I thought it would be for him. He says he is feeling all these symptoms of anxiety - his back starts to hurt, his stomach is all in knots, and he feels like he is going to be sick. Some days are better than others, and I do hope these ailments start to go away permanently.
He keeps losing all his stuff. His Robinson ID card, his pencil pouch, his history folder, etc. He loses stuff he didn't even realize he lost. Ian goes to the lost and found box daily and comes across all his school supplies. I am not sure why Ian is having a difficult time holding on to his items, but fortunately the good people of Robinson who keep finding his stuff seemingly everywhere is nice enough to get it to the lost and found box.
Middle schoolers are not allowed to use backpacks from when just after they arrive to school to right before they leave for the day. Their backpacks must remain in their lockers. This could be a big problem for Ian. However, since he tells me that he goes to his locker after every single class, I find it hard to believe he must be going back to his locker empty handed most times and not realize it.
The other day Ian went to lost and found with his buddy who was looking for his lunch box (birds of a feather flock together...). Upon arrival to the lost and found box, Ian sees his math folder. He didn't even realize he was missing it. Oh my!
I told Ian maybe he should just move his locker to the lost and found box. He seems to spend more time there than anywhere else. And it would be a shorter distance for his stuff to find its home.
We are 3 weeks into the school year and it has become a bit of a joke. Every day I ask Ian what he found in the lost and found box and every day he has a new answer. So yeah, maybe he is just scraping by.
He keeps losing all his stuff. His Robinson ID card, his pencil pouch, his history folder, etc. He loses stuff he didn't even realize he lost. Ian goes to the lost and found box daily and comes across all his school supplies. I am not sure why Ian is having a difficult time holding on to his items, but fortunately the good people of Robinson who keep finding his stuff seemingly everywhere is nice enough to get it to the lost and found box.
Middle schoolers are not allowed to use backpacks from when just after they arrive to school to right before they leave for the day. Their backpacks must remain in their lockers. This could be a big problem for Ian. However, since he tells me that he goes to his locker after every single class, I find it hard to believe he must be going back to his locker empty handed most times and not realize it.
The other day Ian went to lost and found with his buddy who was looking for his lunch box (birds of a feather flock together...). Upon arrival to the lost and found box, Ian sees his math folder. He didn't even realize he was missing it. Oh my!
I told Ian maybe he should just move his locker to the lost and found box. He seems to spend more time there than anywhere else. And it would be a shorter distance for his stuff to find its home.
We are 3 weeks into the school year and it has become a bit of a joke. Every day I ask Ian what he found in the lost and found box and every day he has a new answer. So yeah, maybe he is just scraping by.
Saturday, September 2, 2017
First week of Middle School is in the books
Ian survived. He didn't die. Despite all his concerns that he wouldn't make it in one piece, I am glad to report he did. Of course he was going to be fine. We all knew it would be okay. But in Ian's mind starting middle school was the end of the world and surely, he was going to die.
By the time orientation and locker day arrived, Ian was a nervous wreck. His anxiety was sky high and he walked around the house muttering to himself, "I'm going to die. I'm going to die." Jeff and I tried to tell Ian that kids don't die from going to 7th grade. If they did, there would never be an 8th grade or a 9th grade. I told Ian that if there was a chance kids could die from 7th grade moms would never send their kids.
Fortunately Ian saw one of his buddy's first thing in the morning for orientation. That alone helped him to survive the morning. And then when Ian found out he had friends he knew in all his classes, his anxiety was greatly reduced. Three of his core classes is with one of his best friends. That's huge! It was still going to be challenging for Ian to be okay with this next big step but he was seeing a bit of the light shining at the end of the tunnel.
Transitioning to middle school is no joke! Ian had a class size of 108 in elementary school which has now jumped to 603 students in 7th grade. And since the middle school is also in the same building as the high school, it is like the size of a small country. Other new things for Ian to get used to include using a locker and a rotating block schedule where half of his classes meet on one day and the other half meet on the other day. And to top it off, Ian is now riding the bus to and from school. This is a new experience too as we were close enough to the elementary school to be considered walkers.
It's a lot of changes all at once.
That first day of school, I wanted nothing more than to walk Ian to where the bus stop is in our neighborhood. As soon as he saw the other kids gathering at the stop (no one had any parents!), he looked at me and made me go back home. I couldn't wait with him for the bus to come and I certainly couldn't take pictures of him getting on the bus or even call out to him one last time "I love you Ian! Have a great day!". The air was let out of my balloon and I walked back towards home disappointed. UNTIL, I crossed the street and started hiding behind the cars in our neighbor's driveways, crouching down lower and lower, making my way back closer to the bus stop. Some of the lawns I had to cross were wet from a recent rain and my shoes got soaked. So there's that. But I did it! I got to see the bus come and Ian get on it.
It's been a full week of school and Ian is doing very well. He can open his locker most times without having to make too many attempts. He finds the right bus (out of over 50!) for which one to take home in the afternoon. And he has a group of boys he sits with at lunch that he knows from his elementary school. All in all, he is off to a great start.
By the time orientation and locker day arrived, Ian was a nervous wreck. His anxiety was sky high and he walked around the house muttering to himself, "I'm going to die. I'm going to die." Jeff and I tried to tell Ian that kids don't die from going to 7th grade. If they did, there would never be an 8th grade or a 9th grade. I told Ian that if there was a chance kids could die from 7th grade moms would never send their kids.
Fortunately Ian saw one of his buddy's first thing in the morning for orientation. That alone helped him to survive the morning. And then when Ian found out he had friends he knew in all his classes, his anxiety was greatly reduced. Three of his core classes is with one of his best friends. That's huge! It was still going to be challenging for Ian to be okay with this next big step but he was seeing a bit of the light shining at the end of the tunnel.
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| Ian learning how to open his locker. |
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| Ian's locker...all set-up and ready to go! |
Transitioning to middle school is no joke! Ian had a class size of 108 in elementary school which has now jumped to 603 students in 7th grade. And since the middle school is also in the same building as the high school, it is like the size of a small country. Other new things for Ian to get used to include using a locker and a rotating block schedule where half of his classes meet on one day and the other half meet on the other day. And to top it off, Ian is now riding the bus to and from school. This is a new experience too as we were close enough to the elementary school to be considered walkers.
It's a lot of changes all at once.
That first day of school, I wanted nothing more than to walk Ian to where the bus stop is in our neighborhood. As soon as he saw the other kids gathering at the stop (no one had any parents!), he looked at me and made me go back home. I couldn't wait with him for the bus to come and I certainly couldn't take pictures of him getting on the bus or even call out to him one last time "I love you Ian! Have a great day!". The air was let out of my balloon and I walked back towards home disappointed. UNTIL, I crossed the street and started hiding behind the cars in our neighbor's driveways, crouching down lower and lower, making my way back closer to the bus stop. Some of the lawns I had to cross were wet from a recent rain and my shoes got soaked. So there's that. But I did it! I got to see the bus come and Ian get on it.
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| Ian turning around and telling me to leave. Go away! |
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| From my hiding spot behind a car. Waiting for the bus to come. |
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| There it is! There's the bus. |
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| The bus passing by. I hope Ian doesn't see me hiding behind this car. :) |
It's been a full week of school and Ian is doing very well. He can open his locker most times without having to make too many attempts. He finds the right bus (out of over 50!) for which one to take home in the afternoon. And he has a group of boys he sits with at lunch that he knows from his elementary school. All in all, he is off to a great start.
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