And here we are again

It wasn't a bad note home this year, it was a bad e-mail. Margaret has started acting up in class — just like she did last year and the year before. Once she gets comfortable in a situation, she starts pushing her boundaries. Like the proverbial camel, now she's all the way in the tent ... and it ain't good. Here's a quote from the dreaded bad e-mail from Margaret's teacher, "She was being really silly, making noises at carpet, screaming in the recess line, talking back to nearly every redirection I gave her." I'm so appreciative that her teacher took the time to let me know what is going on, but what a sucky end to the day yesterday. I called Bill immediately and we formulated a plan: No TV, no computer, no friends ... just more homework, more piano, more reading. She wanted to try to blame her bad behavior on the bad behavior of other students, but that doesn't fly with me. Personal responsibility is very important in our household. This morning I had her write her teacher a note apologizing and promising to work harder on being a well-behaved student. And we talked a lot about the importance of getting an education and how she's lucky she gets to spend her days learning. The rest is up to her. I've realized that I can't make her act right (I'm still working on that myself), all I can do is try to set an example, direct her on proper behavior and enforce consequences of her actions. Heaven help us all.