It’s the title of a book I’m reading: “Eat That Frog,” about procrastination. The idea is to do your biggest, baddest thing first thing in the day because it’s likely nothing else will be that big or bad and you’ll feel pretty good the rest of the day. Because you got the icky thing done first. I’m not eating the frog today, mainly because I feel that not stringing up my sons this morning was a pretty good excuse.
Late start day, the first one of the year. Start school 2 1/2 hours late, at 11:35. Do you have any idea how long 2 1/2 hours is when the kids are running around screaming and you can’t really go anywhere and you have work to do and a headache coming on? I’d rather they get out 2 1/2 hours late, at 1:00. So now I have four hours of blessed silence before they head back. At least A has all his homework done for the week and I don’t have to battle that tonight.
The fires in California are making themselves known here in Colorado. Yesterday was so smoky and hazy that I had to close up the house and crank on the a/c for the first time in a week. Sunrise yesterday was orange, and we had gray skies all day. I really feel for the folks out there; we had some bad fires here several years ago, but nothing like this.
Oh. Hey. Full moon on Friday. That explains this morning’s craziness.
I’ve decided to give up multi-tasking. It wasn’t working for me. I’ve tried for years, and I mean for years, to multi-task, in the hopes of getting more done in an increasingly shrinking day. Instead all I managed to do was increase my stress level, which has negatively impacted my health, and made me a raging shrew. So I’m now doing a 180 and working on being present in whatever I’m doing. I’ll have exceptions for listening to music while I work (big kisses, Pandora!), running the laundry or dishwasher while doing something else, or the like. If I don’t get it all done in a day, I either have too much going on, I need to find/hire someone to help me, or my family (read: the boys) have to step up and do more. We’ll see how it goes.
How do you decide when it’s time to give something up? Something you do, you enjoy, but…eh, I don’t want to say the excitement isn’t there anymore…but maybe you can’t see yourself doing it much longer. Something that would impact others if you gave it up. I know the world keeps spinning and the sun continues to rise and set, but…how and when do you make that decision?
A is starting to make noises about starting karate again. After last year’s back and forth about quitting, I’m really not all that thrilled about this turn of events. I’d rather he take up underwater basket weaving or multi-national hypersonic Nurf ping-pong lacrosse. BUT. Karate is about the best thing an ADHD kid can do, especially if that particular kid isn’t on meds. Crap.
I’m not feelin’ the love with the school this year. I’m not getting real good vibes (like my real good English) from A’s teacher, getting great vibes from J’s kindergarten teacher (she’s fantastically awesome). A’s teacher…hm…I don’t know. There was the thing with him being kept in from recess on the second day of school to finish some work, I’m hearing grumblings from other parents that the whole class is either not getting or is getting a shortened recess, homework assignments aren’t clear… But the thing that’s sticking me…sigh… At the beginning of the year A’s teacher sent home a “Parental Feedback” form for us to fill out and send back, telling her about our kid and learning styles and stuff. I didn’t fill it out right away, and finally sent it in on Monday. I had to type it up instead of handwriting it simply because my handwriting is illegible on a good day and I had so much she needed to know about him. Emailed it to her on Monday and? Not.ONE.Word.Back. Not a “thanks for sending this,” not a “yeah, you’re right, we should meet soon,” just total and complete radio silence. Did I freak her out (or put a target on his back) by admitting that he’s ADHD and not on meds? Did I get an eye-roll because I mentioned his gifted testing and hinted at accommodations? Am I looking too much into this? I suppose I should email and set up a meeting or something. Sigh…just when I had the second grade teachers up to speed. How do I balance advocating for my child with NOT being a helicopter parent? Bleh.
Maybe if I keep typing my office will clean itself, and my big ugly frog of the day will eat itself. Not likely. Suppose I should have some lunch, that might make the frog easier to slide down my gullet.
There’s a world of difference between advocating for your child by letting a teacher know about any special circumstances in the beginning of the year – and then giving her the space she needs to do her job – and helicopter parenting.
Call the teacher.
PS Go read my latest post – you’ll feel a lot better about any shortcomings you may or may not have ;-).
I’ll have to remember that frog analogy. I like it.
I have no good advice for you on all the stuff that has to get done in a day, but I do know that attitude goes a long way. The more easy going I am about things, the less stressed I am about my list. I also let things that aren’t super important drop-off the list. You can’t do everything!
You always have to go on the assumption that you are the only advocate your child has. That may not always be true, but you can certainly be the loudest, the squeaky wheel that gets the grease, and always the most knowledgeable. Don’t condemn her too quickly, though. The beginning of the year is always kind of crazy – trying to get in the groove and figure out the chemistry of your class and so forth. Personally, when I was teaching, I would much rather have had a parent ask me in person or send me a follow-up email. I hate hate HATED having to return phone calls. But that could just be a “me” thing because I generally hate the telephone. So there’s your former teacher a$$vice of the day. Take it or leave it. 😉
I’d call, make sure she got the form, and go from there. I’m never surprised when technology goes kablewee.
I have a friend who took her son off the meds – and, in place of said meds, is giving caffeine in various ways to help with the focus… says it works…I’m not trying it. New tactic for focus recently discovered from another friend is a strip of paper in the pocket to fidget with….in place of a stress ball which draws attention. Gameboy is a tapper so he doesn’t feel he needs the paper or the stress ball – but it is WONDERFUL to see him taking an active role in his own ADHD management.
If not Karate – what? We’ve had best luck with music…sports were a bust all around….
Apparently I should’ve taken something today.
Love the frog thing. The year I turned 40, 2005, on the morning of January 1, I jumped in the ocean. In Maine. In Acadia National Park, at Sand Beach, specifically, where people go into shock in July and need an ambulance because the water is so cold. After that, turning 40 and the ensuing stuff was easy-peasy. NOTHING could be as bad as jumping in the ocean on January 1. Nothing.
So maybe don’t eat an actual frog each morning, but a big, scary, terrible thing every now and again can help us to remember just how strong and tough and powerful and brave we really can be. Good luck.