It's Getting To The Point

I feel guilty. I should tell him what I've decided but I haven't got the heart yet.

I have to get good and mad again; as mad as I was when I finally worked my way towards the realisation that nothing is going to change and I need to get out. As mad as I was last Sunday.

Small Boy has been back with us. Things have not been going well for him this year. Aside from the usual round of visits to school to discuss his failure to submit work, failure to turn up at classes, and (a new low) failure to pay for a chocolate frog at the local supermarket whilst in school uniform and during school hours.....he has been getting himself mixed up in some pretty dubious stuff. If the shoplifting incident was not a large enough red flag, the charging ipad left open on facebook messenger should have been. He has been involved in assisting others in the procuring of 'controlled substances'.

Himself and SB's mum were devastated. They were furious! They counted 30 names on the thread of messages, asking about access to a variety of substances. They were horrified by how many pupils at the school were casually making enquiries. They considered their options before confronting him.

They gave him a good talking to and he promised never to do it again.

No, I am not joking.

They did assure him that if he put one more foot out of line he would be whipped out of that school (assuming they could find another to take him) and sent to a private school, and that they would let the parents of these other pupils know what had been going on. So, there. That's good then. That'll show him they mean business. Won't it?

So why then, when he was caught truanting again just weeks later, did nothing happen? Why then when he was picked up by the police for smoking dope in a car with two post school aged fellows a month ago, did nothing happen??? Oh, sorry. Something happened. He was grounded.

Grounded for a weekend that included a sleepover at a friend's house, a visit to the Royal Show on the Saturday and a trip to the Skate Park on Sunday. None of which were supervised by his father.

That kind of grounded.

But the full stupidity of my husband had yet to reveal itself.

Kid Wrangling:The Week From Hell

Monday's focus was: 'crash tackling the teacher'. Apparently he does this because he loves and and wants to keep her for himself. The nett result however is a terrified teacher, a traumatised class and an angry frustrated little boy.

Tuesday: two letters of complaint, more crash tackling and some intervention attempts which were moderately successful but required my full attention, talking the teacher through her responses. A crisis phone call to the funding authority and specialist consultants. Lots of paperwork for me, tracking events and making an 'escalation and response' timeline.

Wednesday: He doesn't come to school. A two hour 'crisis' meeting and a discovery that the funding we believed we had been given was actually about a third of the requested amount! Phone calls to arrange a meeting with mum. Mum too busy to attend. Breaking the news about the funding over the phone. Mum hanging up. Grandma phoning back to berate me. Mediation and explanation.

Thursday: Meeting with the other parents who , rightly, wanted to know what we were going to do to deal with the traumatised children who had been witnessing the aggression. Work on that problem. Mum agreeing to come in for a meeting after all. Dealing with Slugger and keeping him away from the other kids mostly. Writing an action plan.

Friday: BIG meeting with Mum and her advocate. Good meeting. Consultants in working with Slugger. Some success. Kicking at the classroom door. Slugger running his own agenda again. Break for holidays and the knowledge that we are really not equipped to deal with this young man's issues but that we have to try and we have to provide support for all the others at the same time.

Holidays.