Thursday, February 19, 2009

It is too late to put my kids up for adoption?

I'm starting to understand the Nebraska Safe Haven law that allows for kids up to age 17 to be dropped off with no retribution. Surely it was allowing for a conversation such as this that could cause a parent to bring harm to their child.

B: "I have a 1/2 day suspension on Monday."
Me: "Why?"
B: "Demerits."
Me: "Umm, the other day when you dad was mad about your getting 4 demerits in 2 days you acted like it was no big deal. Tardy a couple times to a class far away from your locker. How many demerits do you have?"
B: "11."
Me: "Umm, for what?"
B: "Being tardy and stuff."
Me: "What stuff?"
B: "Not having a pencil."
Me: "Why don't you have a pencil?"
B: "I lost it."
Me: "Why didn't you ask me for another one?"
B: (silence)
Me: "Umm, hello? That was a question - it needs a response."
Me: (not waiting for response) "Or take some loose change and buy one at the school store?"
B: "I don't have any loose change and I'd just loose it."
Me: "You are plain out saying you are too irresponsible to keep track of a pencil all day so why bother trying to have one with you?"
B: "I forget it."
Me: "Why do you forget it?"
B: "I use it and set it down and forget about it."
Me: "You mean the one main school supply you use in every class you can't remember to keep with you throughout the day?"
B: "I don't use it in every class."
Me: "So, if you have a pencil with you but happen to not need it for your next class, you just ditch it...leave it behind?"
B: (silence)
Me: ...bang my head against the car door...

Then I changed the subject...

Me: "I didn't realize, or had forgotten, that Kenyon played at Iowa when Chris Street played there." (Kenyon Murray, former Iowa great, was Brendon's basketball coach this year.)
B: (in the most snotty, you are the stupidest person to inhabit the earth, what are you even talking about voice) "WHO'S THAT?!"

I couldn't even look at him after that, let alone talk to him...good thing we just arrived at day care to pick up the good son. I never did answer his question, instead, for his hour of homework time tonight he has to research and write me one page on who Chris Street is. Yeah - he'll be Googling him.

So, hopefully I'll be back in time for Necole's party tomorrow after first driving to Omaha to show Brendon where he'll be staying now.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought it was a full day in-school suspension. Justis has done it before. Or they can buy back some of their demerits by signing up for Saturday school. That way they don't miss a full day of school for in-school suspension (which I have always thought was so stupid...why don't they just require Saturday school or after school??)

I have had many, MANY conversations with both teens exactly like this. It's so damn frustrating.

Old and Tired said...

That is too funny. Kids are such dorks. They just don't care. Were we really like that when we were teenagers?